The Dallas Cowboys have largely chosen to sit on the sidelines while other teams spend a ton of money in free agency, but Jerry Jones has never been above trying to find impactful veteran additions that can help take his team from a good team to a contender.
While many of the team's heavy-hitters on the offensive side of the ball appear to be set in stone, the defensive side is a bit more wide open. That's where Jones can peruse the menagerie of veterans looking for one-year deals. This could help lead him back to yet another former Cowboys defender.
Cornerback Stephon Gilmore, who may end up in Canton when his career is all said and done, remains without gainful employment despite playing a very big role in a Minnesota Vikings defense that was havoc-inducing enough to help the club win 14 games in 2024.
Someone is going to give Gilmore another chance before the season starts. If Dallas comes with an offer that compensates him well, it might be very difficult for Gilmore to turn down an opportunity to put the star back on the side of his helmet.
Cowboys can still sign CB Stephon Gilmore in free agency
Gilmore is 35 years old, and signing cornerbacks at that age is always a huge risk. His play is still above league-average, but it is very hard to predict when a player at that position who is on the wrong side of 30 will suddenly fall off an athletic cliff and no longer become a viable starter at the professional level.
However, Gilmore is fresh off a solid year as a starter in Minnesota, and there are very few cornerbacks left on the free agent market who can earnestly claim to be that productive. Dallas' secondary is far from the Legion of Boom at this juncture, which could warrant further veteran additions.
As Cowboys fans are likely well aware, Gilmore is not going to provide production on par with his Defensive Player of the Year days with the New England Patriots. However, Gilmore can still cover ground and lock down opposing receivers when given the chance, and that skill might be impressive enough to help a reunion take place.
The Cowboys could find themselves buried in the middle of what has quickly become one of the toughest divisions in football without any additional roster moves, and Gilmore coming back to town might be the most prudent move of the bunch.