Michael Irvin weighs in on possibility of Stephon Gilmore to Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys are surging in the NFC, and while their explosive offense is leading the way, the defense has been a pleasant surprise in 2021 so far.

Second-year cornerback Trevon Diggs leads the NFL with five interceptions in just four games. The former Alabama defensive back appears to be emerging as one of the top young defensive backs in the league.

On Wednesday, the New England Patriots surprisingly released Stephon Gilmore, largely regarded as one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL.

Jerry Jones typically isn’t scared to make a splash signing, so naturally, former Dallas Cowboys star Michal Irvin took to the airwaves to discuss the possibility of Gilmore coming to join Diggs in Dallas.

“Michael Irvin on @1053thefan said he doesn’t know where the Cowboys would find the salary cap space to sign Stephon Gilmore,” John Machota of the Athletic tweeted. “But added: ‘What that would do is raise (Trevon Diggs’) game another notch. Learning and getting knowledge from Gilmore? Oh my God. That would be insane.’”

The day before Gilmore became available, the Cowboys parted ways with linebacker Jalen Smith in a move that is likely focused on freeing up money in the future for an impressive group of young players. So while Dallas Cowboys fans may agree with Irvin that signing Gilmore would be great opposite of Diggs, it doesn’t seem plausible based on the current strategy and production from young defensive backs.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones explains why team didn’t pursue Richard Sherman

Richard Sherman, a five-time Pro Bowler who spent seven years with the Seattle Seahawks and three years with the San Francisco 49ers, signed a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Wednesday. 

Last week, the Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager explained why the team didn’t pursue Sherman. While Gilmore is considered a better talent with less baggage, it’s safe to assume Jones is comfortable with the current depth in the Dallas secondary.

“In general, we have some serious talent in our young secondary,” Jones said on 105.3 The FAN on Friday morning, per The Athletic’s Jon Machota. “At this point, I don’t want to do anything to progress-stop using that talent.”

The Cowboys had one of the worst defenses in the NFL in 2020; they gave up 29.6 points per game, which was 28th in the league. To remedy last year’s struggles, Dallas drafted six straight defensive players to start their 2021 NFL Draft, including three defensive backs: Kentucky’s Kelvin Joseph in the second round, Oregon State’s Nahshon Wright in the third round and South Carolina’s Israel Mukuamu in the sixth round. All three made Dallas’ 53-man roster.

Safety Jayron Kearse and cornerback Anthony Brown, both 27 years old, lead the team in tackles with 21 and 20, respectively. Diggs leads the team in passes defended, with six. He leads the entire NFL in interceptions with five, coming off a win vs. the undefeated Carolina Panthers where the former Alabama corner picked off Sam Darnold twice.

For now, it seems like it would be a surprise if the Dallas Cowboys made a major splash for Gilmore, but anything is possible.