4 players on the Cowboys roster who won't make it to the end of the 2024 NFL season

1. Stephon Gilmore

Cowboys fans shouldn't panic about Gilmore's inclusion on this list. Everything about the one-year deal he signed in the offseason made it clear he was only a stopgap option for the team's defense. Dallas paid a premium to secure his services with the tradeoff that no guaranteed money is on the deal after this season.

Gilmore is performing as a decent starter which does give him a chance to get re-signed. The other side of the argument is that the former Pro Bowler will be 34 when next season begins. Father Time is generally hard on cornerbacks and while Gilmore has bucked that trend to date, it's unwise for the Cowboys to bet on him to do so in 2024 and beyond.

The Cowboys will need to spend significant resources to replace him in their starting lineup. It might be a good idea to earmark a first or second-round pick to secure another high-quality starter in the secondary. Gilmore's reputation does slightly outweigh his production at this stage of his veteran career.

The other alternative would be for the Cowboys to use Gilmore's salary slot to sign another veteran corner. That might not be a long-term solution but it could be good enough to put the defense over the top in their bid to bring another Super Bowl to Jerry Jones and the team's ownership.