Gilmore, Elliott possibilities and the NFL personnel dance
It was a different kind of offseason for the Dallas Cowboys, who were aggressive in adding talent while also saying goodbye to a high-priced veteran. The trade for cornerback Stephon Gilmore and the shedding of running back Ezekiel Elliott’s salary were two of the better moves the team made this spring. It turns out the recent wearers of the No. 21 jersey have energies that seem to intertwine in other ways.
The Cowboys almost didn’t end up with Gilmore. According The Athletic’s Jeff Howe, an NFL insider who has close ties with the Patriots, the Cowboys outbid the Patriots to a trade for Gilmore. Interestingly enough, there was a possibility both players ended up teammates as Elliott recently took a free agent visit to Massachusetts, and they may still wind up being teammates. Gilmore’s place on the Cowboys is set, but it’s there are rumors a reunion might be coming for the team and Elliott.
Gilmore a missing piece to the defense
The veteran corner became available this offseason after he and the Indianapolis Colts agreed Gilmore could seek a trade partner. Howe reports the two most interested teams in acquiring his services were the Cowboys and Patriots, a team with which he won a Defensive Player of the Year Award and a Super Bowl.
In mid-March, the Cowboys traded a fifth-round pick for Gilmore to pair with All-Pro corner Trevon Diggs. It was a move that shored up one of the biggest weak spots on the defense. Adding a legitimate CB to play opposite of Diggs might be a move that helps bring a championship back to Dallas, an opportunity not lost on Gilmore.
“It’d mean a lot,” Gilmore told The Athletic. “There’s no better feeling than winning that big thing. To do it here would be even bigger.”
What’s not clear is how aggressive the Patriots were in trying to trade for their former defensive All-Pro, but Gilmore ended up where he wanted to be.
“I was really excited,” Gilmore said. “This was one of the places I wanted to come, probably my No. 1 place, so I’m happy we got it done.”
Now with the Cowboys, Gilmore and Diggs make up one of the top tandems in the league. In the past few seasons, it was easy for quarterbacks to throw away from Diggs and pick on the other CBs, no longer will that be the case.
In his first training camp with the Cowboys, Gilmore has been as good as advertised, and brought a veteran presence on the field, helping teach the young CBs.
Cowboys took a two-minute hydration break during practice. Stephon Gilmore spent it mentoring CBs Trevon Diggs and Nahshon Wright. pic.twitter.com/UiCvRBNSvu
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) August 5, 2023
With the addition of Gilmore, the Cowboys now have one of the deepest secondaries in the league, along with Diggs and second-year sensation DaRon Bland in the slot. Gilmore will be 33-years old in September, but he’s still playing at a high-level and could be the missing piece on a defense that was already one of the best in the NFL.
Elliott still an option?
Also included in Howe’s story was that Elliott is drawing interest from three teams, including the Patriots, New York Jets, and, yes, the Cowboys.
“The Patriots have remained highly interested in Ezekiel Elliott, and the Cowboys are also in the mix to re-sign the 28-year-old, according to league sources. The New York Jets have also been in on Elliott.”
Elliott was a productive player for the Cowboys in the last few seasons, but his play has been in decline. The team turned the offense over to the more efficient running back in Tony Pollard as its starter and brought in other backfield options. The team re-signed Rico Dowdle, signed free agent Ronald Jones, and drafted Deuce Vaughn to help replace some of Elliott’s production. The rest of the options are second-year RB Malik Davis and Hunter Luepke, who was brought in as an undrafted free agent.
However, Vaughn’s size hasn’t been tested at the NFL-level yet, and Jones is suspended for the first few weeks of the season. That doesn’t leave a lot of experience behind Pollard, which could be why the Cowboys remain a possibility for Elliott.
It’s also no secret that Jones has a soft spot for Elliott and hasn’t ruled out a return.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on @1053thefan regarding free-agent RB Ezekiel Elliott: “He’s not ruled out at all here.”
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) August 1, 2023
If the Cowboys do want Elliott back, it may come down to them and the Patriots again. Elliott was in New England for a long visit recently and he could be a good fit for a team with a young QB in need of protection.
There is still time for the Cowboys to see how the RB room develops in camp and the preseason, but until Elliott signs somewhere, there will be speculation about a reunion.
