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Kevin Seifert, ESPN Staff Writer
Veteran cornerback Stephon Gilmore found a home Sunday with the Minnesota Vikings, a team that has been scouring the free agent and trade markets this summer to fortify a position that has been decimated by injury and tragedy.
Gilmore and the Vikings have agreed to a one-year contract worth up to $10 million with $7 million guaranteed, his agent, Jason Chayut of Sportstars Inc., told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. A two-time first-team All-Pro, Gilmore is the fifth — and by far most significant — cornerback acquisition the Vikings have made this summer.
He will reunite with Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, who was on the New England Patriots‘ coaching staff for two of Gilmore’s seasons with that team. Flores was the Patriots’ defensive playcaller in 2018 when Gilmore received his first All-Pro nod.
Gilmore, who turns 34 next month, had been unsigned since finishing a strong 2023 season with the Dallas Cowboys. He had offseason surgery to repair a torn labrum and had visited the Vikings’ facility Monday. After the visit, coach Kevin O’Connell said: “I’ve had a ton of respect in Stephon Gilmore’s career, playing against him. This is a guy that’s done it at a really high level for a long time.”
The acquisition makes clear that the Vikings are not writing off the 2024 season even after losing rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy to a right knee injury last week. ESPN’s Football Power Index was projecting them to win 6.8 games before the Gilmore acquisition.
The Vikings finished their spring practices in June with plans to combine veterans Shaquill Griffin and Byron Murphy Jr. with a group of young cornerbacks that included Akayleb Evans, Mekhi Blackmon, Andrew Booth Jr. and rookie fourth-round pick Khyree Jackson.
But Jackson was killed in a July 6 car crash. Blackmon tore an ACL on the first day of training camp, Griffin suffered a hamstring injury on the second day of camp, and Booth was traded Aug. 9 to the Cowboys.
The Vikings have since signed veterans Duke Shelley, Jacobi Francis and Fabian Moreau and acquired Nahshon Wright from the Cowboys in the Booth trade. Midway through camp, O’Connell said the flurry of moves had made him “feel good about the numbers to have competitive practices and not tax those guys as they’re all competing,” but he added: “It’s a fluid thing.”
Coaches have indicated that they had hoped to mix in more man coverage in their defensive schemes this season, and when the dust settles, Gilmore, Griffin, Murphy and likely Evans will be the team’s top four cornerbacks.
The Cowboys had acquired Gilmore from the Indianapolis Colts for a fifth-round pick last year, and he responded with a standout season — starting all 17 games and finishing with two interceptions and 13 passes defended.
His steady play helped the Cowboys withstand the loss of Pro Bowl cornerback Trevon Diggs to a torn ACL in his left knee after two games. He was an immediate leader in the locker room and helped with the development of DaRon Bland, Diggs’ replacement, who set an NFL record with five interception returns for touchdowns and led the league with nine interceptions.
Gilmore was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2019 with the Patriots. In a career that has seen him play for five teams, he has 31 interceptions in 165 career games.
ESPN’s Todd Archer contributed to this report.
Source: www.espn.com