Stephon Gilmore was a key part of the 12-4 Cowboys last season. The former NFL Defensive Player of the Year paired with DaRon Bland to form one of the better cornerback duos in the league in 2023. Acquired in an offseason trade, Gillmore was well worth the price of admission. But as the Cowboys prepared to break the bank for Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb in 2024, Gillmore faced the same fate many of the Cowboys other free agents faced, a handshake and a goodbye.
Instead of re-signing Gilmore, Dallas inked the seven-year veteran Jourdan Lewis to a new deal. He was of very few who were asked to come back, and as arguably the best performing CB on the Cowboys this season, it’s been money well spent.
With Trevon Diggs also coming back in 2024 and DaRon Bland coming off a breakout All-Pro season, Gilmore was on the outside looking in. Despite sitting unsigned in free agency for a brutally long period of time, the Cowboys didn’t bite.
Eventually Gilmore signed with the Vikings for one year, $7,000,000 million, fully guaranteed. It’s a decision he’s likely pleased he made with Minnesota at 5-0 and in first place in the NFC.
How he performed with the Cowboys
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Gilmore wasn’t the All-Pro he used to be in 2023, but he was a solid, starting-quality CB who provided both dependable play and veteran leadership. Pro Football Focus graded him 35th out of 127 graded CBs last season, giving Dallas two CBs in the league’s top 35.
How he’s performing in 2024
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Even at age 34, Gilmore is still clear value-added to his team. PFF ranks the veteran 30th in 2024. His 8.5 yards/reception allowed is a career best. His 69.7 passer rating when targeted is his best since 2019. He’s logged two pass deflections, one interception and allowed zero touchdowns.
It’s safe to say he’s an absolute steal at $7 million.
How he’d fit had he been re-signed
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On paper he would have never displaced Bland or Diggs. The Cowboys could have moved Bland back inside but given his success outside in 2023, that would be hard to believe. Gilmore would have fit well as an outside replacement, which based on the Cowboys history, would have been a significant role.
As luck would have it, Bland was injured before the season began and the second outside CB spot became of revolving door of low-level options. We know now Gilmore would have played a significant role early in 2024 and given his high-end play against the run, he would have helped the Cowboys considerably.
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Was it a mistake not re-signing him?
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For the Cowboys, yes. For Gilmore, no. If Gilmore would have accepted $7 million to play a reserve role, retrospect says that’s a great deal to make for Dallas. Diggs started the 2024 campaign strong but isn’t playing with the same effort or precision as before. He could have used a veteran presence like Gilmore playing across from him and prodding him to play better.
With Bland coming back after the bye, the need isn’t as significant for Gilmore going forward. Assuming the Cowboys can stay relatively healthy at CB, they may not need an extra boundary CB again this season. Regardless, having that veteran stability on the roster and given the injury-filled nature of the position in Dallas, Gilmore would have been well worth re-signing for $7 million had he been willing to accept it.
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Saturday, July 29, 2023.
