Mailbag: Will Cowboys add help in secondary?

(Editor's Note: Time to check the mail! The DallasCowboys.com staff writers answer your questions here in 'Mailbag' presented by Miller Lite.)

Do you think the Cowboys are still in the market to add some veteran help in the secondary? I know Stephon Gilmore's name has been thrown around a bit, especially since he has been seen at the team's facility this off season. Last time I heard, Dallas still has north of $30 million in cap space. – Mark Somma/Winchester, VA

Nick: First of all, regarding the salary cap - not all of the websites that try to track the salary cap have a true understanding of how teams operate the cap. Just to say they have more than $30 million might be accurate as of late May, but the Cowboys have already set aside most of that money to pay for the necessary in-season things such as the practice squad, potential IR moves and maybe other additions that must be made.

That's not say the Cowboys don't have some wiggle-room money to add a player or two. Not saying they can't do anything, but it's not as much as you might think but the Cowboys ave already budgeted most of that to other must-have needs.

As for the secondary help, I do another move being made at cornerback at some point. But right now, they want to see how certain players develop. How a Caelen Carson comes back this season or how Shavon Revel and Trevon Diggs return from injury. But it does seem like an area that will be addressed at some point. If the right move or trade comes along, I could see the Cowboys doing it, but there doesn't seem to be a huge hurry for it right now.

Kurt: Cornerback may be the Cowboys' biggest concern right now, so I certainly think they're still in the market to add veteran help. Based on the current roster, the claim could be made that there's only one sure thing at the position, DaRon Bland.

But who else is going to help? Trevon Diggs is rehabbing his second knee injury in as many years. How quickly can he return to his former Pro Bowl level? Similarly, Caelen Carson and Josh Butler showed potential in their 2024 rookie seasons, but they, too, are coming off injuries, as is this year's third-round pick Shavon Revel and Kemon Hall, who saw action with Dallas last season. History would suggest it could take a few games (at least) for them to find their form.

Andrew Booth, a former second-round selection in 2022, was picked up last year in a trade with Minnesota, and Kaiir Elam, a first-rounder in that same draft, was acquired from the Bills in March. Both have something to prove while free agent Troy Pride is also still looking to make his mark in the NFL.

So I think we'll see the Cowboys add some veteran depth to the cornerback room, whether that be Gilmore or someone else. Yes, they have talent already, and this all may work out in the end – guys get healthy, the young players step up, and life is good. But that's a lot of what-ifs and hope.