Stephon Gilmore still has plenty to offer Cowboys at CB in 2024
It’s nearly midway through the month of May and free-agent cornerback Stephon Gilmore remains unsigned. The former NFL defensive player of the year started for the Cowboys last season after Dallas acquired him in a March 2023 trade. In many ways Gilmore saved the Cowboys season by solidifying the top ranks after Trevon Diggs fell to a season ending injury before Week 3.
Yet, with Diggs expected back in time for training camp, the Cowboys didn’t have an overwhelming need to bring him back in 2024. DaRon Bland earned All-Pro honors in his first season as a starter and Dallas previously re-signed Jourdan Lewis to presumably man the nickel. In an offseason known for austerity, it didn’t make much sense to bring Gilmore back. But now just under three months from training camp in Oxnard, maybe it’s time to revisit the idea.
Gilmore’s 2023 season was a down one by his previous All-Pro standards, but at age 33 that was generally expected. Gilmore was playing on his fourth team in four years, switching systems annually and still finding a way to rank in the top 35 last season. He was a consummate professional in Dallas, leading on and off the field and playing in all 17 regular season games along the way.
Gilmore hasn’t garnered much interest on the free agent market, and as such, his price is unlikely to be high. At this point in his career, Gilmore is likely playing year-to-year indefinitely, so the money and the overall commitment will be modest. Despite knowing full-well what the scene is in Dallas, Gilmore hasn’t shut the door on a return to the Cowboys.
CB is a physically demanding position and each of the last two years the Cowboys have suffered significant injuries to the top of their depth chart. Coming back from an ACL tear, there’s no telling how Diggs will feel in his return or how healthy the rest of the CB room can stay.
Many also believe Bland is better suited to play inside in the nickel, meaning a place on the outside could open up every time the Cowboys matched up against 11 personnel (3WR sets).
Lewis is a darling of the team and was re-signed for a reason, but it doesn’t have to be as a top-3 starter. He entered the fray in 2023 as no higher than CB4 and he was making more than the $2,827,500 he is this season. Lewis is also coming off a rather poor season, grading out as the 115th best CB in a field of 127 CBs.
With Gilmore on the roster, he’d likely assume an outside spot opposite Diggs when the Cowboys are in nickel coverage and then cycle out completely when Mike Zimmer switches to base personnel.
It would move Lewis back to his ideal spot at CB4 and give the rookie Caelen Carson a chance to get his legs under him. Dallas would be five-deep at the CB and able to roll with inevitable injuries that pop up throughout the year.
The Cowboys clearly have bigger needs on their roster at running back and defensive tackle, but options are slim on the open market. Gilmore appears to be familiar, capable and inexpensive. That should be music to the Cowboys’ ears.
CB isn’t a major need, but a player of Gilmore’s status would still be extremely useful to the 2024 Cowboys.
An offer for Cowboys fans
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