'Run It Back!' Do Dallas Cowboys & Stephon Gilmore - A Top 25 Free Agent' Want The Same Thing?

Dallas Cowboys cornerback Stephon Gilmore's wound back the clock at times this season, but now finds his future in Dallas very uncertain.

The Dallas Cowboys pairing Stephon Gilmore and Trevon Diggs together in the secondary sent tongues wagging during the offseason, but as we know, Diggs' injury early in the year poured cold water on the idea.

But still, Gilmore showed on more than one occasion that his veteran instincts and play could still be beneficial without Diggs (several plays vs. A.J. Brown in Week 14 were a highlight).

With Gilmore set to become a free agent this offseason and showing that he still can play at a reasonably high level, the first issue is what he wants. And he's made that clear.

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“I want to come back ... that’s the goal because I think we do got the pieces to get to where we want to go and I want to be part of that,” Gilmore said on KTCK-AM. "I want to run it back with (Brandin) Cooks, all these guys. Great players on the team. Have an opportunity to play with [DaRon] Bland another year and (Trevon Diggs) is coming back off an ACL.”

zimmer and gilmore

The next issue is Gilmore's rehab from shoulder surgery. How does that factor into what Dallas wants to do? What if it's a sixth-month rehab ... for a guy about to turn 34?

That's why we hesitate when we see how in CBS Sports' ranking of the top 25 NFL defensive free agents, "Gilly" lands at No. 20.

His highs are super-high, which makes sense considering he's earned Pro Bowl nods with three different teams, CBS Sports wrote. "Even at 33, Gilmore had a few vintage lockdowns for the Dallas Cowboys in 2023.''

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Again, Gilmore has already stated his desire to return to the Cowboys in 2024, but having undergone shoulder surgery that will require around five months of rehab causes us to think of him as something shy of a "priority.''

So if Dallas has an intention of re-signing him ... can the team wait? Will other teams see an earlier signing as a risk?

There is also this: With Diggs returning and the emergence of DaRon Bland, should Gilmore return, there is a good chance it won't be as a starter as he could easily be the third choice in Mike Zimmer's defense.

How do you "prioritize'' a non-starter?

Will Zimmer Push To 'Prioritize' Gilmore? Or Will Lions 'Steal' in Free Agency?

Gilmore showed that he still has some gas in the tank, but given his age and his shoulder surgery, coupled with already having Diggs and Bland, we're tapping the brakes here.

Spotrac.com has his market value at $11.1 million APY, and we say that is a number Dallas won't pay. And that's why we view with skepticism the "ranking lists'' that are failing to take into account Cowboys realities.