4 players the Cowboys were right to move on from in 2023

1. Ezekiel Elliott

Elliott's release stings the most for obvious reasons, but it was undoubtedly the right call by the Cowboys. When you couple his cap hit and dip in performance -- and overall athleticism after handling a massive workload early in his career -- Dallas had no choice but to cut the former All-Pro running back.

If the Cowboys didn't have Tony Pollard waiting in the wings, perhaps Elliot might still be around. With Pollard in a contract year and deserving of a significant pay raise (he wound up getting franchise tagged for $10.09 million), though, the front office essentially had to choose between the players.

We don't need to do a deep dive into Elliott's decline in production. His 2022 stats alone are proof Dallas kept the right player, as he posted career-lows across the board (carries, rushing yards and yards per attempt). His 12 touchdowns were important, but Zeke struggled making defenders miss in the open field and his dwindled explosion and burst hindered the offense's ability to rip big plays.

Cowboys fans will forever appreciate what Elliott accomplished early in his career, but it became painfully obvious over time that it was time to move on.