12 Cowboys Who Won't Return Next Season

11. Dante Fowler, DE

Dante Fowler joined the Cowboys in 2022 and made an immediate impact, registering 22 solo tackles, 6.0 sacks, two defended passes, and a pair of forced fumbles. Unfortunately, his follow-up campaign wasn't as impressive.

Despite playing the same number of games (17), Fowler's numbers were down, tallying only eight solo tackles and 4.0 sacks. He did swat three passes and even forced a fumble, but it wasn't enough to impress the fanbase. Even the coaching staff was down on the former 2015 third-overall pick, using him for only 270 defensive snaps compared to 343 last year.

If the Cowboys are dead-set on bringing back Armstrong, I don't see them shelling out the cash to keep Fowler, who is three years older than his counterpart. A return to Dallas is even less likely for Fowler seeing as how former defensive coordinator Dan Quinn — who coached him in three of the last four seasons — is no longer around.

Fowler is a decent defender and might still have some juice left in the tank, but he just isn't needed in Dallas anymore. The Cowboys have other D-linemen they have to take care of and re-signing the former Florida Gator shouldn't be a priority unless he's willing to take an extremely cheap deal.