National Football League

Cowboys' Stephon Gilmore trade sends clear signal about strength of defense

Updated Mar. 14, 2023 8:39 p.m. ET

Why not just fortify an entire position group in one day of work?

It was predictable — maybe even expected — when the Cowboys secured Donovan Wilson to a three-year extension on Tuesday morning. The decision to trade for a former NFL Defensive Player of the Year was a bit more shocking, to put it mildly.

Often derided for their inactivity at the outset of the NFL offseason, the Cowboys stepped outside those bounds a bit by trading with the Indianapolis Colts for Stephon Gilmore. Even more enticing, they only parted with a fifth-round pick for his services, giving them a second Pro Bowl cornerback for a low premium.

Now, just to be clear: it's been a few years since Gilmore was widely regarded as the best cornerback in football. At 32 years of age and entering his 12th NFL season, he's not likely to contend for the All-Pro honors he racked up in 2018 and 2019.

But there is evidently gas left in the tank. Gilmore signed a two-year, $20 million contract with the Colts just last offseason and responded with his best effort in the last three years. Across 16 starts, he finished with 66 tackles, two interceptions and 11 pass breakups. Pro Football Focus graded him as the ninth-best corner in coverage last season. On the surface, that's well worth the cost of a fifth-round pick and Gilmore's $9 million salary. Factor in the part where that fifth-round pick was one of two compensatory picks awarded to the Cowboys just last week, and this is a no-brainer. More than that, it sends a message about the Cowboys' aims for their secondary — a message about as subtle as a cannon shot.

This unit, surprisingly enough, was already one of the strengths of their roster the minute they retained Wilson. The fifth-year safety teams with Jayron Kearse and Malik Hooker to form a trio that combined for 2,600-plus snaps, five interceptions and seven sacks last season.

Elsewhere, DaRon Bland emerged as a young defensive star, as he entered the starting lineup at the midpoint of the season and finished with a team-best five interceptions. Trevon Diggs' presence goes without saying, as the 24-year-old will soon be angling for one of the biggest contracts at the position off the strength of 17 interceptions in his first three seasons.

In all honesty, the biggest question mark prior to now was the cornerback spot opposite Diggs. The Cowboys have been trying to upgrade from Anthony Brown for several years, and the veteran's Achilles tear in December may have finally forced their hand. Maligned as he might have been by fans and media, Brown's absence created a problem for the Dallas defense that it was never able to fully overcome.

But whereas many might have expected them to the role internally — be it with Bland or another youngster like Kelvin Joseph or Nahshon Wright — the Cowboys have opted to go big. Gilmore brings Pro Bowl potential with little in the way of downside. Plugging him into the starting lineup even helps Dallas answer some of its depth questions, with guys like Joseph, Wright and Israel Mukuamu still kicking around the depth chart.

In two years under defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, the Cowboys have made a lot of their hay with a dominant pass rush. The early indication is that they'd like their secondary to pick up some slack in 2023. With Wilson and now Gilmore on board, it feels like a very realistic goal.

David Helman covers the Dallas Cowboys for FOX Sports. He previously spent nine seasons covering the Cowboys for the team’s official website. In 2018, he won a regional Emmy for his role in producing "Dak Prescott: A Family Reunion" about the quarterback’s time at Mississippi State. Follow him on Twitter at @davidhelman_.

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