The Dallas Cowboys' defensive family grew and stabilized this week as in addition to trading for former Indianapolis Colts cornerback Stephon Gilmore, the team was also able to retain safety Donovan Wilson on a three-year deal.
Oh, and special-teamer CJ Goodwin is also back with the Cowboys on Thursday via what ESPN notes is a one-year deal.
The “brotherhood” is blossoming.
Central to it all is Wilson, with a Dallas career that began in 2019 as a sixth-round draft pick out of Texas A&M. Partaking in all 17 games as a starter last season, Wilson posted some of the best numbers of his career, earning 101 tackles and became a surprising pass rusher with five sacks and nine further quarterback hits.
Signing his new contract at the Cowboys' headquarters with his son in tow, Wilson, 28, lauded the sense of family that he has built alongside fellow secondary defenders like Malik Hooker and Jayron Kearse.
"I'm just really blessed and excited to be around familiar faces," Wilson told the team's official site. "We talked about brotherhood a lot, and it was a lot of hard work getting here. I'm just looking forward to the future here ... I feel like it's the chemistry we have and just how close we (are), that was a big part of me coming back."
The Cowboys' secondary family has grown with additions like freshman standout DaRon Bland, ballhawk Trevon Diggs, and now Gilmore, who brings over five Pro Bowl nominations and a ring from Super Bowl LIII. Wilson believes that his return and Gilmore's arrival will provide "a lot of leadership."
The former Aggie further promised that his new payday, to the tune of over $21 million, won't take away any of the tenacity and physicality that has entertained Lone Star State football fans for years, starting with his five-year tenure in College Station.
"(I'll be) the same hitman, the same person, ready to work every day and get it done," Wilson declared. "Everything just fell into place for me (last year). I'm excited for the next chapter and looking forward to it."
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