If you fire up your preferred internet browser and search for the top remaining NFL free agents you'll notice one thing: There are a lot of former Dallas Cowboys waiting to be signed. 

And considering Cowboys fans (and Jerry Jones, too) are unable to dismiss the possibility of the franchise reuniting with running back Ezekiel Elliott, I considered it a fun idea to evaluate and rank what reunion would be the most likely and which would be the least likely.

Let's dive in.

1. K Brett Maher

If you haven't shaken off the disaster that was Maher's playoff performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, I don't blame you. But hear me out, the free agency market isn't going to offer an obviously better player. 

And before you get up in arms yelling about the playoff-proven kicker, yes, I'm including Robbie Gould. Sure, the Cowboys could use help from an experienced player like the former San Francisco 49er. But Maher's numbers over the last two years have actually been better, with Maher's 90% field goal efficiency being well above Gould's 82%. 

If I were the Cowboys, I'd be looking at a reunion with Maher above any other. They don't have a kicker other than the unproven Tristan Vizcaino. For a team hoping to be a contender, it isn't enough. 

2. LB Anthony Barr

When the Cowboys signed Barr in August last year, they were getting a plug-and-play starter. Over the first four weeks of the season, he averaged a 69% snap count. Although he officially got two starts in that span, he essentially was LB2 behind Leighton Vander Esch.

In 2023, things would look different. The Cowboys are expected to start second-year player Damone Clark, who should make a major leap with this being his first NFL offseason being healthy. 

But linebacker No. 3 for Dallas at the moment appears to be Jabril Cox, who's entering his third year in the NFL with a mere 45 defensive snaps. Depth at the position is needed. I doubt the Cowboys have scratched Barr's phone number from their directory.

3. WR T.Y. Hilton

This is the trickiest one for me. Hilton was signed last December by the Cowboys in what was essentially an emergency signing. He delivered, with multiple big-time moments, headlined by an insane catch on 3rd & 30 that propelled Dallas to a win against the Philadelphia Eagles.

But the Cowboys have a solid trio of starters and a couple of young guys fighting to be WR4 in Simi Fehoko and Jalen Tolbert. Even still, Hilton's phone might be one injury away from ringing. 

4. RB Ezekiel Elliott

You might be surprised to see Zeke this low on the list, but I haven't bought into the reunion rumors since he was released back in March. It's Tony Pollard's position in 2023 and the Cowboys have a bunch of young guys to split the rest of the carries with.

Malik Davis, Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn, and even Hunter Luepke have a shot at being heavily involved. I wouldn't bet on Elliott returning any time soon. Consider the following from an article of mine on the three biggest winners from the team's mandatory minicamp:

But don't overlook Luepke's prospects as a running back, as well. Cowboys Executive VP Stephen Jones mentioned Luepke before anyone else when asked about adding a bigger back. 

The Cowboys have moved on.

5. CB Byron Jones

If there were 100 former Cowboys in free agency, Jones would likely be 100th on the list. He seemingly retired earlier in the year through a Twitter thread calling out health issues for players in the NFL.

"It was an honor and privilege to play in the NFL but it came at a regrettable cost I did not foresee," Jones tweeted in February. "In my opinion, no amount of professional success or financial gain is worth avoidable chronic pain and disabilities."

Jones remains available. Although his retirement isn't official and ESPN cited a source indicating otherwise, I believe we have to assume we've seen the last of the Cowboys' former first-round pick in the NFL. 

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Featured image via Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports