How have 5 other Patriots holdouts under Bill Belichick been resolved?
Though it hasnt happened in recent years, Stephon Gilmore is far from the first Patriot to hold out during the Bill Belichick era in Foxborough. Though most of the reasons have been the same  players want more money, duh  theyve been met with a myriad of different resolutions. Lets dive in:  Ben Watson, 2004  It hardly ever happens anymore, but Ben Watson held out before playing a single snap in the NFL. After being drafted No. 32 overall, the Patriots wanted to ink Watson to a six-year deal, while the tight end only wanted five years before free agency. These disputes have since been resolved, as all first-round picks now have four-year deals with a team option for a fifth, but back in 2004 things werent set in stone. So Watson held out of his first training camp for 18 days, but really didnt have much leverage. If he refused to play, he could have re-entered the 2005 NFL Draft pool a year older faced with the same situation. The result: Watson signed the six-year, $13.5 million deal. He would play its entirety in New England before finally hitting free agency in 2010. Richard Seymour, 2005  After making three straight Pro Bowls, Seymour still had two seasons left on his six-year, $14.3 million rookie deal and decided to holdout in the summer of 2005. He skipped minicamp and the first four days of training camp. As the first leg of the Patriots dynasty was coming to an end, it looked like there would be some serious turnover on the defensive side of the ball. Tedy Bruschi was sidelined after suffering a stroke, Ted Johnson retired, and Ty Law had been released as a salary cap casualty. New England needed Seymour in the fold to maintain some continuity  and he was a really, really good player. The result: Seymour was given a pay bump of more than $1 million (per the Seattle Times) and then delivered on the field. The defensive lineman was named a First-Team All-Pro for the third straight season and signed a massive three-year, $30 million extension the following April, a year before he was set to hit free agency. Deion Branch, 2006  Branch staged the second-longest hold out on the list. Entering the final year of his rookie deal in 2006, Branch was only slated to make a base salary of $1.05 million. Hed won Super Bowl MVP in 2004 and was New Englands leading receiver in 2005, catching 78 passes for 998 yards. ESPN reported that the Patriots gave Branch two extension offers in the offseason: A three-year contract worth $18.75 million with $8 million guaranteed, and five-year deal at $31 million with $11 million in bonuses. Branch declined and the two sides reportedly stepped away from the negotiating table in May. From there, Branch skipped training camp and the preseason. When it was clear the two sides wouldnt reach an agreement, the Patriots took the rare step of announcing that they would allow Branch to find a trade. The New England Patriots have given Deion Branch permission to seek a trade and negotiate a contract with other clubs. This permission will extend until September 1, 2006, their statement read. From there, things got even messier. There was no trade by the Patriots deadline and Branch filed two grievances against the team, according to the Boston Globe, saying that both the Seahawks and Jets had offered second-round picks and New England didnt bargain in good faith.  The result: Ultimately, Branch was traded to the Seahawks for a first-round pick on September 11. He inked a six-year, $39 million extension shortly thereafter. The Patriots filed tampering charges against the Jets, claiming theyd leaked Branch info that compromised negotiations, but New York was cleared. Its been such a long process and it kind of got complicated there at the end going through all of the things that have been talked about and represented, Belichick said. No kidding. Without Branch, the Patriots had one of the worst receiving groups of the Belichick era, leading to a 2007 overhaul that saw Wes Welker, Randy Moss and Donte Stallworth brought to New England. The Patriots spent the Branch pick on Brandon Meriweather. Asante Samuel, 2007  This one is relatively cut-and-dried. Set for unrestricted free agency in 2007, the Patriots instead placed the franchise tag on Samuel in February. The cornerback was irked and skipped all offseason activities, training camp and a few weeks of the preseason before finally caving in. The result: On August 27, Samuel reported to the facility and inked his one-year, $7.79 million contract. According to the Globe, the Patriots included the stipulation that if Samuel played 60% of the snaps or the team won 12 games, he couldnt be franchised again. The cornerback didnt miss a beat when he got on the field and was named a First Team All-Pro in 2007. The Patriots obviously won 16 games, and the following offseason Samuel cashed in, signing a six-year, $56 million deal with the Eagles. Logan Mankins, 2010  This one is a bit complicated. Entering the 2010 season, Mankins expected to be an unrestricted free agent. However, the NFL owners opted out of the CBA, and it was ruled that only players with six years in the league would be unrestricted, and at five, Mankins would be a restricted free agent. That meant the Patriots tendered him on a one-year deal at $3.26 million, and any team that wanted Mankins would need to send New England first and third rounders. The two-time Pro Bowl guard would have garnered far more money on the open market. Mankins hadnt signed his tender by mid-June, so the Patriots could knock his salary down to $1.54 million. They did. While that was complicated, Mankins response wasnt. I want to be traded. I dont need to be here any more, Mankins told ESPN. This is about principle with me and keeping your word and how you treat people. This is what I thought the foundation of the Patriots was built on. Apparently, I was wrong. Growing up, I was taught a mans word is his bond. Obviously this isnt the case with the Patriots.  He skipped training camp, the preseason, and the first seven weeks of the regular season, before finally reporting on November 2. Logan came in, I met with him this morning, and its good to have him back on the team, Belichick said. Hes been a great player and person for our football team. Hes tough. Hes smart. You just cant have too many guys like that on your football team. Were glad hes back.  The result: Mankins started the teams final nine games and was named a First Team All-Pro. The Patriots placed the franchise tag on him the following February, but Mankins agreed to sign the tender, report to camp, and in August of 2011 signed a six-year, $51 million extension, which was record-setting money for a guard. While there are some similarities  elite players wanting to be paid accordingly  the veteran is in a different spot than the holdouts before him. The others were all looking for top-of-the-market money on their second contracts. They were still on rookie deals (or in Watsons case, reticent to sign one). Approaching the end of his second deal, Gilmore likely isnt looking for a long-term extension. The Patriots have the cap room right now and could give the 2019 Defensive Player of the Year a sweetener and then let him hit free agency next spring. Gilmore is still the best player on the roster  hes got some leverage  and the Patriots have an obvious need. Dont expect this holdout to go the Mankins or Branch route. Editors note: Though publicly displeased with contracts, neither Ty Law nor Vince Wilfork technically held out under Belichick. Law walked his strong comments back in 2004 and attended training camp, while Wilfork only skipped voluntary workouts in 2009. Stephon Gilmore doesnt expect Bill Belichick to trade him (report)  Stephon Gilmore trade rumors: NFL insider believes Patriots return would be similar to Julio Jones deal