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

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

Despite a poor finale to the 2023 season, the Dallas Cowboys will head into 2024 with high expectations.

From club owner Jerry Jones’ apparent vote of confidence in head coach Mike McCarthy to their desire to forget

the bitter taste of a 48-32 loss to the Green Bay Packers on wild card weekend,

the Cowboys appear set on playing the greatest team possible for the upcoming season.

Will this entail investing on the retention of veteran reserves?

The method they take with soon-to-be free agency cornerback

Stephon Gilmore may provide the answer to that issue.

The soon-to-be unrestricted free agent appeared in all 17 games for

Dallas this season and finished with 68 total tackles, 13 passes defensed,

two interceptions, and one forced fumble.

While those numbers may not light up the Cowboys’ stat sheet,

Gilmore’s contributions to the squad were more about leadership than on-field ability.

Gilmore, who was acquired from the Indianapolis Colts via trade

(in return for a compensatory fifth-round pick) in March 2023,

was expected to serve as an experienced presence in the Cowboys secondary opposite top cornerback Trevon Diggs.

Diggs’ season was cut short in September after he tore his ACL during one-on-one workout drills.

As a result, Gilmore was once again thrown into a major position in helping to keep Dallas’ cornerbacks focused.

Despite having the talent to command the Cowboys’ secondary,

second-year cornerback DaRon Bland emerged as the primary option,

intercepting nine passes and breaking up 15 others.

adopting Diggs’ aggressive play style in the secondary.

After all, Diggs led all cornerbacks in 2021 with 11 interceptions,

earning a first-team All-Pro designation. Despite a statistical downturn in 2022 (just three picks),

the 23-year-old is still considered one of the finest performers at his position.

While Bland and Diggs are most comfortable patrolling the perimeter on the right side,

it is difficult to imagine a scenario in which both corners do not start on the team’s defensive backfield in 2024.

As a result, the question remains, “What to do with Gilmore?”

Even at 33, he has been one of the best players in his position for numerous years.

The former South Carolina standout played his first five seasons for the Buffalo Bills,

earning Pro Bowl honors in 2016.

However, after earning a big free-agent contract with the New England Patriots in 2017,

Gilmore rose to the status of an outstanding defensive back.

During his four seasons with the Patriots, he was named Defensive Player of the Year in 2019,

leading the league with six interceptions and 20 passes defensed. He also earned four Pro Bowl choices,

two first-team All-Pro honors, and was a member of the Super Bowl LIII winning squad.

Gilmore was dealt to the Carolina Panthers in October 2021, where he earned his sixth Pro Bowl selection.

He joined with Indianapolis before the start of the 2022 season.

Despite a statistical decrease from his time in New England,

Gilmore concluded his only season with the Colts with 66 total tackles, 11 passes defensed, and two interceptions.

Though his on-field skills, as well as his leadership traits, make him a viable candidate,

the Cowboys may deem Gilmore’s asking price to be a bit excessive, given the potential return on investment.

OverTheCap estimates that his 2024 valuation will be $7.6 million each year. Dallas, on the other hand,

is approaching the new league year with the goal of freeing up cap space,

which they may use to dedicate to more pressing needs.

Diggs appears to be firmly established in the Cowboys’ plans at the position,

having signed a five-year, $97 million contract deal in July.

Unless they can find a trade partner for the 2021 All-Pro after June 1,

a move that would result in nearly $11 million in cap savings,

Diggs appears to be remaining in Dallas for the foreseeable future.

Given Bland’s emergence, as well as his significantly more manageable $1.06 million salary cost,

keeping Gilmore in the Cowboys fold may eventually be too expensive for them moving into 2024.

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