Buffalo Bills' Stephon Gilmore to skip OTAs

BUFFALO, N.Y., May 22 (UPI) -- Although he won't technically be a "holdout," Buffalo Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore will not partake in organized team activities, starting Monday.

Instead, Gilmore will opt to train in Charlotte and Miami, while the team works on locking him up with a long-term deal. The Bills' mandatory minicamp is set for June 14 to June 16.

Gilmore, 25, is in the final year of his rookie contract and returns as the Bills' top cornerback.

"I definitely would as long as its fair," Gilmore told the Buffalo News in March. "I love Buffalo. They gave me my first opportunity to play in the National Football League. I think we have a lot of great talent, a lot of guys in the locker room that I love like my little brothers. But right now, it's a business. It's not personal. You believe in yourself and see if you can meet."

The Bills' OTAs are set for Monday through Wednesday this week, May 31, June 1, June 3, and June 6 to June 9.

Gilmore tore his labrum on Dec. 6, before that he had three interceptions and 18 passes defended in 12 starts. He considers himself to be in the elite class of NFL cornerbacks. In that case, he could be looking for the same amount of cash as Josh Norman, Janoris Jenkins, and Darrelle Revis, who have all recently signed deals between $62.5 million and $75 million over five years.

"I know who I am and nobody can tell me I'm not," Gilmore told the Buffalo News. "If you really watch the film, really study the film and not go off hype and people who talk more than what I do, just go off the film and it'll show you that."

The Bills selected Gilmore out of South Carolina with the No. 10 pick in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Gilmore's rookie deal pays him $11 million this season.

Last month, Bills general manager Doug Whaley said that the team was "actively" trying to get a deal done with Gilmore.