The Dallas Cowboys are headed into the offseason and while they didn’t win it all, there was a lot to build on during the 2022 season.
The front office will now look to fill whatever holes they can in draft and free agency but they also have to figure out what to do with some of their own free agents — and over-priced veterans. Here, we look at the current roster and identify four high-profile players who might not be back in 2023.
4 Cowboys stars who may have played final snap with team vs 49ers
4. Anthony Brown, CB
While Anthony Brown never got the love he deserved, it’s also time for the Cowboys to move on. A former sixth-round pick in 2016, Brown has always been a consistent starter and has 324 tackles, nine interceptions, and 59 pass defenses in seven seasons.
Dallas also saw how much he meant when he went down with an injury this year as Kelvin Joseph and Nahshon Wright were nowhere near as consistent. Having said that, this was the third time in three seasons Brown missed extensive time with injuries, and with him turning 30 in 2023, it’s not a safe bet he will suddenly become durable.
For that reason, the Cowboys would be smart to find a replacement. They could decide to bring back Xavier Rhodes, who was signed for the playoff run, as a stop-gap starter. He would allow them to continue to work with Joseph and Wright, which they might prefer. Or, they could go with an early pick in the upcoming draft.
Either way, it’s likely that Brown is going to be looking for a new home next season.
3. Dalton Schultz, TE
For the record, there’s no reason this should happen but with this front office thinking James Washington could replace Amari Cooper, anything is possible.
Dalton Schultz, a former fourth-round pick in 2018, broke out in 2020 when he finally got his shot. When Blake Jarwin tore his ACL in Week 1, Schultz ended up becoming the No. 1 tight end and had 63 receptions for 615 yards and four touchdowns.
He proved that was no fluke when he put up 808 yards on 78 receptions with eight more touchdowns in 2021. That was a huge performance before hitting free agency but he and the Cowboys were unable to come to terms on a new contract.
Schultz wound up getting hit with the franchise tag and while they had until July to figure out a new deal, nothing ever came to fruition. Dallas then made sure to give themselves options as they drafted Jake Ferguson and signed Peyton Hendershot as an undrafted free agent.
Neither had the impact that Schultz did but they were both able to make plays when called upon. As for Schultz, he had a dip in production with 57 receptions for 577 yards and five touchdowns. He did struggle with a knee injury that forced him to miss two games, as well as parts of two others. Once he was fully healthy, he looked like himself again. He even showed against Tampa Bay and San Francisco just how much Dak Prescott relies on him as he was arguably the biggest reason they won outside of Prescott.
The problem is, Dallas isn’t going to be able to pay everyone they would like to. Schultz proved he deserves a contract in the same league as players such as David Njoku but that might not happen with the Cowboys who already balked once at paying Schultz. Instead, they might believe it’s better to let Ferguson and Hendershot take a larger role going forward.
It would be a risk (and probably a bad call) but they seemed to prepare themselves for this even before the 2022 season began.
2. Donovan Wilson, S
A former sixth-round pick out of Texas A&M, Donovan Wilson has developed into one of the best defenders on the roster. He had a strong sophomore campaign but was injured for much of 2021 which led to him being overlooked heading into this season.
That’s no longer the case as he blew up in year four. Wilson led the team with 101 tackles but did much more than just take down the ball carrier after he made the catch. Wilson was making several impactful plays on a weekly basis and finished with seven tackles for a loss, two pass defenses, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery.
If that wasn’t enough, he excelled when rushing the passer as well. In all, he had five sacks and was credited with nine quarterback hits and 12 total pressures.
Dallas would love to bring Wilson back but the problem will center around his pay. They’re not exactly rich with cap space and have some tough decisions to make. Throw in the fact that they’ve always undervalued the safety position — despite being burned by that philosophy time and again — and Wilson might have priced himself out of town.
The coaching staff does believe in Israel Mukuamu, a converted cornerback who had 17 tackles and a pick in his second season, which could also lead to them trying to save some money. It could blow up in their faces, but Wilson might very well be heading elsewhere in free agency.
1. Ezekiel Elliott, RB
Throughout his tenure with the Cowboys, Ezekiel Elliott has been a hot topic. Early on in his career, he was a dominant running back but found himself suspended for six games due to domestic violence accusations. He’s been able to stay on the right path since then and did enough to earn a massive extension ahead of the 2019 season.
The problem is, Dallas completely overpaid him. While other teams have been giving running backs three-year deals that have a way out after two seasons, the Jones family elected to give Elliott a six-year extension when he still had two years remaining on his rookie deal. So while most franchises find a way outa after just two years, Dallas didn’t even start digging their hole until after that same time span.
It was a comical contract that still looks awful heading into the 2023 offseason. The only positive is that they actually have a way out now. The Cowboys can decide to part ways with Zeke and designate him a post-June 1 cut. Doing so would save them roughly $11 million — but would eat up $5.8 million in dead space.
Some would say Elliott should stay since he had 12 touchdowns in 2022 but the fact is, he’s lost more than a step at this point. That was evident by his career-low numbers in both yardage (876) and yards per attempt (3.8).
Throw in the fact that they need to try and re-sign Tony Pollard, who is still an ascending player, and the odds to be in Big D in 2023 are not in Elliott’s favor — unless he wants to take a massive pay cut.
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