6 Cowboys Fans Will Be Sad to See Leave in Free Agency

1. Stephon Gilmore, Cornerback

This offseason, the Cowboys added a talented veteran on each side of the ball in exchange for day three picks. On offense, it was wide receiver Brandin Cooks who is still under contract in 2024. Defensively, they were able to bring in cornerback Stephon Gilmore who was in the final year of his deal.

Gilmore was supposed to be the No. 2 cornerback across from Trevon Diggs, who signed a mammoth extension in the offseason. Ahead of Week 3, Diggs went down in practice with a torn ACL and that meant Gilmore would start to cover all the opposing No. 1 wideouts.

At the age of 33, he was no longer a burner but the veteran still held his own. He finished the year with 68 tackles, 13 pass defenses, and two picks. While he would be welcomed back with open arms, Gilmore is one of several free agents Sayre Bedinger of The Landry Hat believes could follow Dan Quinn should he get hired as a head coach elsewhere. That might not happen with the Seattle Seahawks seeming to be his last shot but it's still a possibility.

Even if Quinn stays, there's no guarantee they will be able to retain Gilmore. Dallas has a lot of money invested in Diggs who should return by Week 1. There's also DaRon Bland who led the team in interceptions for the second year in a row and set the record for the most pick-sixes in a single season. There will be room for all three but with his career coming closer to an end, Gilmore might not be willing to risk being the third guy.

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