Veteran cornerback Stephon Gilmore had a solid season with the Dallas Cowboys last year. After Trevon Diggs went down with an ACL injury, Gilmore, who was signed as a rotational piece, was forced into the starting role.
While Gilly didn’t set the world on fire, he had a couple of moments where he used his savvy veteran knowledge and provided the defense with a big play when it was needed.
No longer with a contract, Gilmore, who had shoulder surgery over the offseason, is a free agent and he isn’t interested in rushing into a decision about his future.
“Being patient right now,” Gilmore said via MassLive.com. “I feel good, Year 13, been playing a long time. So I’m just being patient and waiting for the right opportunity.”
With Diggs and DaRon Bland now as the starting duo for Mike Zimmer, where Gilmore would fit is uncertain. But he more than showed last season that he still can be a high-level contributor to the defense. It is a question of whether the Cowboys want to re-sign him with their salary cap “issues.”
The Cowboys haven’t shown a desire to re-sign Gilmore so far, but that could be in part due to his surgery, which put him on ice for five months. So, in theory, there’s no point in signing him if he can’t compete at training camp.
With Dallas’ eye more focused on getting Dak Prescott (we think) and CeeDee Lamb signed to long-term deals, and possibly Micah Parsons next offseason, there isn’t much wriggle room in the salary cap pie…if you believe Jerry and Stephon Jones.
Gilmore is waiting for the right opportunity, and seeing the veteran in Zimmer’s defense would be intriguing, but it doesn’t feel like “Gilly” will be a Cowboy in 2024.