The amount of teams, contending ones at that, that have a vacancy at cornerback and haven’t called Stephon Gilmore is alarming. Now, I’m not some Gilmore superfan by any means, but his lone season in Minnesota last year was proof that, while he’s old, he’s still got something left in the tank to add to a defense’s secondary. And there are quite a few teams that could benefit from having him.
Since his breakout season in 2019 with the New England Patriots, Gilmore has been to the Pro Bowl twice. While making the Pro Bowl doesn’t have as much weight to it as it used to, it’s still something to say for someone that was an All-Pro for the first time at 29 years old; he also won defensive player of the year with the Patriots in 2019.
He’s had at least one interception every year of his NFL career too. He’s the type of player that isn’t going to do a whole lot at his age, but he’ll do enough to make sure he’s not a liability. There’s quite a few teams that could benefit from that.
Why are teams hesitating to sign All-Pro cornerback Stephon Gilmore?
The only thing that would make sense about teams waiting on signing Gilmore is they’re waiting to see how their rookies and rosters shake before making any additions ahead of the preseason. Having 90 rostered players at this point, adding a vet doesn’t really do much.
And since the demand for Gilmore isn’t that high, there’s no urgency to bring him in. It would make sense, at this point, to wait closer to Week 1 before bringing him in if a team is interested. That said, there’s quite a few teams that could benefit from a former All-Pro in the secondary.
The Cincinnati Bengals, while they’re not particularly interested in adding more salaries, need as much help on defense as they can afford. They are down two EDGE rushers right now. Along with that, their secondary got exposed a number of times, costing Joe Burrow an MVP.
Another team would be the Dallas Cowboys. They already know what Gilmore can offer so it’s not a surprise if they look to run it back. Trevon Diggs is out to start the season and could miss more time. Having Gilmore in an interim position could be beneficial.
Another team could be the Arizona Cardinals. Sean Murphy-Bunting is out for the year with an injury suffered this offseason and Will Johnson, though a high-ceiling rookie, might be a liability with his injury history.
Point being, Gilmore still can add a lot to a secondary, even if he’ll be 35 years old this upcoming season. It won’t be long before he’s scooped up.