5 players Cowboys must bring back for the 2024 season

1. Stephon Gilmore, CB

One of the high-profile additions for Dallas this offseason was defensive back Stephon Gilmore. A 12-year veteran, Gilmore played in all 17 games this season which is impressive given his age. It's even more impressive when you realize he had to fight through some serious pain at the end of the year.

Highlight just how tough Gilmore is, the veteran defensive back played in the Wild Card Round with a torn labrum. He will undergo surgery in the offseason to repair his shoulder and wants to play again in 2024. For the Cowboys, they need to make sure when he takes the field again, it's with the star on his helmet.

Gilmore was supposed to give Dallas an elite secondary with Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland. Unfortunately, they lost Diggs after just two games which meant Gilmore and Bland were the top two cornerbacks. Now with Diggs hopefully healthy, they'll be able to go three deep at the position — assuming they retain Gilmore.

If they're not able to bring him back, that could be quite a blow to the defensive backfield. Jourdan Lewis and Jayron Kearse are also free agents so they would be down to Bland, Diggs (who is recovering from a torn ACL), and then Nahshon Wright would battle Eric Scott for the No. 3 spot.

Considering how often the Cowboys had to play three corners, making sure they have capable starters throughout the secondary is going to be key to taking the next step. Eventually, they will have to replace Gilmore, but right now, there are far too many other holes which is why he should be the No. 1 priority at this point.

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