Getty Cowboys QB Garrett Gilbert
Assuming he remains employed, Garrett Gilbert will have gone from “playing” for the Dallas Cowboys to “playing” against them.
The fourth-year quarterback, released by the Cowboys as part of Tuesday’s 53-man roster cutdown, agreed to terms with the New England Patriots on Wednesday. Gilbert will join the Patriots’ practice squad, ESPN’s Field Yates reported.
Yates noted New England’s vastly remodeled QB room, which consists of new starter, first-round rookie Mac Jones, and practice-squadders Brian Hoyer and Gilbert — absent 2020 incumbent Cam Newton, who was cut Tuesday in a surprise move. The team also has veteran backup Jarrett Stidham on the Physically Unable to Perform list.
Head coach/general manager Bill Belichick appears content to head into the regular season with just one passer, Jones, on the active roster. But Belichick left open the possibility that things can, and likely will, change in the time until Week 1.
“There’s a lot of movement still to go [with the roster]. I think it would be inappropriate to comment on some positions that are still in the process of … that are not at the final point yet,” Belichick said Wednesday, per Boston.com.
“I’m sure in the next few days some of that movement on other teams may or may not affect us, we’ll see how that goes.”
The Cowboys are scheduled to face the Patriots on Oct. 17 at Gillette Stadium.
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Gilbert The Odd Man Out
What a wild turn of events for the well-traveled journeyman and brief Alliance of American Football star: from sitting in the driver’s seat for Dallas’ QB2 vacancy to off the roster entirely in a matter of days. Funny business, the NFL.
The Cowboys pink-slipped two signal-callers Tuesday, Gilbert and Ben DiNucci, leaving Cooper Rush as the last man standing behind franchise bedrock Dak Prescott. The next day, DiNucci re-signed to the practice squad and the club claimed Will Grier off waivers from the Carolina Panthers.
It’s still unclear whether they plan to carry three QBs on the 53 nor whether Rush will survive the addition of Grier. But it’s clear the Cowboys lost faith in Gilbert as a long-term developmental project — and fast.
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Cowboys Finalizing PS
Dallas is allotted 16 spots for their 2021 practice squad, and it seems they’re nearly all filled. In addition to DiNucci, the team also inked running back JaQuan Hardy, fullback Nick Ralston, wide receivers Osirus Mitchell and Brandon Smith, tight ends Jeremy Sprinkle and Ian Bunting, offensive lineman Isaac Alarcón, center, Braylon Jones, defensive ends Breeland Speaks and Austin Faoliu, defensive tackle Justin Hamilton, cornerback Kyron Brown, and safety Darian Thompson.
The Cowboys — who have yet to confirm the signings of Bunting and Speaks — were granted a roster exemption for Alarcón via the NFL’s International Player Pathway program.
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Follow Zack Kelberman on Twitter: @KelbermanNFL