3 players who may have played their last game as a Cowboy

3 players who may have played their last game as a Cowboy

As the NFL playoffs continue, the Dallas Cowboys turn their attention to the 2024 season. With 14 pending free agents and some substantial cap constraints, Dallas will experience significant roster turnover this offseason.

With that in mind, today we’ll look at three Cowboys who are likely to have played their last game.

1) RB Tony Pollard

Tony Pollard, the Cowboys’ running back, had an up and down 2023 season.

The 26-year-old concluded the season with 1,005 running yards on 252 carries and a career low 4.0 Y/A.

Pollard did score six rushing touchdowns and had a career-high 56 first downs,

but his effectiveness was low until halfway through the season, possibly due to injuries.

Pollard recorded 29 first down runs, 14 broken tackles,

and four of his six rushing touchdowns in Dallas’ final eight regular-season games.

He began to resemble the explosive rushing back we saw in 2021 and 2022,

but his performance was inconsistent.

Pollard was a tremendously effective player during his five-year stint in Dallas,

but bringing him back next season would be a bad deal for all parties.

According to Spotrac, Pollard is expected to receive a three-year, $19 million contract on the open market.

With Dallas’ cap constraints, signing Pollard to a multi-year contract would just not make sense.

Pollard had a successful tenure in Dallas, but the running

back will most certainly want a long-term contract this spring.

With that in mind, he will almost definitely play for another team in September.

2) WR Michael Gallup

Injuries were a major issue, but the Cowboys signing Michael Gallup to

a five-year contract in March 2022 is one of Dallas’ worst swing and misses in recent memory.

Gallup never recovered from his ACL tear at the end of the 2021 regular season and

has been largely ineffective in Dallas’ offense over the last two years.

Gallup has only 73 receptions for 842 yards in 31 regular season games following the injury,

averaging 27 yards per game and a 55.7% catch percentage.

In ten of Gallups’ 31 post-injury games,

he caught one or less passes. In Dallas’ last seven games of the 2023 regular season,

the former third-rounder recorded one or fewer receptions five times.

It’s difficult to imagine Gallup’s tenure in Dallas coming to an end in this manner,

but not cutting him this offseason would be absurd.

According to Over the Cap, Dallas may save $9 million against

the cap while incurring only $4 million in dead money if Gallup is cut after June 1.

This appears to be a no-brainer decision,

as Gallup has almost certainly played his final down as a Cowboy.

3) Cornerback Stephon Gilmore

Without Stephon Gilmore, the 2023 Cowboys might not make the playoffs.

The veteran cornerback meant a lot to Dallas’ defense,

and he stepped up the most after Trevon Diggs suffered a ruptured ACL earlier in the season.

During his rookie season in Dallas, the 33-year-old former All-Pro was extremely effective.

Gilmore concluded the season with a 55.8% completion rate, an 82.7 passer rating when targeted,

and only four touchdowns allowed. In Dallas’ final nine regular-season games,

Gilmore allowed 215 total air yards, an average of little under 24 per game.

In Dallas’ playoff game against the Packers, the veteran struggled somewhat.

Gilmore was definitely not at 100% after hurting his shoulder against Washington, and it showed.

Still, Gilmore had a fantastic year with the Cowboys and was an essential element of their defense.

In an ideal scenario, the Cowboys would re-sign Gilmore and have

probably the finest cornerback room in football next season, with him, Trevon Diggs, and DaRon Bland.

Unfortunately, perfection is not always possible, and Gilmore will most certainly exceed Dallas’ budget.

According to Spotrac, Gilmore is expected to sign a one-year, $11 million deal this spring.

While a one-year contract might make sense for the Cowboys,

the number would have to be closer to $5-6 million for Dallas to have a realistic chance at retaining the cornerback.

Gilmore was an excellent addition to the Cowboys,

but another contender with greater contract room is likely to entice him away this offseason.

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