Stephon Gilmore the Colts' Biggest Bust in 2022?
For the most part, the outlook on the Indianapolis Colts' signing of veteran free agent cornerback Stephon Gilmore has been positive.
Once considered the top cover man in the game, Gilmore has won a Super Bowl, been named to five Pro Bowls, and two All-Pro teams. However, Bleacher Report thinks the former NFL Defensive Player of the Year could be the team's biggest bust in 2022:
The Indianapolis Colts struggled to get steady production from the cornerback position last year. The team brought in Stephon Gilmore in free agency to help rectify that issue, but it’s not going to be easy for the aging defensive back to turn this unit around himself.
Gilmore was one of the best defenders in the league between 2017 and 2019 but hasn’t performed at that level over the last two seasons.
Injuries have kept Gilmore off the field for 14 games in that span while hindering his ability to be an elite cover man when on it.
The 10-year veteran only suited up for a career-low eight games during his lone season with the Carolina Panthers in 2021 and is a real risk to miss more time this coming season. Even if he can stay healthy, Gilmore’s coverage skills have been noticeably fading.
On the bright side, the Colts won’t ask Gilmore to play as much man as he did during his recent stops with the New England Patriots and Panthers.
The scheme change could help hide some of the 31-year-old’s declining skills, but there’s a chance Gilmore’s production falls off a cliff in 2022.
At nearly 32 years old, Gilmore's older football age and recent injuries cannot be disputed, but his perceived decline in abilities while healthy is more up for debate.
In 2020, Gilmore missed five games due to COVID-19 as well as a partially torn quad. He saw what was then a career-low 632 snaps due to the injuries, receiving a poor grade of 61.0 overall defensively, per Pro Football Focus.
Gilmore's quad recovery lingered into 2021, and he was ultimately traded to the Carolina Panthers, where he was only able to appear in eight games. Despite missing time again after joining Carolina and playing a new career-low 304 snaps, Gilmore's PFF grade went up to 77.1, which was the fourth best of his 10 years.
Overall last year with the Panthers, he started 3-of-8 games and notched 16 tackles (1 for loss), 2 interceptions, and 2 pass breakups.
In 132 career games (125 starts), Gilmore has totaled 427 tackles (8 for loss), 1.0 sack, 6 forced fumbles, 3 fumbles recovered, 27 interceptions, 116 pass breakups, and 2 defensive touchdowns.
Is the veteran corner a bust candidate for the Colts this year? It would be naive to say no. However, the Colts were aware of the risks upon signing him and have put their faith in the move working out.
“Good player. Good medical after we brought him in... We’ve been kind of tracking and keeping our finger on Stephon the whole time," Colts general manager Chris Ballard told reporters about Gilmore after signing him. "Feel fortunate to get him. Not only the player but who he is, what he stands for. We’ve been kind of keeping it and tracking it the whole time. Finally, when we brought him in and got the medical on him it was really good. We feel really good about where he's at and his future.
"Anytime you get a chance to add a corner with his pedigree at a price tag that you think is good for both parties," Ballard continued. "I think you do it, and we did.”
What do you expect from Gilmore in 2022? Drop your thoughts in the comment section below!
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