Stephon Gilmore Should Come on Down
Few places on the Minnesota Vikings roster needed to be hit right this season than at cornerback. That was true before tragedy took Khyree Jackson and Mekhi Blackmon went down with a season-ending injury. In an effort to withstand those issues, bringing Stephon Gilmore about seems like a straightforward answer.
Stephon Gilmore Should Come on Down
The former first-round pick is certainly no spring chicken. Entering his 13th NFL season, Stephon Gilmore will be 34 years old in 2024. He isn’t the same superstar that he was for the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots, but he doesn’t need to be at this point in his career, either. Gilmore can help a team as a rotational player who provides mentorship and execution beyond what he contributes on the field.
Last year, Gilmore started all 17 games for the Dallas Cowboys. He picked off a pair of passes for the third season in a row, and his 68 total tackles were a career-high. Gilmore has often been a pillar of consistency from both production and health standpoints. Those are traits that Minnesota could currently use, and he wouldn’t need to be the top option on a depth chart.
It remains to be seen what the asking price for Gilmore would be, but given his present availability, it can’t be expected to be lofty. Even after extending Justin Jefferson and Christian Darrisaw, the Vikings have plenty of cap space to maneuver with. Brian Flores will be tasked with getting the most out of his unit, but handing him additional talent is hardly a bad decision.
Byron Murphy Jr. and Shaq Griffin are locked in as the Vikings’ starters, but the contributions that Akayleb Evans and recently re-signed Duke Shelley provide remain to be seen. It would hardly be bad for the Vikings to hedge their bets and have someone like Gilmore in the locker room to provide a further sense of depth.
There is also a fit with Xavien Howard, but his off-field troubles could be a reason for pause from Minnesota. It stands to reason that if there were a desired pairing between the corner and his former head coach, a deal would have already come to fruition.
Gilmore is a solid counter to that plan, bringing similar skills without the added distraction.
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Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes weekly for Twins Daily. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.
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