Cowboys CB Stephon Gilmore Trade 'Steal': What Were Colts Thinking?

The Colts traded Stephon Gilmore to the Cowboys - and here's the reason why.

FRISCO - The Dallas Cowboys privately believe they got a "steal'' in their trade for Stephon Gilmore.

Meanwhile, Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard believes the swap brought "fair compensation in return'' to Indy.

Can both things be true - especially with Ballard saying, “My relationship with Stephon, he’s a really special man''?

The Colts traded Gilmore to Dallas in exchange for a measly 2023 fifth-round pick, even after the five-time Pro Bowler is coming off another good year. The veteran cornerback played in 16 regular-season games, ranked second on the defense in snaps, and just one year earlier was given a two-year, $23 million deal with the Colts.

And why?

Said Ballard: “That was not easy, but (it was done) to clear the cap space, and we found a good situation for him, we felt like we got fair compensation in return, so we ended up making a move.”

Indianapolis saved $9.92 million in cap space, so the Colts needed that savings. The Cowboys will pay him a salary of $7.9 million ... and Dallas needed that cornerback.

So now the Cowboys can pair Pro Bowl corner Trevon Diggs with Gilmore, the 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. And the Colts?

“We feel like (our) young players can take another step,'' Ballard said. "Now, are they Stephon Gilmore? No. There’s not many like Stephon Gilmore.”

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