Stephon Gilmore was a bidding war for Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys secured Stephon Gilmore this offseason by way of a trade with the Indianapolis Colts. Dallas sent out a fifth-round pick for the five-time Pro Bowler in a move that allowed the Colts to save some money on their cap sheet.
Dallas, meanwhile, added the cornerback to its already imposing defense. Gilmore will line up opposite side of Trevon Diggs.
While Gilmore likely won't bring production similar to the level of his 2019 season, which featured 20 defended passes and six interceptions, he's still a steady, reliable back that will be an upgrade to the Cowboys air defense.
A nugget that was reported in early August -- but didn't get much traction until now, thanks to our colleague over at The Landry Hat, Jerry Trotta finding it -- is that Gilmore was a bidding war for the Cowboys. The team they had to bid against was the New England Patriots, who he played for for four seasons, securing three Pro Bowl nominations along the way.
Gilmore has been praised throughout training camp as a positive add to the mix in Dallas. Clearly, he was worth trying to bring back into the fold for Bill Belichick, which is typically a fair indicator of talent.
All told, Dallas still got Gilmore on just a fifth-round pick, so the bidding can't have gone too far, considering it's a more than fair price for a veteran back of Gilmore's talent level.
Terence Steele gets a big extension from the Cowboys
Offensive tackle Terence Steele got an $86.8 million extension that features $50 million in guarantees. The contract keeps Steele in team control for five years.
Steele is one of the many errand list items for Jerry Jones and the Cowboys who have secured youthful talent, but now have to pay the piper as rookie contracts are becoming extension-eligible.
Steele's $86.8 million sits about where you'd expect him to clock in within the offensive tackle market. The $17.36 average annual value is fair.
Importantly, though, Steele has taken steps forward every year, and now Dallas hopes the extra compensation keeps him happy enough to continue doing his job to protect Dak Prescott. Last year he allowed just one sack and was penalized six times.
Steele's extension and return to play are a welcome sight for Cowboys fans who saw their line decimated last season by injuries and players playing out of position. Steele, himself, tore his ACL late in the year and Tyron Smith had to fill in for him on the right side. Smith is back at left tackle and Steele was a full participant in training camp.
Good news for the Cowboys, and especially good news for Dak Prescott.
Most interesting will be seeing the order and timing of how the Cowboys tie up business with other extension-eligible players. More on that next...
With Steele's extension done, it's not the end of cut checks Jerry Jones will need to sign. Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb are both eligible for extensions. But perhaps the most anticipated is Micah Parsons, who is eligible for an extension after this season.
All of those players are extension worthy, but Parsons has proven right out of the gates of his career that he's a force to be reckoned with. The Penn State alum felt like a perfect fit for the Cowboys defense from day one and has been a Pro Bowler and All-Pro First-Team in his rookie and sophomore seasons.
Barring some massive step back in production this season, Parsons will earn a massive extension that could rival some of the biggest ever for linebackers, as it should. Some believe it will be record-setting at $32 million.
Roquan Smith earns $20 million per year as the top-paid linebacker in 2023 (and of all time), so a jump up to $32 million would be significant.
It's easy to see how the number could reach that point, though. Parsons stands out as one of the best defensive players in a sport that is typically team-dependent. He accrued 149 tackles and an earth-shaking 26.5 sacks in his first two seasons.
Furthermore, you have to consider that Parsons is an LB, but is he also a defensive end? Ends get paid more, with that market above $30 million already. Nick Bosa's impending contract extension could very well set the stakes for Dallas and Parsons. At the risk of getting ahead of myself, hopefully for Dallas, a debate between the two sides over what position Parsons plays and which one he should be paid as won't be a sticking point.
Given his intensity and love for the game, it's hard to see him holding out if there were such an issue next season, but a training camp holdout is one of the most important chips players have to play at their disposal.
If he puts up a third straight year of elite pressure on opposing offenses, that would easily push the number up to $25 million. Savvy negotiating could get it up to $32 million. After all, a third consecutive year at the level of performance Parsons is at would further prove what a force of nature the young player is.
Dallas was wise to draft Parsons 12th overall in 2021. Now, they have a chance to try to make him a Cowboy lifer.
