Can Dallas Afford to Sign Stephon Gilmore To Team With Diggs and Bland?

Notwithstanding a dismal conclusion to their 2023 campaign, the Dallas Cowboys have lofty goals for 2024. It seems like the Cowboys are determined to field the greatest team possible for the upcoming season, as seen by team owner Jerry Jones’ apparent vote of confidence in head coach Mike McCarthy and their desire to forget the painful memory of their 48-32 loss to the Green Bay Packers on wild card weekend. Will it include making investments to have veteran reserves on hand? The way they handle cornerback Stephon Gilmore, who will shortly be a free agency, may hold the key to the answer to that query.

The soon-to-be unrestricted free agent played in all 17 of Dallas’ games this season, recording 68 total tackles, 13 passes defensed, two interceptions, and one forced fumble. Although Gilmore’s contributions to the Cowboys squad were not as evident as his on-field abilities, his leadership qualities were just as important.

Gilmore was obtained from the Indianapolis Colts in March 2023 following a trade for a compensatory fifth-round pick. He was supposed to sit opposite standout cornerback Trevon Diggs and lend experience to the Cowboys secondary. Sadly, Diggs’ season was cut short by an ACL tear he suffered in September during one-on-one workouts. Gilmore was therefore again called upon to play a major part in helping to maintain Dallas’ cornerback room’s focus.

Second-year cornerback DaRon Bland emerged as the Cowboys’ primary option at the position, leading the NFL with nine interceptions and breaking up 15 passes, despite still having the talent to head the team’s secondary. adopting in the secondary Diggs’ aggressive style of playmaking. After all, Diggs had the most interceptions of any cornerback in 2021, which helped him earn a spot on the first team of the All-Pro team.

Though he took a statistical dip in 2022 (logging just three picks), the 23-year-old is still considered one of the top players at his position While both Bland and Diggs are most comfortable when patrolling the perimeter on the right side, it is hard to envision a scenario in which both corners are not starting on the edges of the team’s defensive backfield in 2024. Therefore, the question remains “What to do with Gilmore?”

Even at age 33, he has been among the top players at his position for several years. The former South Carolina standout spent his first five seasons with the Buffalo Bills, earning Pro Bowl honors in 2016. However, Gilmore developed into an elite defensive back after signing a lucrative free-agent deal with the New England Patriots in 2017.

He was crowned Defensive Player of the Year in 2019 after leading the league with six interceptions and 20 passes defensed throughout his four seasons with the Pats. In addition, he was selected to four Pro Bowls, was selected to the first team of the Pro Bowl thrice, and was a part of the Super Bowl LIII winning squad.

In October 2021, Gilmore was traded to the Carolina Panthers, where he was selected for a sixth Pro Bowl. He inked a contract with Indianapolis before the 2022 season got underway. Despite seeing a slight decline in his stats from his time in New England, Gilmore concluded his one and only season with the Colts with 66 total tackles, 11 passes defensed, and two interceptions.

Though his on-field skills, along with his leadership abilities, make him a strong consideration, the Cowboys may find Gilmore’s asking price a bit high, based on the potential return on investment. His 2024 valuation, per OverTheCap, is estimated at $7.6 million annually. Conversely, Dallas is entering the new league year with the intent of clearing cap space, and may look to allocate that money to greater positions of need.

Given that Diggs inked a five-year, $97 million deal extension with the Cowboys last July, it appears that he is a fixture in the team’s plans. Diggs appears to be remaining in Dallas, at least for the near future, unless they are able to locate a trade partner for the 2021 All-Pro after June 1st, a move that would bring them nearly $11 million in cap savings. Considering Bland’s rise and his far more affordable $1.06 million cap figure, the Cowboys may find that retaining Gilmore in the fold until 2024 proves to be too costly.

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