How Much Gas In The Tank Does Stephon Gilmore Have?

March 14th, 2025

Free agent CB Stephon Gilmore.

Yeah, Joe knows the Bucs signed a Lions cornerback yesterday.

This brings Joe to the following question: The Lions lost Carlton Davis to free agency. If this Kindle Vildor was any good, why didn’t the Lions keep him?

Of course, Detroit has a new defensive coordinator. Maybe Vildor doesn’t fit well there now? And Joe is confident Bucs coach Todd Bowles got good intel on Vildor from his good friend, Lions coach Dan Campbell.

Joe still isn’t satisfied and wants more help at corner, which brings Joe to veteran corner Stephon Gilmore. Yeah, Gilmore has been around the block. He’s 34.

And Bowles at the combine said over and over again he wants ballhawks. Gilmore is no longer a ballhawk. He hasn’t had more than two picks in a season since he led the NFL with six playing for the Belicheats.

Gilmore did start 15 games for a playoff team last year, the Vikings. How bad could he be?

Perhaps Gilmore has just enough gas in the tank to start six games or so? We know if Jamel Dean is still on the roster come September, it’s pretty clear he will miss games.

Could Gilmore handle or want to handle being a spot starter?

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Bucs Sign Veteran Cornerback Kindle Vildor

29 Responses to “How Much Gas In The Tank Does Stephon Gilmore Have?”

  1. FilthyAnimal Says:

    No.

  2. Defense Rules Says:

    Gilmore’s been with 5 teams in the last 5 years. He’ll be 35 when the season starts in September. Good in coverage (55% Completions Allowed last 7 years), with 9 PDs laast year, but gave up 4 TDs last season (Jamel Dean in comparison gave up 1 TD). No thanks.

    Can’t figure out why we haven’t re-signed Bryce Hall yet. Plus I expect us to draft a CB in the Top-3 Rnds. McCollum, Dean, Hall, a top draft pick CB, plus 1 other should get us through the season.

  3. Baking with Grizz Says:

    I’m also disappointed not seen Hall back.

  4. Grumpybucsfan Says:

    Anyone else find it odd there has been almost zero coverage here of the Reddick signing. There has been a steady stream of Chis Godwin stories. So odd from a site that’s been so outspoken for the need for a edge rusher. Well you got one why the hush hush?

  5. Aqualung Says:

    Bryce Hall please

  6. Bushlover Says:

    While not a perfect solution himself, pretty sure Rasul Douglas is still available out there, is younger and has more left in the tank. Did a serviceable job last year in Buffalo. Kick the tires on him instead we could, and waiting out the price tags on other FA CB’s too I imagine.

  7. smith smith Says:

    In Jason we Trust….

  8. Vanessa Anne Says:

    I’ve heard (possibly incorrectly) that Gilmore can be a bit of a head case.

    The numbers are there and his career speaks for itself, but that’s because he’s been suiting up for a long time.

    There’s good and bad here.

    If he’s willing to be a “spot” starter, a la 6-7 games per year, as you mention, or play in a rotational setting, it’s definitely worth looking at. Lots of experience and talent that would definitely help shore up our defense.

    But if he is a bit of a head case as I’ve heard, I’d be concerned about the impact on our locker room, particularly since we’ve already signed Hassan Reddick.

  9. Jeffs grandpa Says:

    Vet minimum absolutely

  10. Tony Says:

    BRING AQIB TALIB BACK! Sign him again & then have Jameis come drive him up in a limo.

  11. adam from ny Says:

    not really feeling the cb signing from detroit…very meh…

    why not bryce hall

  12. Teacherman Says:

    We need to be 4 deep at outside CB.

    Josh Hayes is a good player and a tough dude, but he’s a gunner.

    Not a starter at outside CB.

    He played valiantly last year.

    But he never should have been on the field at outside CB.

    Neither should Funky Funkmaster. He was an undrafted rookie, who was small.

    I hope Licht learns from his mistake from last year.

    We need to be 4 deep at outside CB.

    Last year, we were 5 deep at nickle, but lacking outside corners.

  13. Gbobucsfan Says:

    I thought Vildor was just to replace Tavierre Thomas on ST.

  14. adam from ny Says:

    bring back hall…

    with zyon, dean and a day one or two draft pick…

    and i guess kindle vindor…actually trade him…lol…do we really need him…?

    go get dee delaney back – where ever he is

  15. Joe Says:

    Anyone else find it odd there has been almost zero coverage here of the Reddick signing. There has been a steady stream of Chis Godwin stories.

