REPORT: Colts 'Really Motivated' on Stephon Gilmore
According to Zak Keefer of The Athletic, the Indianapolis Colts appear to be turning up the heat on signing 5-time Pro Bowl cornerback Stephon Gilmore.
"My sense is Colts are really motivated to get something done with Stephon Gilmore, who visited yesterday," wrote Keefer on Twitter. "Not just because it’s a position of need but because they think he can still play at a high level and would fit well. We’ll see if they can get a deal done. Nothing yet."
That Gilmore is still capable of playing at a high level looks to be a safe take. Gilmore made his fourth-consecutive Pro-Bowl appearance last year with the Carolina Panthers at the age of 31, despite playing in just nine games.
Gilmore was first-team All-Pro in 2019 and 2020, and was the AP Defensive Player of the Year in 2020.
He played last year with the Panthers on a one-year contract $6.2 million contract according to Spotrac.
The Colts' relatively slow start to free agency could have been self induced with one report describing Indianapolis as 'stingy.'
But Indianapolis is still in good position to bring in a player like Gilmore with the second most salary-salary cap space available according to Spotrac. With no first-round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, the Colts can afford to spend more money in free agency than most of their peers.
Gilmore was originally the 10th overall pick by the Buffalo Bills in the 2012 NFL Draft out of South Carolina.
He played five years in Buffalo before signing with the New England Patriots in 2017. He played four seasons with the Patriots before becoming a salary-cap casualty last season and signing with the Panthers.
