Cowboys Add 3; Loss 2 on Wild Tuesday

FRISCO, Texas – As the Cowboys and the rest of the NFL teams get ready for the start of the new league year on Wednesday, plenty of action took place on Tuesday, including the Cowboys saying goodbye to a few players but welcoming two key starters and then trading a recognized veteran.

Here’s a look at some of the latest developments for the Cowboys from Tuesday:

· What a day it was for the Cowboys – with news from start to finish. Let’s start at the end of the night when linebacker Leighton Vander Esch re-signed with the Cowboys, officially inking a 2-year deal. Vander Esch, who had one of his best seasons since his rookie year in 2018 when he was named All-Pro and a Pro Bowler, had 100 tackles despite missing three games late in the season. Vander Esch is a key piece to the linebacker corps, especially with Micah Parsons frequently rushing the passer.

· The LVE news broke just minutes after it was announced that the Cowboys had traded for veteran cornerback Stephon Gilmore, sends a fifth-round pick to the Colts. Gilmore, an 11-year veteran, has made five Pro Bowls and is just four years away from winning NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2019 with the Patriots. However, he has bounced around a few times, playing with the Panthers in 2021 and the Colts in 2022. The Cowboys had just received two compensatory fifth-round picks last week and have now traded one to the Colts for a proven corner who will at least compete for a starting job opposite Trevon Diggs.

· The Cowboys have always said their top priority in free agency is the “in-house” players, and they stuck to that, re-signs Donovan Wilson to a three-year deal on Tuesday. Wilson, the Cowboys’ leading tackler on defense with 101 tackles, was a difference maker last season, recording five sacks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and an interception. In fact, Wilson was the only safety in the NFL last year to post that stat line.

· While the Cowboys re-signed their leading tackler on defense, that is not the case for their top special teams tackler. Luke Gifford reportedly agreed to terms with the Titans on a two-year deal. Gifford had 12 special teams tackles in 2022, but had just 10 on defense in four years since becoming a rookie free agent back in 2019.

· With Gifford gone and both Leighton Vander Esch and Anthony Barr being unrestricted free agents, the Cowboys have just four linebackers on the current roster, and one of them is mostly a pass rusher. Alongside Micah Parsons, the Cowboys have Jabril Cox, Damone Clark and Devin Harper on the roster at the linebacker position.

· Noah Brown’s time with the Cowboys is over as he agreed to a 1-year deal with the Texans. But it was quite a race for the 2017 seventh-round pick. Brown spent six seasons in Dallas and had career highs with 43 catches for 555 yards and three touchdowns.

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