DALLAS — The Dallas Cowboys have been extremely active so far this offseason, swinging a pair of trades to net them veteran wide receiver Brandin Cooks and cornerback Stephon Gilmore.
Cooks cost the team just a fifth round pick in 2023 and a sixth round pick in 2024, while Gilmore was brought over from the Colts in a deal for a fifth rounder.
For Dallas to acquire key contributors on offense and defense without moving any of their early draft picks is a huge win, and Locked on Cowboys host Landon McCool believes it's a step toward them dethroning Philadelphia as the top team in the NFC East.
"I've always felt like these teams are neck and neck," McCool told Kevin Oestreicher of Locked on NFL. "The Eagles suffered some losses and the Cowboys have mostly been able to maintain....I think it's still kind of an in progress thing."
Cooks was traded for the fourth time in his career, although all the moving around hasn't impacted his production on the field. He has totaled over 1,000 yards receiving in every season where he has played at least 15 games, which is six of the nine total years he has been in the league.
Meanwhile, Gilmore is a five time Pro Bowler who was twice named an All-Pro and was even named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2019 while with New England.
Dallas has more moves to be made, including figuring out what to do at tight end, but giving up a few late round picks to bring in instantly impactful players like Cooks and Gilmore is a great start to the spring for Dallas and their fans.