One of the needs that the Dallas Cowboys had coming into the 2023 offseason was to shore things up in the secondary. They have an emerging star in Trevon Diggs but the rest of the group around him had some question marks.
Looking to ensure that the backend of their defense was as strong as possible, the Cowboys went out and acquired an upgrade. They made a trade with the Indianapolis Colts, landing former Defensive Player of the Year, Stephon Gilmore.
Dallas now has a lockdown defender on both boundaries, as Gilmore and Diggs are one of the best outside cornerback duos in the NFL. An already stingy pass defense has become that much tougher to find success against.
It is something that Gilmore is looking forward to, as he cannot wait to get on the field opposite of Diggs. He knows that both players will be tested, but he is confident that they will both get the job done.
“It’s gonna be fun. They gotta throw it somewhere. So you know one of us is going to get tested. We just gotta be ready for wherever they throw it. Looking forward to it,” Gilmore said about playing with Diggs.
Throwing the ball against the Cowboys will not be easy in 2023. After a tough 2021 season in which he battled injuries and had a contract dispute with the New England Patriots, leading to a trade to the Carolina Panthers, Gilmore bounced back in a big way in 2022.
In 16 games with the Colts, Gilmore recorded two interceptions and 11 passes defended. He recorded a career-high 66 total tackles as well, getting his career back on track after a blip in the radar in half of a season with the Panthers.
If the Cowboys get the Gilmore that showed up for the Panthers last season, their defense will be taken to another level. Having two shutdown cornerbacks, like they now possess, will help defensive coordinator Dan Quinn immensely.
He can focus more on trying to figure out how to slow down the opponent’s run game, an area that the Cowboys struggled in last season. With the secondary locked down, he could get creative and bring more blitzes as well to create pressure.
