Cowboys Could Lose Starting CB in Free Agency: ‘Too Expensive’
Even the Dallas Cowboys cannot afford to retain all of their finest players, but they do have a number of players that they would like to keep through 2024. It shouldn’t come as a huge surprise if Stephon Gilmore leaves the Cowboys since they will need to make adjustments in order to stay under the salary cap.
According to Spotrac, as things stand, the Cowboys are expected to be $11 million above the cap in 2024. For this reason, Mike D’Abate of Sports Illustrated thinks the organization might decide against giving Gilmore a second contract.
D’Abate stated, “Dallas is entering the new league year with the intent of clearing cap space.” “And might consider directing such funds toward more dire situations… Considering [DaRon] Bland’s rise and his much more agreeable $1.06 million cap figure, the Cowboys may find that retaining Gilmore in the fold until 2024 is too costly.
To put things in perspective, Gilmore received $9.98 million for his services in 2023. Even if he would not need the same salary in 2024, it’s difficult to see him accepting a significant wage decrease. Gilmore shown that he still has a lot left in the tank in 2023 with a strong season.
Gilmore Has Best Season Since 2019
Gilmore was possibly the NFL’s top cornerback at one point. In 2018 and 2019, Gilmore was a first-team All-Pro while playing for the New England Patriots. While Gilmore continued to play at a high level in the interim, his first season with the Cowboys was the best he had been in a long time.
First of all, for the first time since 2019, he started every game during the regular season. Additionally, PFR demonstrates that he recorded 13 passes defended, forced a fumble, and pulled down two interceptions. His 54 solo tackles are a career high, and the 13 PDs are his highest total since 2019.
Fans of the Cowboys witnessed him step up in an unfavorable circumstance as well. Trevon Diggs’ season was cut short, forcing Gilmore to take over as the starting cornerback, and he performed admirably overall.
Having said that, it makes perfect sense for Gilmore to search for a new, substantial contract.Spotrac thinks a deal worth $11 million would be appropriate for him, but Dallas might not be able to reach that amount.
How Cowboys Can Open Up Cap Space
While the Cowboys will be tight on cap space to start the league year, they are far from stuck. The problem is just figuring out how and where to save money.
WR Michael Gallup, LB Leighton Vander Esch, and P Bryan Unger are players to keep an eye on when it comes to player releases. Gallup’s release after June 1st will free up $9.5 million, and the Cowboys may receive an additional $5.5 million if they release Unger and Esch.
At least it puts the Cowboys under the bus. However, they might also reorganize different agreements, as this has been a tactic used in the past. Guard Zach Martin sticks out after making that move.
Dallas stands to save as much as $13.4 million if they agree to convert Martin to a basic salary. DE Marcus Lawrence’s contract is one of the other large ones that they might attempt to convert. They could convert the soon-to-be 32-year-old and save $7 million against the cap.
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