One of the big acquisitions that the Dallas Cowboys made this offseason led to them upgrading their secondary. They landed cornerback Stephon Gilmore from the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Dallas has a star cornerback in Trevon Diggs roaming one side of the field, but the support behind him was lacking. That is no longer the case as the addition of Gilmore now gives the Cowboys one of the best cornerback tandems in the NFL.
Gilmore had a strong bounce-back performance in 2022, playing in 16 games after appearing in only eight in 2021 with the Carolina Panthers. He registered a career-high 66 tackles with 11 passes defended and two interceptions.
His presence at the Cowboys training camp has certainly been felt. Entering the 12th season of his career, Gilmore has a ton of knowledge that he can bestow on his younger teammates. He is the consummate professional and how he carries himself will emanate throughout the locker room.
But, the best part about Gilmore is that he not only wants to teach his teammates, but he is a willing student as well. Cowboys defensive back coach Al Harris recently spoke very highly of the veteran cornerback, offering a subtle warning to the rest of the NFL in the process. The quote was shared by Jon Machota of The Athletic.
“His preparation, he’s on it every single day. He eats right, studies, takes notes. And the thing about it is usually when you get guys that have the accolades that he has and the amount of years that he’s played, you kind of as a coach, you don’t know if you can disrupt that. And he’s still willing to learn. Just little things that you tweak him on, you only got to tell him once. He’s been great. To hear him talk to the younger guys, I think it’s awesome. I think that was a really, really good addition for the team and the entire defense.”
Gilmore, a former Defensive Player of the Year, bringing that kind of mindset and mentality to the Cowboys will help the team. If someone of his caliber and pedigree is willing to put in the work, how can other guys not want to?
A five-time Pro Bowler with two All-Pro First Team nominations as well, Gilmore is a big upgrade to the Cowboys’ secondary. He is going to make life so much easier for defensive coordinator Dan Quinn as the perimeter of their defense is now locked down with two stud cover corners.
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