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Cowboys News: Stephon Gilmore welcomes Brandin Cooks, Dallas player switches positions

By Jerry Trotta

ATLANTA, GA - FEBRUARY 03: Stephon Gilmore #24 of the New England Patriots tackles Brandin Cooks #12 of the Los Angeles Rams in the first half during Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on February 3, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - FEBRUARY 03: Stephon Gilmore #24 of the New England Patriots tackles Brandin Cooks #12 of the Los Angeles Rams in the first half during Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on February 3, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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The excitement surroundings the Dallas Cowboys is palpable after they orchestrated trades for Stephon Gilmore and Brandin Cooks.

The roster is now in great shape for the last week of March. Any remaining holes — running back, offensive/defensive line depth, receiver depth and another tight end — can be plugged both through free agency and the draft.

Cornerback and wide receiver were Dallas’ two greatest needs before the legal tampering period began. The fact they addressed those needs with low-risk, high-upside veterans who are proven winners and stars in the league is astonishing for fans who’ve grown accustomed to low-profile moves this time of year.

To top it all off, Gilmore and Cooks have shared a locker room before.

They played together with the Patriots in 2017 — the team that lost to the Eagles in the Super Bowl. You can imagine they’re excited to be reunited, as Cooks dropped a hint of the trade after Gilmore introduced himself to Cowboys Nation on Instagram.

It didn’t take long for them to link up, as they attended what looks to be a Celtics game together over the weekend.

More Cowboys News:

  • The Gilmore and Cooks trade clearly took fans by surprise, but perhaps the biggest shocker from the weekend came in the form of Cowboys offensive linemen Isaac Alarcon, who is switching from the offensive to the defensive line after spending three years on the practice squad developing as a blocker.
  • “Issac is a big strong and athletic player and has physical skill set to play offensive line or defensive line,” said Will McClay, the Cowboys’ VP of player personnel, via the Cowboys team website. “He did some things on scout team defense toward the end of the season that opened defensive coaches eyes to give him a serious look on defense. His time working with OL will also give him an understanding about what they are trying to do to him on defense.”
  • This move comes at an important time for Alarcon. As part of the NFL International Pathway Program, Alarcon had a roster exemption attached to his name for the last three years. The Nuevo Leon native is no longer eligible for exemption on the practice squad or roster, so changing positions is essentially his final chance to prove he belongs on the 53-man roster.

NFL News:

  • On the same day they traded Brandin Cooks to the Cowboys, the Texans made Laremy Tunsil the NFL’s highest-paid offensive lineman, giving the left tackle a three-year, $75 million extension. The agreement includes a $30 million signing bonus, $50 million fully guaranteed, and $60 million in total guarantees.
  • The Lions signed former Eagles safety CJ Gardner-Johnson to a one-year contract worth up to $8 million. Philly made a multi-year offer to Gardner-Johnson at the start of free agency that the player rejected, and the Eagles then re-signed cornerbacks James Bradberry and Darius Slay.
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