Dallas City News

The Dallas Cowboys did not re-sign Stephon Gilmore. In fact, nobody has signed Gilmore as he remains a free agent. Some might still be holding their breath that the Cowboys front office swindles a deal before the new season begins. However, they shouldn’t hold it too long because the way things are shaping up at cornerback for the Cowboys, fans might be able to breathe easy without the services of Gilmore.

Here are five reasons the Cowboys should pass on Gilmore, save the cash, and roll with the guys they already have on the roster.

1. DaRon Bland is just getting warmed up

It was a pleasant surprise to see second-year corner DaRon Bland have such an incredible season last year. You couldn’t have scripted that any better. While Bland was outstanding and earned first-team All-Pro, he was not without his faults. Sometimes his aggressive nature got him in trouble and sometimes he was on the wrong end of some big plays.

Mistakes happen when you’re a young player, and it’s easy to forget that Bland is still an ascending player. Give this guy another year of camp and allow him to clean up some of those mental mistakes and a better year could be coming even if the stat book doesn’t reflect such. It’s only year three for Bland.

2. Trevon Diggs is progressing well

The team lost their star corner after two games when Diggs tore his ACL in practice early last season. This was a tough blow to the Cowboys secondary. Fortunately for them, this opened the door for Bland to strut his stuff on the outside, and we all know how that turned out.

Diggs is back this year, but many are tempering expectations. Early signs are good as the Cowboys activated him from the PUP list, allowing him to ramp up his practice activities. The team will still be careful with him as he eases back into action, but the return of All-Pro corner #2 is on the way.

3. Caelen Carson is turning heads

It’s hit or miss for the Cowboys cornerback draft picks. Some work out nicely, some completely flame out. And they seem to be on an ever-other-year pattern recently.

2021 – Nashshon Wright (3rd round) – whiff

2022 – DaRon Bland (5th round) – bazinga!

2023 – Eric Scott Jr. (5th round) – crickets

2024 – Caelen Carson (5th round) – well, what do we have here?

Wright and Scott Jr. were “gotta have” guys as the Cowboys “reached” way early for Wright and traded up to get Scott Jr. Both corners were slow-to-develop fellas and the hourglass may have finally run out for Wright. Bland and Carson were just guys that fell into the Cowboys’ lap after patiently waiting.

Carson has generated a lot of buzz in training camp. His traits keep showing up day in and day out. His length, quickness, and anticipation have allowed him to make some nice pass break-ups in camp. He’s sticky in coverage as receivers can’t seem to shake him. And don’t look now, but the Cowboys might have another aggressive ball-hawk cornerback.

4. Jourdan Lewis is still alive and kicking

It’s so easy to forget about the Cowboys longest tenured cornerback. Every year fans are trying to replace him with the next new corner. And if you’ve been hanging out on “X” recently, you probably have seen that he doesn’t much like that.

While the new kids on the block get all the praise, Lewis keeps doing Lewis things. He’s so pesky in coverage and the guy just doesn’t have any quit in him. He is coming off one of his best seasons as a pro. Bland gets all the praise for stepping up and filling in for Diggs on the outside, but let’s not forget that Lewis handled all the slot corner duties, and very few times did we hear about any mishaps. He’s only 28 years old with plenty left in the tank and there’s no reason to think he can’t continue to handle the slot role again this year. It’s not an accident the Cowboys keep re-signing this guy as he’s now on this third contract with the team. Lewis is a fighter.

5. Josh Butler might be a thing

Full disclosure, Josh Butler was a pet cat of mine last training camp as he was one of the few defenders who impressed when the third-string scrub-a-dubs were out on the field. Even with a splash here or there, it wasn’t enough to earn a spot on the roster so he spent the season on the Cowboys practice squad.

Butler was a star in the USFL last year before joining the Cowboys. This year he looks even better. He has shown nice speed, hanging with receivers on deep plays, and does a good job getting his hands up. He hauled in a nice pick on a deep throw down the sideline. And he’s got that dawg in him, especially with his choice of celebration.

Gilmore is not here and the Cowboys could soon be waving the white flag on Wright and who knows what’s going on with Eric Scott Jr. But even without those guys, the Cowboys cornerback depth chart doesn’t look too shabby…

CB1 Trevon Diggs
CB2 DaRon Bland
CB3 Jourdan Lewis
CB4 Caelen Carson
CB5 Josh Butler