Dallas Cowboys to try out international offensive lineman Isaac Alarcon on defensive line

According to ESPN reporter Todd Archer, the Dallas Cowboys are planning to get creative with fan favorite and international lineman Isaac Alarcon.

The offensive lineman from Mexico joined Dallas as part of the International Player Pathway Program but hasn’t seen action in a regular season game. Now, the Cowboys want to see if he can give it a go on the defensive line.

“After three years on the Cowboys’ practice squad through the international player pathway program as an offensive lineman, I’m told Isaac Alarcon will shift over to the defensive line this year,” Archer shared on Monday. “The staff liked what he did in practice and now want to see if he has a chance there.”

Alarcon played his college football at the Monterrey Institute of Technology.

Since joining the Cowboys in 2020, the new defensive lineman has made the roster and left on waivers several times. He made $515,000 through his first three seasons then signed his biggest deal yet in late January. He signed a future/reserves deal for one year, $750,000 for the 2023 season. It keeps him on the roster through training camp.

“Isaac is a big strong and athletic player and has physical skill set to play offensive line or defensive line,” Will McClay, the Cowboys’ VP of player personnel, said this week, via DallasCowboys.com. “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.”

Several other players signed future/reserves deals with Dallas this offseason. Those names include receivers Antonio Callaway and Dennis Houston, tight end Seth Green, offensive lineman Alex Taylor and safety Tyler Coyle.

Cowboys trade for veteran WR Brandin Cooks

Over the weekend, the Dallas Cowboys made a big splash with a trade that brings former Houston Texans receiver Brandin Cooks to DFW for 2023.

Cooks spent three years with the Texans but was looking to join a team that could compete for a Super Bowl. With a 3-13-1 record last season, Houston was and is not one of those teams at this point.

The ninth-year veteran told Aaron Wilson that he’s ready to add to what the Cowboys have built under Mike McCarthy.

“Man, honestly, I just feel blessed for this opportunity to contribute to something that’s already special,” Cooks said. “For the Jones family to believe in me, I look forward to joining something special and I bring that mindset everywhere I go.”

Along with a 2023 fifth-rounder and 2024 sixth-rounder, Houston will take $6 million of Cooks’ 2023 salary. That leaves the Cowboys with a bill for $12 million.

In 2022, Cooks played in 13 games, racking up 699 yards on 59 receptions with three touchdowns. He missed games due to a calf injury.

Over the course of his NFL career, he amassed 630 receptions for 8,616 receiving yards and 49 touchdowns. He eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards in six of nine seasons.