Veteran cornerback Stephon Gilmore believes playing in Gus Bradley’s system will greatly benefit him and the Indianapolis Colts.
When the Indianapolis Colts signed five-time Pro Bowl cornerback, Stephon Gilmore, this offseason, everyone immediately knew how much it would benefit the team. Indianapolis desperately needed help at corner and Gilmore is an established veteran that is still playing at a quality level. The move made a ton of sense for Indianapolis.
However, not many really thought about how much sense it made for Gilmore. Sure, the money was right and the Colts are a team that should be in a position to win, but it’s more than that for Stephon. So far, Gilmore is enjoying his time in Indianapolis and the quality of the time is only part of the reason why.
In a recent interview with NFL Network, Gilmore revealed that he’s extremely excited to be playing in Gus Bradley’s system and that he thinks it will have a huge impact on his production. Gilmore said, “I think the scheme’s going to help me out a lot. I’m getting older but I feel like I got a lot in the tank… Think this defense is going to allow me to get my hands on a lot of balls and have a lot of picks.”
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Stephon Gilmore is predicting more interceptions
At his peak, Gilmore was a corner that you could put on an island with top receivers. This resulted in him playing a lot of man defense, which he mentioned in the interview. In man coverage, it’s harder to get interceptions and it’s also really taxing on cornerbacks’ bodies.
That’s why Gilmore mentioned his age even though he still believes he has a lot left to give. Playing in Gus Bradley’s Cover 3 scheme will be easier for the aging Gilmore than playing man coverage every snap. As he mentioned, it will also help him get more interceptions, contributing to the turnovers that the Colts love to create.
The most interceptions Gilmore has ever had in a season were six and that was in 2019 when he led the NFL and won Defensive Player of the Year. He also recorded five in 2016, but other than those two years, he typically has three or fewer. Now, maybe that will change.
For starters, the Colts are all about forcing turnovers and that will surely rub off on Gilmore. Additionally, by the team likely playing in mostly zone coverage, Stephon Gilmore will be able to drop back with the entire offense in his view. He will be able to read routes and quarterbacks and put himself in a position to make a lot of plays.
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