The Rams are going to be without starting cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon for at least two months and there’s a free agent out there who won’t cost much and is openly asking to be hired, which is why Les Snead should call Stephon Gilmore’s agent and get him to L.A. yesterday.
The Rams are 2-0 but how long will that last with a glaring weakness at cornerback unless an unexpected depth piece steps up soon?
Although the Rams have already signed fifth-year veteran Tre Brown, it’s not enough. Gilmore is a former Defensive Player of the Year winner and Super Bowl champion who has plenty left in the tank despite turning 35 years old on Friday:
In 15 games with the Vikings last season, he amassed 56 combined tackles and had one interception. Gilmore’s stats didn’t jump off the chart in the regular season, as he allowed a 61.9 completion percentage on 84 targets, four touchdowns and a 94.1 passer rating in coverage.
Cody Alexander of MatchQuarters did see some positives by Gilmore against the Rams in the regular season last year:
But Gilmore seemed to improve—albeit in a small sample size—against the Rams in the Wild Card round, with only two completions and 16 passing yards allowed on four targets and a 60.4 passer rating in coverage.
Signing Gilmore could also bring the Rams full circle on his heartbreaking play against L.A. in the Super Bowl:
Gilmore’s availability, given his demanding role in the secondary, is quite impressive at this age. Gilmore has started 50 total games in the last three seasons, averaging 976 snaps between stops with the Colts, Cowboys and Vikings. He isn’t the guy who won Defensive Player of the Year, but he’s got traits that Brown will never have.
Age concerns aside, that is a player that the Rams should’ve signed instead of Brown. While there’s always a chance for a blockbuster trade for a CB before the deadline, the Brown signing felt a little too safe in the moment. It’s a solid signing for now, but Gilmore was the better option.
The rest of L.A.’s depth at the position:
- CB Emmanuel Forbes
- CB Cobie Durant
- CB Darious Williams
- NB Josh Wallace
- NB Quinton Lake
- CB Tre Brown
Do the Rams need to lose another cornerback to injury just to consider adding Gilmore at this stage of the year and of his career?
As crazy as it sounds to some fans to consider Gilmore at 35, just remember that Eric Weddle helped the Rams win a Super Bowl just by coming out of retirement for the playoffs when he was 36. Older things have happened.
Another cornerback out there struggling to find work, but 10 years younger than Gilmore, is Asante Samuel, Jr., however he is still recovering from neck surgery in April and may not be available until the second half of the year.
If L.A. struggles to contain the Eagles’ hit-or-miss passing attack, the front office will have more work to do to patch up the secondary. Unless the Rams get some unexpectedly high level play at cornerback from the outside options they have on the roster today, Gilmore is the safety valve that I think they should sign soon to plug the gap for as long as needed.
Do you have faith in Forbes, Williams, and Durant to get the job done for the rest of the season? How much do you think signing Stephon Gilmore would help in the short term, or who do you think would be a better option in free agency/trade? Who are the best over-35 players in Rams history? Let us know in the comments!
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