Stephon Gilmore reveals how Patriots made him into an elite cornerback.

Stephon Gilmore started his career in Buffalo. While Gilmore was decent with one pro bowl appearance, fans in the Bills mafia thought he was a first round bust. Many laughed when the Patriots signed him to a large contract, especially those in the Rochester chapter.

Since joining the Patriots, Gilmore as become one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. Gilmore says a culture of stability is why he blossomed, something Buffalo has lacked since 1993.

“Me in Buffalo, the first five years, I had four different defensive coordinators, three different head coaches, so I was kind of trying to learn each and every year,” Gilmore said, according to Chris Mason of Mass Live. “Once I got to New England, I got some consistency and the same guys around, same coaches. I feel like that is why my game took off more.”

Gilmore had a disappointing first season in Foxboro but he wasn't being utilized properly. The play was so bad, people wondered why Belichick didn't just pay Malcolm Butler. Fans wanted Gilmore gone and thought Belichick was sabotaging Brady.

Once the Patriots figured out their mistakes with Gilmore, His play improved drastically according to Matthew Schmidt of Clutch Point. 

"Gilmore settled in and had a breakout campaign, appearing in every contest and registering 45 tackles, a pair of picks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and 20 passes defended. As a result, Gilmore made the Pro Bowl and earned a First-Team All-Pro selection." wrote Schmidt.

The 29 year old earned another pro bowl appearance in 2019, thanks to his ability to shutdown receivers. The ball hawk also had 6 interceptions and a pair of touchdowns. His play was just lights out.

Thankfully, Belichick has ignored the Tank for Trevor noise and kept Gilmore, who is poised for another elite season in 2020. The thing that Gilmore sited as why his play improved in New England, is the thing that will keep New England competitive now that Brady is gone; consistency.