Cowboys' Top Hypothetical Trade Packages for Ezekiel Elliott

Ezekiel Elliott's contract has been the most controversial one on the Dallas Cowboys payroll since it was signed in 2019. This offseason is the team's first real opportunity to get out of the deal.

Elliott's six-year, $90 million pact is the kind of contract that is becoming exceedingly rare for running backs. With the market value of running backs slipping and the tendency for backs to begin breaking down as they approach 30, the amount of teams willing to invest heavily in the position is getting smaller.

However, Elliott's contract has now reached the point where the Cowboys can realistically get rid of him and save money on the cap. Elliott is set to make $16.7 million next season but would only have a dead cap charge of $11.9 million.

That's still a lot to pay a player who isn't on your roster, but it makes it realistic that the Cowboys could opt to trade Elliott and use the savings toward a new contract for Tony Pollard, who is set to be a free agent.

If they were to explore such a move, here are three hypothetical trade packages that could make sense.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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Leonard Fournette could be a cap casualty in Tampa.

Buccaneers Receive: RB Ezekiel Elliott

Cowboys Receive: 2023 third-round draft pick (No. 83 overall)

Figuring out just what is fair compensation for Elliott is difficult. At this point, the 27-year-old isn't quite the same dynamic back he was at the beginning of his career, but he did face the sixth-highest rate of stacked boxes, per Player Profiler, and still managed to be 24th in the league in runs of 15 yards or more.

Essentially, he's still capable of carrying the load in the run game even when defenses are loading up the box.

Elliott certainly doesn't have the value of Christian McCaffrey. The 49ers gave up a second, third, fourth and fifth-round pick for the 26-year-old dynamo.

It's hard to find a trade for a comparable back in the recent market. Nyheim Hines, Zack Moss and Jeff Wilson were all recently dealt, but none is quite in the same tier as Elliott.

A third-round pick could be valuable to the Cowboys in finding a replacement for Elliott or bolstering the roster. However, it's a cheap enough cost for a team like the Buccaneers to take a swing on Elliott.

Todd Bowles relied heavily on the run game last season, but Leonard Fournette was incredibly inefficient by the season's end. He averaged 2.2 yards on 11 carries in the team's playoff loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

With Tom Brady's retirement, Bowles could be looking for a back who can have success against stacked boxes like Elliott.

Los Angeles Rams

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Jalen Ramsey would be a huge addition to the Dallas defense.

Rams Receive: RB Ezekiel Elliott, 2023 second-round pick (No. 59 overall), 2024 fourth-round pick

Cowboys Receive: CB Jalen Ramsey

The most likely scenario is simply a pick-for-player swap involving Elliott. But this hypothetical is a blockbuster that could see the 2016 NFL draft come full circle.

The Cowboys were stuck picking between Elliott and cornerback Jalen Ramsey with the fourth selection in the 2016 draft. Ramsey has since told The Pivot Podcast (h/t Brice Paterik of the Dallas Morning News) the Cowboys promised to take him if he were available but instead opted for the running back out of Ohio State.

It's a pretty big swing, but nothing should be discounted when talking about Jerry Jones and his pursuit to make the Cowboys a Super Bowl team.

Jason La Canfora of The Washington Post reported it's a "matter of when ... not if" the Rams will trade Ramsey this offseason. The Cowboys need a running mate opposite Trevon Diggs. A duo of Ramsey and Diggs on the outside could be key as the Cowboys gear up to top A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and the Philadelphia Eagles offense within the division.

The Rams, meanwhile, could use all the draft picks they can get and an upgrade at running back. Sean McVay's offense works best when they have a running back who can consistently get yardage.

This trade package might be enough to bring Ramsey into the Dallas defense while offloading Elliott.

Los Angeles Chargers

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The Chargers need a second back to pair with Austin Ekeler.

Chargers Receive: RB Ezekiel Elliott

Cowboys Receive: 2023 third-round pick (No. 86 overall)

The Los Angeles Chargers are entering the final year of Justin Herbert's rookie contract, which means they get one more season of elite quarterback play at a steep discount.

It also means that Brandon Staley needs to see a lot more success than he has so far. The rookie contract of a franchise quarterback presents the easiest window to build a Super Bowl champion.

Thus far, the Chargers have no playoff wins to show for having Herbert under a cheap contract.

Part of the reason is a run game that doesn't strike fear into opposing defenses. Austin Ekeler is a great receiving back, but the Chargers averaged just 3.8 yards per carry. They had a 27-7 lead at halftime before losing to the Jaguars in the wild-card round.

They don't currently have a run game that can protect a lead. Ekeler had just 35 yards on 13 carries in that game against Jacksonville.

Elliott would be an ideal complement to Ekeler. He's a big back who can still churn out hard yards between the tackles. That's something that isn't Ekeler's forte.

Elliott would allow them to extend Ekeler's prime by taking the tough carries while expanding their running game and improving their chances of making a run in 2023.