5 Cowboys who could be entering their final season with the franchise in 2023

This offseason, the Dallas Cowboys did well to not only add talent to their roster in the form of Brandin Cooks and Stephon Gilmore, but they kept the majority of their big-name free agents as well. While it's true Dalton Schultz headed to the Houston Texans, they were able to keep Tony Pollard, Donovan Wilson, Leighton Vander Esch, Dante Fowler and Johnathan Hankins.

Looking ahead to the 2024 offseason, there will again be several notable names hitting the open market — and with some of the moves made this year, it might be hard to afford them all. That's one of the reasons why these five players could be done with the franchise after the 2023 campaign.

5 Cowboys who could be entering final season with team in 2023

5. Cowboys DT Neville Gallimore

Dallas did so well in the 2020 NFL Draft that fans should have petitioned to put Jerry Jones on his yacht for every draft. That was the year they added CeeDee Lamb, Trevon Diggs, and Tyler Biadasz — who have all become full-time starters. They also picked up Neville Gallimore in the third round and he's been a spot starter in his career.

In three seasons, Gallimore has 35 appearances and 14 starts for Dallas. He's also coming off his best campaign as a pro with 33 tackles and a sack in a rotational role. Heading into 2023, that role could be limited some.

The Cowboys drafted Mazi Smith in the first round and he will handle the 1-tech spot along with Johnathan Hankins. As for the 3-tech, Osa Odighuzuwa will continue to start there and while Gallimore could back him up, Chauncey Golston is also expected to get more time in this role due to the overcrowding on the edge.

Also big enough to play the 3-tech is rookie Viliami Fehoko. With all that being the case, Dallas could be grooming these players to take over as Gallimore looks for a new home in 2024.

4. Cowboys CB Jourdan Lewis

When the Cowboys were looking to rebuild their secondary in the 2017 season, they added Chidobe Awuzie in the second round out of Colorado and Jourdan Lewis from Michigan in the third. Lewis has since developed into one of the more trusted veteran corners on the team and signed a three-year extension in 2021 while Awuzie left for Cincinnati.

Lewis then went out and proved Dallas right for their faith in him as he had 61 tackles and three picks — which were both career-highs. He was expected to do even more in 2022 but a Lisfranc injury put him on the shelf after just six games. He still did well in those appearances with 17 tackles, one sack, and a pick. But it was nothing compared to what rookie DaRon Bland accomplished.

With Lewis out, Bland stepped in and made eight starts for the Cowboys. A fifth-round pick from Fresno State (who also played for Sacramento State), Bland had 54 tackles, seven pass defenses, and five interceptions.

Looking ahead to this season, Lewis might have a hard time fending off the young player. Even if he does, it's not likely that he's going to get extended in the offseason.

Dallas could elect to save money, especially with contracts for Trevon Diggs and CeeDee Lamb expiring. Going with the younger Bland could help them, and knowing safety Israel Mukuamu can play in the slot as well will only make it easier to let Lewis walk in a cap-saving move.

3. Cowboys LT Tyron Smith

Tyron Smith ushered in a new era for Dallas when he was taken at No. 9 overall in the 2011 NFL Draft. When they made him their pick in the first round, he became their first offensive lineman taken in Round 1 under Jerry Jones — and he was the first the franchise took since 1981.

Since then, they've made it a priority to have top-tier talent on the offensive line as they took Travis Frederick in 2013, Zack Martin in 2014, and now Tyler Smith in 2022 all in the opening round. Heading into the 2023 season, three of those players are still on the roster with both Smiths as well as Martin expected to start.

As for Tyron Smith, he's been one of the best offensive tackles in the NFL for more than a decade but he's also had a hard time staying on the field. He hasn't played a full slate of games since 2015 and that includes missing 14 games in 2020 and 13 last year.

Still, he's coming back after restructuring his deal but that contract will run out following this season. Chances are, the Cowboys would love to keep Smith until the day he retires and if he has another injury-plagued season, that could happen after 2023. But the truth is, they're going to need to re-sign Terence Steele — who was their top offensive lineman overall in 2022 — and get Tyler Smith on the left side.

That means it could be the end of an era for No. 77.

2. Cowboys S Jayron Kearse

When Dallas signed Jayron Kearse ahead of the 2021 season, the move didn't seem to make much noise. But since then, Kearse has made plenty — and it's all been positive.

Kearse has been a defensive leader with 178 tackles, three sacks, and three picks over the past two seasons. He's also been vocal off the field, even showing support for head coach Mike McCarthy when his job status was questioned by Mike Tannenbaum.

Following his breakout campaign with Dallas in 2021, Kearse signed a two-year extension which keeps him under contract through the end of the 2023 campaign. The problem is, he's going to be 30 years old before the 2024 season starts and the Cowboys just invested a lot in Donovan Wilson.

With Wilson making roughly $8 million per season, the front office might not be willing to fork out the cash to keep Kearse around. They also would have to make a decision with Malik Hooker, who will be a free agent as well the same time as Kearse.

If that were the case, they're likely to keep Hooker who plays better in deep coverage. As for Kearse, he's best served attacking the line of scrimmage and that's the same for Wilson and Israel Mukuamu who will both still be under contract next year.

Kearse is a fan favorite and will be the first to wear the No. 0 in Cowboys' history, but his age could wind up working against him — unless he takes a massive discount to stay in Big D.

1. Cowboys RB Tony Pollard

For years, Dallas fans were screaming for Tony Pollard to get more involved in the game. And for years, they would use him in spurts while featuring Ezekiel Elliott.

They would then feed us this line that Elliott is the workhorse that breaks tackles while Pollard is the boom-or-bust prospect. But the truth is, Elliott made the money so they played him, and the proof of that can be seen in the fact that Pollard averaged more yards after contact per rush in each of the past three seasons than Elliott ever did in his career.

So naturally, Dallas underutilized him until 2022 which coincided with the end of his contract. Now coming off a high ankle sprain and a broken leg, Pollard will play on the franchise tag and chances are, if he's healthy, he could price himself out of Dallas.

Pollard broke the 1,000-yard mark last year with 1,007 yards and nine touchdowns. He added 371 yards on 39 receptions with three more touchdowns.

This year, Pollard is poised to be the lead back with Deuce Vaughn and Malik Davis fighting for the No. 2 spot. Even if Davis earns that position, Vaughn should see the field a lot and this running attack could be much better than anything we've seen recently due to the added explosion.

Unfortunately, the front office kept forcing the coaches hands and that means we weren't able to see Pollard truly take off until now and it could be hard to keep him around if he has another huge season.