Cowboys 3 best moves of the 2023 offseason

Like most teams, the Dallas Cowboys experienced a notable quantity of roster turnover this offseason. On the flip side, though, the front office was more aggressive canceling out those departures than fans had grown accustomed to over the last several years.

Dalton Schultz, Connor McGovern and Carlos Watkins are notable losses, but there wasn't any bleeding that needed stopping. That speaks to the work exceptional Dallas did both in free agency and on the trade market.

The offseason isn't quite over, but the beef and potatoes -- the draft and first and second waves of free agency -- are in the rearview. With that, let's try and underline the three best moves made by the Cowboys this spring.

3. Releasing Ezekiel Elliott

It gives us zero pleasure to include Elliott, but it had to be done. Fans were skeptical that Dallas would pull the plug on the veteran RB given Jerry Jones typically doesn't like admitting to mistakes, so credit where it's due for getting it over the line.

While Elliott could find his way back to the Cowboys this offseason, it'll be on a new contract after they released him with a post-June 1 designation. As a result, they'll gain $10.9 million on the salary cap once June hits. It's more than what they would have saved next offseason, so it seemingly was a no-brainer.

That money could be used to pay for 2023 dead cap chargers, or potentially a late free agent signing during training camp, whether it be a linebacker, interior defensive linemen or another position that lacks depth.

Beyond the financial savings, Elliott's dip in performance was too significant for the Cowboys to run it back on his now-former contract. He's only valuable as a short-yard, goal-line specialist and you can find those backs anywhere.

Losing Elliott's leadership and character will be felt in the locker room, but it was painfully obvious that he needed to be released. Good on Dallas for not letting emotion influence their decision-making.