The Indianapolis Colts made a slightly shocking move during the first week of free agency, trading veteran cornerback Stephon Gilmore to the Dallas Cowboys for a fifth-round pick.
While the move cleared roughly $9.9 million in salary-cap space for the Colts, it also left them with a massive hole at the cornerback position. The position is now arguably the biggest need on the roster behind the quarterback.
Here’s a look at how the experts graded the trade between the Colts and Cowboys:
The Athletic
Author: Jeff Howe
Grade: F
Link to article
Author’s Take: “(If, hypothetically, it turns out the Colts are clearing the books for a run at quarterback Lamar Jackson or some other type of franchise-altering move, we’ll offer a mea culpa on the failing grade.)
Whether or not the Colts could have gotten more in trade compensation is moot. Maybe, maybe not. Teams rarely net huge value for aging players when the league knows they’re available.
But with a new regime — head coach Shane Steichen and the likelihood of a rookie quarterback — it would have made more sense to keep a productive and professional veteran like Gilmore onboard.”
Fansided
Author: Cody Williams
Grade: B-
Link to article
Author’s Take: “Given what they traded Gilmore for, it’s likely that the Colts were going to cut the cornerback this offseason if they couldn’t find a deal to be made. There’s no way that a team that is ostensibly rebuilding as they try to find a long-term answer at quarterback wanted to pay a corner on the wrong side of 30 years old $9.92 million on the cap this year.
Even if it is just a late-fifth-rounder, something is better than nothing in terms of return, which means it’s overall favorable, even if not overwhelming. Plus, another dart to throw at the board on Day 3 fits much more of where Indianapolis is as a franchise.”
Pro Football Focus
Author: PFF Staff
Grade: B
Link to article
Author’s Take: “Gilmore has been one of the best cornerbacks in football since moving to the New England Patriots in 2017, and he reconfirmed that with an impressive showing for the Indianapolis Colts in 2022 after playing just 304 snaps with the Carolina Panthers in 2021. Since 2017, his 92.8 PFF coverage grade is the highest among all cornerbacks to play at least 1,000 snaps.
Gilmore is owed $8.96 million combined in salary and a roster bonus due later in the offseason and can earn up to $1.02 million in per-game roster bonuses. This is great value for Dallas, and serving as a veteran mentor to the still-ascending Trevon Diggs is an added bonus.”
ForTheWin
Author: Robert Zeglinski
Grade: B
Link to article
Author’s Take: “All is not well in Central Indiana.
The Carolina Panthers just leapfrogged the Colts for the No. 1 overall pick. There remains no viable quarterback in place. And whatever “core” you think Indy has, they’re all nearing or over 30.
But other than that, Mr. Jim Irsay, how’s the offseason been?
I’ll give GM Chris Ballard credit for acquiring value on a veteran who had no real place on one of pro football’s worst teams. A fifth-round pick isn’t incredible, but it’s not entirely inconsequential for an early-30s corner. That’s about all I’ll give the executive credit for this spring.”
Pro Football Network
Author: Adam H. Beasley
Grade: C
Link to article
Author’s Take: “You’ll be hard-pressed to find an organization with less invested at cornerback right now.
The Colts have less than $14 million in cap space allocated to corner in 2023, and they haven’t used a first-round pick on the position since 2005.
So lots of luck to Gus Bradley, who actually did a good job in a lost season. Bradley managed to survive Indy’s coaching turnover but now faces an unenviable task without Gilmore on the boundary.
The Colts’ top-returning corners from a usage perspective are Kenny Moore, Isaiah Rodgers, and Dallis Flowers.
The good news? They now have 10 draft picks to bulk up that very thin position group. But it’s wild to think that a fifth-rounder was the best they could get.”
NFL.com
Author: Marc Sessler
Grade: D-
Link to article
Author’s Take: “The only reason the Colts escaped an F: I’m vibing with the conspiracy theory that GM Chris Ballard is carving out cap room to swing a deal for Lamar Jackson. Outside of that fantastical scenario, the move looms as potentially confusing and frustrating for a fan base that would be forgiven for questioning Indy’s compass.
The deal for Gilmore is nothing short of a coup for the Cowboys. Set to line up across from Trevon Diggs, the veteran defender arrives as a heady, battle-tested corner poised to thrive under coordinator Dan Quinn. Gilmore is 32, but he’s coming off another solid campaign and boasts Pro Football Focus’ highest coverage grade among corners since 2018. He promises to fit right in on a Dallas unit that sees itself as one of the NFC’s finest.
It’s hard to imagine what newly minted Colts coach Shane Steichen felt watching Gilmore — arguably the team’s best defender — vanish into nothingness for just a few million dollars in cap space. If this is not setting up a Lamar acquisition, what are we doing here? (And if it is indeed priming the pump for a blockbuster, I’ll acknowledge I jumped the gun on this grade.)
