It's been a different type of offseason so far for the Dallas Cowboys. They did their usual re-signing of in-house talent but also looked outside of the team to acquire immediate impact players.

The Cowboys were heading into the NFL draft with a big need at wide receiver. They should still add another in April, but after trading for Brandin Cooks first just a fifth-round pick this year and a sixth-rounder next season, Dallas doesn't have to take one early if they don't want to.

This move is seen as one of the favorites by the Cowboys according to Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus. 

Despite a revolving door of mediocre quarterbacks in Houston, Brandin Cooks earned an 82.1 cumulative receiving grade over his three seasons with the Texans, which was a top-30 mark at the position. His 1.90 yards per route run ranked in the top 25, his 66 explosive receptions ranked 17th and his 30 receptions on balls thrown 20-plus yards downfield ranked eighth. Dallas was also able to shave off $9 million of the contract they inherited, ultimately acquiring Cooks on a two-year, $20 million pact.

Cooks being brought in was certainly a shocker. His presence allows CeeDee Lamb, who was named a second-team All-Pro last season, to play more in the slot which is where he thrives the most. A healthy Michael Gallup will benefit as well because Cooks provides such a threat on the outside that teams won't be able to focus on him as much.

Although Cooks has spent most of his time on the outside, he can be productive in the slot also and his speed can stretch defenses vertically and horizontally. So, teams will have to pick their poison now when guarding the Cowboys' receiving corps.

Veteran cornerback Anthony Brown is a free agent, and Jourdan Lewis is in the final year of his deal. So, much like the wide receiver position, the Cowboys came into the offseason needing another cornerback to go with All-Pro Trevon and 2022 rookie sensation DaRon Bland who will both be around for the foreseeable future.

Less than a week before the Cooks trade, the Cowboys set the football world on fire when they traded for five-time Pro Bowl cornerback Stephon Gilmore by only sending a compensatory fifth-round pick in 2023, yet another strategic move in free agency.

Gilmore has been one of the best cornerbacks in football since moving to the New England Patriots in 2017, and he reconfirmed that with an impressive showing for the Indianapolis Colts in 2022 after playing just 304 snaps with the Carolina Panthers in 2021. Since 2017, his 92.8 PFF coverage grade is the highest among cornerbacks to play at least 1,000 snaps.

Gilmore is owed $8.96 million combined in salary and a roster bonus due later in the offseason, and he can earn up to $1.02 million in per-game roster bonuses. This is great value for Dallas, and his serving as a veteran mentor to the still-ascending Trevon Diggs is an added bonus. 

He may turn 33 in September, but don't let that fool you, Gilmore is still an effective cornerback.

Gilmore finished with a pass coverage grade of 81.1 in 2022 per PFF. Also, Gilmore snagged two interceptions and had 11 pass breakups which were his most since 2019.

Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn will love Gilmore because he is equipped to handle press man or zone responsibilities. Now, the Cowboys have four cornerbacks that possess ball skills, and cornerback has slid down the list of needs for Dallas in the draft, although grabbing another young promising prospect would be smart.