Former Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore joined his fourth team since 2020 this offseason, when the Indianapolis Colts traded him to the Dallas Cowboys. Right before free agency began, the Colts dealt the cornerback for a 2023 fifth-round pick.
Colts general manager Chris Ballard defended the decision and said it was the best choice for both parties. Ballard noted that the 32-year-old is nearing the end of his career and the Colts felt it was more beneficial for them to get a draft pick.
"I think it was good for both of us," Ballard said (via NFL.com). "He's just at a point in his career that, he's at the end of his career. I thought he was a decent fit for the defense. But a chance to get a pick for him in the last year of his deal. Shed a little bit of the contract money off. I thought was good for both of us, be able to send him to Dallas, which is a good spot and a good fit defensively for him. That kind of went into it."
Gilmore joins a Cowboys team coming off its first road playoff win since 1992, but which fell short in the divisional round. The Cowboys are still in need of that extra push to live up to their preseason expectations, something they have failed to do in recent years. Gilmore was ranked as the ninth best CB of 2022 by Pro Football Focus with an 81.1 coverage grade, and added a team-leading 66 tackles, as well as two interceptions and 11 passes defended.
To fill the role left by the aging, but still talented, five-time Pro Bowler, Ballard said he is looking at some guys already in the league who the team has interest in.
"I think it's always a position that, you know you want to have as many cover guys as you can," Ballard said. "But yeah, that's a position we got an eye on. We think there's still some free agents out there, too, that could help us if need be."
The Colts are in a clear rebuild and coming off a roller coaster of a season that included the team firing head coach Frank Reich and hiring former player Jeff Saturday, who had no professional or college coaching experience, as their interim head coach. Indianapolis finished 4-12-1 and third in the AFC South.
Coming off a chaotic year with struggles, the team needs to bulk up on picks as it attempts to turn things around. The money it saved letting Gilmore go will also help the team out in the future.
The Colts have a new head coach in Shane Steichen and have the No. 4 overall pick in the upcoming draft, giving them the chance to draft a potential franchise quarterback.
