Cowboys Signing Mike Hilton ‘No-Brainer Idea Requires Three Insider Facts originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
FRISCO – Please believe us. While we don’t share some national media observers who view the Dallas Cowboys’ cornerback situation as “desperate” and “dire” … there are concerns about the group going into training camp.
DaRon Bland and Kaiir Elam are healthy. That’s good.
Trevon Diggs and rookie Shavon Revel Jr. are rehabbing. That’s not so good.
So, a hot named being mentioned by those outside The Star? That would be free agent cornerback Mike Hilton, who last played for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2024.
The national portrayal of some link between Hilton and Dallas?
Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder says, “Adding Hilton could keep DaRon Bland on the boundary while allowing the Cowboys to be patient with Trevon Diggs and rookie Shavon Revel Jr.as both recover from torn ACLs,” Holder wrote.
And Sporting News goes a step beyond, writing, “Signing Hilton is a no-brainer for Dallas. … and Hilton shouldn’t cost too much to sign. Signing the Mississippi product to a team-friendly deal would be a savvy move from Jerry Jones, as Hilton would play a vital role in Mike Zimmer’s defense and bolster a weak spot on the unit.”
As a Cowboys fan, you already see the problems with that claim. Three of them, actually …
1 – The veteran Hilton likes to tackle and can play in the slot and in his eight seasons has been an all-over-the-field weapon with 13 interceptions, 11.5 sacks and 34 pass breakups. So he would help, no doubt.
2 – At 31, we wonder if Hilton is the guy in this group sitting in a power position … maybe wanting to wait for the right contending team at the right time for him – with the right money. Hilton is coming off a four-year, $24 million contract with Cincinnati. There is every reason to think he’ll want that same $6 million per year.
That’s not “break the bank” money … but it’s also not a “no-brainer.”
3 – Mike Zimmer isn’t the defensive coordinator here; Matt Eberflus is.
In this space, we’ve called Hilton and other similar corner candidates “break the glass” options. The Cowboys plan to get to Oxnard, evaluate what they have, develop the kids and hope for good health.
And any other suggestion is generally naive about how really how this works.
Related: Cowboys’ Trevon Diggs Trade, Cut or Hope Options Offered by Insider
Related: Cowboys Insider Reveals ‘Emergency List’ of 4 Free Agent Cornerbacks to Sign at Camp
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 4, 2025, where it first appeared.