ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Stephon Gilmore, the Buffalo Bills' top cornerback, is expected back with the team for mandatory minicamp next week after not reporting for voluntary organized team activities the past three weeks.
Fellow starting cornerback Ronald Darby revealed Gilmore's plans Wednesday, saying he keeps in touch with Gilmore weekly and that his teammate "should be back" for next week's three practices, held Tuesday through Thursday.
Gilmore, the 10th overall pick in the 2012 draft, enters the final season of his rookie contract and is slated to earn $11.08 million. He started the first 12 games of last season, tying his career high with three interceptions, before a shoulder injury kept him out of the final four contests.
It's unclear how much Gilmore would have participated in organized team activities or how much he will practice during minicamp next week because of his rehab from surgery in December to repair a torn labrum.
Gilmore was tied with Denver's Chris Harris Jr. as the ninth-rated cornerback in the NFL last season by Pro Football Focus.
General manager Doug Whaley has stated several times this offseason that the Bills are negotiating a long-term extension with Gilmore. One benchmark for the deal could be Josh Norman's recently signed five-year, $75 million contract with the Washington Redskins that includes $50 million in guaranteed money. Norman was the 11th-rated cornerback by PFF last season.
Darby, the Bills' second-round pick last season, who was rated as the fourth-best cornerback in the NFL last season by PFF, was encouraged by Norman's deal.
"I was happy for [Norman]," Darby said. "In a few years hopefully mine will be somewhere around there or higher. It will help all corners; I just want the [salary] cap to keep going higher and higher."
By NFL rules, the Bills and Darby cannot renegotiate his contract until after his third year -- following the 2017 season.
