The Panthers have been connected to old friend Stephon Gilmore over the past month, and it sounds like a reunion is still a possibility. Panthers GM Dan Morgan told reporters (including Darin Gantt of the team’s website) that they’re still considering a Gilmore signing and will revisit after the draft.
“Yeah, we’re gonna leave the door open there,” Morgan said (h/t PanthersWire). “We’re still gonna stay in communication and after the draft, we’ll circle back and kinda see where it goes from there.”
It’s not a huge surprise that the Panthers are keeping their options open, as the team is set to see plenty of turnover at cornerback in 2024. The team lost two significant pieces in Donte Jackson, who was dealt to the Steelers for Diontae Johnson, and C.J. Henderson, who left via free agency.
The organization did sign Dane Jackson, adding the veteran to a grouping that also includes former first-round pick Jaycee Horn and little-used 2023 backups Dicaprio Bootle and D’Shawn Jamison.
Gilmore would certainly provide some veteran experience to that grouping, and the defensive back has shown that he still has plenty left in the tank. Gilmore wasn’t elite during his time with the Cowboys in 2023, but Pro Football Focus still graded him 35th among 127 qualifying cornerbacks. Gilmore expressed interest in re-signing with the Cowboys after the season.
Gilmore was traded to the Panthers during the 2021 season and got into nine games (eight starts) for the team. He finished that campaign with 16 tackles and two interceptions.
During his 2022 campaign with the Colts, Gilmore was ranked ninth in those same metrics, so the former DPOY has recently shown that he can be a top-end performer.
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