The Indianapolis Colts made a huge offseason splash when they agreed to terms with star cornerback Stephon Gilmore. Over the last few years, one of the biggest issues for the Colts has been in the defensive secondary. Bringing in a talent like Gilmore may not fix those issues single-handedly, but it’s a big step in the right direction.
Chris Ballard and the front office has received a ton of criticism for not spending huge with the amount of cap space they have had. However, the signing of Gilmore and the move to acquire Yannick Ngakoue from the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason are two of the most underrated moves in the entire league.
So far during Colts’ training camp, Gilmore has been turning heads. Head coach Frank Reich took some time to speak out on his new No. 1 cornerback.
“I can just tell you from a quarterback’s perspective, he’s the kind of cornerback that you fear.”
Last season split between the New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers, Gilmore put together another solid season. He played in just eight games with the Panthers after being traded, racking up 16 tackles, two interceptions, and two defended passes. Granted, those numbers aren’t amazing, but they are good for playing just eight games.
Coming into Indianapolis, Gilmore immediately becomes one of the most important players that will dictate how successful the Colts can be. If he can step in and be the lockdown corner that he was in New England, the Colts are going to be a serious threat in the AFC.
Alongside him on the Colts’ defense, Gilmore will be playing with fellow stars in Shaquille Leonard and DeForest Buckner. Indianapolis also has a ton of talent in Julian Blackmon, Kenny Moore, Kwity Paye, Ngakoue, and others. Ballard has done an excellent job of revitalizing the team on the defensive side of the football.
With all of that being said, it will be interesting to see what kind of season Stephon Gilmore puts up for the Colts. Everything is looking good so far, and hopefully things continue trending in the same direction moving forward.
