5 Cowboys players who definitely won't be back next season

2. Stephon Gilmore, CB

Stephon Gilmore was a 2023 offseason addition by the Cowboys, and he started all 17 games for Dallas in 2023. He racked up 13 passes defended and two interceptions. Even though Gilmore is still proving to be a quality player in his 30s, I think Dallas turns their attention to other players in the secondary. Gilmore is 33 years old, and the emergence of Da'Ron Bland in 2023 makes Gilmore expendable.

Dallas also has Jourdan Lewis and Noah Igbinoghene at CB who are set to hit the open market. Lewis is 28 and Igbinoghene is 24, so they each may have a better chance at sticking with the Cowboys in 2024 and beyond. Gilmore was probably only going to be a one-year addition anyway, and again, with Dallas' lack of cap space, they might prefer to add to this position in the 2024 NFL Draft and with lower cost players.

3. DeMarcus Lawrence, DE

DeMarcus Lawrence's best days are behind him, and with the Cowboys being able to save $10 million on their 2024 cap number, Lawrence is an obvious cap casualty. He stared all 17 games this year and managed just four sacks, 10 tackles for loss, and eight QB hits. Lawrence has no more guaranteed money left on his deal, so he could be vulnerable to be cut in the offseason.

He's been with the Cowboys each year of his career, which began in 2014, and had a career-high 14.5 sacks in 2017. At this point, Lawrence is going to have to take cheaper deals and probably accept more of a rotational role. He's also perhaps wanting to ring chase, and I don't think Dallas is a good spot for that.