The Dallas Cowboys are heading back to the drawing board this offseason, as they continue to fail to find a way to take the next step forward and become a de facto championship contender. The Cowboys once again crashed out of the playoffs earlier than they would have liked, and are searching for answers amid this continued stretch of playoff inadequacy.

The Cowboys have a lot of talent on their roster, which is led by their defense and run game on offense. Their passing game was decent, but it was clear that the loss of Amari Cooper had a negative effect on Dak Prescott under center. Making life easier for Prescott will be a primary goal of the team this offseason.

Before they can add to their roster, though, the Cowboys are going to have to make decisions on some of the players on their roster, and whether or not they should return for the 2023 season. Let’s take a look at three players Dallas would be better off moving on from this offseason and see why that’s the case.

3. Anthony Brown

Anthony Brown has overcome long odds to be a key piece of the Cowboys defense since his rookie season back in 2016, but he’s set to hit free agency this offseason, and it feels like it’s time for Dallas to move on from him. Brown will likely cost more than he is worth, and the Cowboys are well stocked at cornerback for the present and the future.

Brown was starter alongside Trevon Diggs on the outside last season, but heading into 2023, it’s clear that DaRon Bland is going to need to be starting alongside Diggs. Combine that with the potential return of Jourdan Lewis, which isn’t exactly a guarantee given that he’s a potential cut candidate for salary cap purposes, and there just isn’t room for Brown on the roster.

It will be tough to see Brown go, but he’s never been more than an average cornerback on the outside for the Cowboys. Allowing Bland, who showed star potential in 2022, to play alongside Diggs is simply the right move. Bringing Brown back just to bring him back isn’t the right move, and for that reason, it would make a lot of sense for Dallas to let him walk in free agency this offseason.

2. Brett Maher

For all intents and purposes, Brett Maher put together the best statistical campaign of his career in 2022. But then everything came crashing down around him in the playoffs, where Maher simply could not make any field goals. And now that he’s a free agent, it seems to be a certainty that Maher will not be returning for the 2023 season.

Maher’s struggles started in the Cowboys Wild Card game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he missed four of his five extra point attempts. Maher again missed his only extra point attempt in the Divisional Round, although he did make both of his field goal attempts. Still, coming back from missing four extra point attempts in one game is tough to do.

Aside from his nightmare performance against the Buccaneers, Maher was solid, but having a kicker with the yips is something that no team wants. Maher is already 33 years old, and while judging him for his struggles in one game is harsh, this may provide the Cowboys with an opportunity to find their kicker of the future. For that reason, moving on from Maher may be the easiest decision of Dallas’ offseason.

Well, we’ve been barrelling towards this for quite some time now. Ezekiel Elliott isn’t technically a free agent, but the Cowboys can get out of this deal with minimal salary cap implications this offseason, as he no longer has any guaranteed money on his contract. And this offseason feels like the perfect time for the two sides to go their separate ways.

Elliott wasn’t necessarily bad in 2022 (231 CAR, 876 YDS, 12 TD) but it’s clear he’s not the runner he once was, and with the Cowboys also having Tony Pollard, who vastly outproduced Elliott in 2022, set for free agency, the team needs to pick which one of these guys will be their running back moving forward. Based on Pollard’s production, this isn’t a hard decision to make.

Designating Elliott as a post-June 1st release would save the Cowboys $10.9 million in cap space, while spreading out his $11.86 million dead cap hit over the 2023 and 2024 seasons. It would be tough to see Elliott go, but it feels like the only move the Cowboys can make with him. There’s no sense giving him touches over Pollard at this point, and for that reason alone, it’s time for Dallas to move on here.