    As always, unless the Bucs make a guy available, hard to talk to him. The Bucs had Godwin go through the car wash earlier this week.

    That should change later this morning as the Bucs are scheduled — keyword — to trot Reddick out for questions this morning. The next couple of days you should get ample Reddick stories.

  16. buc4evr Says:

    Gilmore would probably be good for a few plays in the 4th qtr of games when starters are tapped out or for insurance due to injury. I’d sign him for Vet minimum and see what he has left in training camp.

  17. adam from ny Says:

    if vindor ever did turn out to be a great blanket corner, his nickname could be “kindle sticks” 🙂

    now i’m getting waaay ahead here

  18. Jeff Says:

    He’s trash. Probably doesn’t make the team.

  19. Robert Says:

    For the money these guys sign for it’s a no brainer. Some guys like Vindor just need the right opportunity. Just look at Sam Darnold or hell even Baker Mayfield. All you guys complained about Baker when he got here. Heard it all why not Trask. Bucs fans are some of the most uneducated fans in the entire league. Always have been.

  20. geno711 Says:

    @DR

    “Can’t figure out why we haven’t re-signed Bryce Hall yet.”

    I never saw the injury but the announcer team said they would not show it because how gruesome it was.

    Could be that he is no where close to being able to play anywhere in 2025.

  21. Fan of the South Says:

    When your 1st Edge Guy or Interior Lineman is 7th on the team in solo tackles and 9th in total tackle the last thing you need is an old man shoring up the run defense.

    When guys like Whitehead and Dean who played 12 games are high on the list of tackles they are not injured because they are soft. It’s the front four. D-Line is great individually but not so much as a unit.

  22. Tony Says:

    Aqib Talib Pacman Jones Warren Sapp Rae Carruth Ray Rice Jackson Mahomes Antonio Brown Jameis Winston & Deshaun Watson all walk into a strip joint together. What do you do?🤦😃🙄

  23. Tucker Says:

    Thought he had a pretty similar injury to what Godwin had

  24. Glass Half Full Guy Says:

    Gilmore is still an excellent cover corner in man coverage, not so much in zone, so he wouldn’t be a great fit here with Bowles’ “soft as marshmallow” zone scheme. It wasn’t so much his youth that made him excel in NE but the way he was used. He was part of Bellichick’s “take away their best weapons” mantra and he locked down the opponent’s best receiver.

    That said, he’s still a cagey veteran and if used properly could be an asset. QBs still don’t like throwing in his general direction if he’s playing man. If the $$$ is right, our DB room needs all the help it can get.

  25. BucDawg Says:

    Hard pass. We have enough faulty machinery laying around.

    Go get true ballhawk in the draft. Someone that has something to prove.

    If the Superbowl is the goal, a washed up DB won’t help the cause.

  26. BucsfaninOregon Says:

    “Go get true ballhawk in the draft. Someone that has something to prove.”…Bucdawg

    Yea, just like ordering an InandOut Burger from Newport, Oregon. Closest one is couple of hundred miles away. It’s not as easy as you make it. See JTS and a score of others as examples.

  27. 813BUCBOI Says:

    if he’s still available in JULY, sign him…

    but yes, def want bryce hall back…we may have a k.beckwith situation on our hands…injury could be worst than expected

    GO BUCS!!!!!!

  28. Rod Munch Says:

    Reading comments from Lions fans, and it’s really scary. They say Kindle Vildor stinks in man-to-man coverage, but is good in zone. Meaning that perhaps Bowles isn’t done with his trash garbage super soft zone defense scheme – ugh. The Bucs literally ran more zone than anyone last year, and they looked like a much better and upgraded defense when they played man and brought pressure.

    If those loser Lions fans are correct, this means Bowles is doubling down on stupid. I hope they’re just typical idiot fans who have no idea what they’re watching.

  29. #1bucsfan Says:

    I’d be down for it. We deff need more help. I’m hoping they bring Bryce hall back. Lost him in the 1st game for the whole season so we really don’t know what we have in him. Bring hall and bring in another vet like Gilmore draft a few guys in the later rounds like we did with Zyon and let them develop. One thing I know for sure is Bowles has a knack for developing DBs Davis bunting Edwards whitehead Winfield Zyon just to name a few. He can’t however manage clock or develop a edge rusher haha but yet he keeps up with the nfl in sacks