Getty Dallas Cowboys cornerback Stephon Gilmore.
The Washington Commanders are thin at a lot of positions, but adding a former NFL Defensive Player of the Year, two-time NFL All-Pro and Super Bowl champion could fix some of those problems at one spot in particular.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine listed free agent cornerback 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore among the NFL free agents with the biggest upside who could find homes before training camp, with the Commanders as one of the teams who could be the best fit.
Gilmore, a 12-year NFL veteran, played for the Dallas Cowboy in 2023 with Dan Quinn as the defensive coordinator. Quinn was hired as the head coach of the Commanders Feb. 3.
“Gilmore was an asset for a good Dallas Cowboys defense,” Ballentine wrote. “He started all 17 games and racked up 68 tackles, two interceptions and held opposing passers to a passer rating of 82.7 when targeted. They are roughly the same numbers he produced in 2022 when playing for the Indianapolis Colts. The takeaway is that Gilmore is still at least a serviceable No. 2 outside corner and won’t be a liability. That’s an improvement over what a lot of teams have as their second option at corner right now.
“The Commanders are (an) obvious fit. Gilmore enjoyed a good season in Dan Quinn’s system last season, and now he’s calling the shots as Washington head coach.”
Gilmore’s Excellence on Display for Over Decade
Gilmore, 33 years old, has been one of the NFL’s elite shutdown cornerbacks since he was drafted by the Buffalo Bills out of South Carolina with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft.
Gilmore made his first Pro Bowl with the Bills in 2016 then signed a 5-year, $65 million free-agent contract with the New England Patriots in 2017. He earned his first NFL All-Pro nod in 2018 as he helped lead New England to a Super Bowl win over the Los Angeles Rams and in 2019 he became the first cornerback since Charles Woodson in 2009 to be named NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
Gilmore Firmly Entrenched in his Mercenary Era
Gilmore was traded to the Carolina Panthers in 2021, signed a 2-year, $20 million contract with the Indianapolis Colts in 2022 and was traded to the Cowboys in 2023. Wherever he plays in 2024 will likely be his fifth team in five years.
The Commanders might be smart to sign Gilmore sooner than later. Washington’s first-round pick in 2023, cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr., isn’t even listed as a starter on the depth chart and right now is a backup to veteran free-agent signee Michael Davis.
The Commanders seemed to acknowledge their need for cornerbacks in the 2024 NFL draft — they selected Michigan cornerback Mike Sainristil in the second round (No. 50 overall) and University of Washington cornerback Dominique Hampton in the fifth round (No. 161 overall).
Sainristil might be the player best suited to make an impact right away after having a season for the ages in 2023 with 44 tackles and 6 interceptions, including 2 returned for touchdowns as Michigan went undefeated and won the national title.
Sainristil also had the game-clinching interception in the College Football Playoff national championship game against Washington.