The news for the Miami Dolphins' cornerback room got worse Wednesday morning, as head coach Mike McDaniel made it official that Kader Kohou would be out for the season with a knee injury.
Already viewed as Miami's weakest unit by many, and with Artie Burns tearing his ACL in the team's first practice, the signings of Mike Hilton and Jack Jones may not be enough.
At this point in the year, the free agent market is rather barren, and the cornerback position is no exception. However, there is one cornerback still available who could greatly help the Dolphins as a short-term solution: Stephon Gilmore.
Miami Dolphins should try to sign Stephon Gilmore after Kader Kohou's season-ending injury
Kohou left practice early Saturday, but it was too early to tell the severity of the injury due to significant swelling. Unfortunately, McDaniel confirmed our worst fears when addressing the media on Wednesday.
Although it took a few days to get the official diagnosis on Kohou's injury, the timing of Hilton's signing was a slight indicator that the team didn't think it looked good. Like Kohou, Hilton has primarily played and thrived in the slot. Whereas Jones' signing seemed to add to the Dolphins' depth chart, Hilton's signing looked more like a possible replacement.
Along with Hilton and Jones, Miami also brought back Cornell Armstrong. The Dolphins drafted Armstrong in 2018, but he hasn't played in an official game since 2022. There's no guarantee he even makes the team despite the lack of depth in Miami's unit.
At 34 years old (soon to be 35), Gilmore is obviously not the player he once was who earned the 2019 Defensive Player of the Year award and was a five-time Pro Bowler. But the Dolphins don't need him to be.
By ignoring the position for much of the offseason, they've made it clear that their primary focus on defense will be to rush the quarterback and get it out of his hands fast, putting less strain on the Dolphins' secondary.
Having spent last season with the Minnesota Vikings, Gilmore showed himself to still be a solid NFL cornerback. He finished the year with 56 tackles, one interception, and nine pass breakups.
It's also important to note that the Dolphins run similar coverages to the Vikings, so the transition for Gilmore could be a smooth one.
With that said, if Gilmore is looking to latch onto a winner, then the Dolphins may not be on his radar. However, he already has a Super Bowl title under his belt, so it's just as likely he's waiting and looking to find the right fit with his next team (and possibly miss all or most of training camp).
At his age, signing Gilmore would obviously be a short-term deal. But this holds true for any cornerback the Dolphins would sign at this point. And with a young corps like Miami's, a veteran presence of someone with Gilmore's résumé could be exactly what the team needs.
There are other options still out there for the Dolphins, like Asante Samuel Jr. and Rasul Douglas. But Samuel's father has already bashed the organization, and Douglas is seeking more money. There's also the possibility of bringing back Kendall Fuller, who spent last year in Miami and remains unsigned.
But if the Dolphins are serious about bringing in Gilmore, though, they may be forced to act quickly. With NFL training camps underway and players already missing significant time with injuries, Gilmore's phone may be ringing more frequently. Waiting it out probably won't work for Miami in this scenario.
The injury to Kohou greatly hurts what was already a depleted unit. However, Gilmore could be the piece that upgrades Miami's cornerbacks significantly.