Los Angeles Chargers lead Vegas odds to sign former Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott

The Dallas Cowboys wanted to keep Ezekiel Elliott, after all, he was one of a handful of faces of the franchise over the last seven seasons. Alas, instead of majorly restructuring his contract for 2023, the front office chose to release the former first-rounder, making him a free agent for the first time in his career.

Where Elliott lands next, and for how much, is a major topic of conversation around the league – Las Vegas even has odds out for his new team.

Leading the way in Vegas is the Los Angeles Chargers. Although the Chargers still have top running back Austin Ekeler on the roster, he is seeking a way out of L.A. Ekeler received permission to discuss trade options after the two sides failed to reach an agreement for an extension. So, the former Western Colorado star has likely played his last game in the powder blue.

If Ekeler does, in fact, move to another team, the Chargers could get a great deal on Elliott. It’s a seamless fit since L.A. hired former Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore to direct the offense under Brandon Staley. Also on staff with the Chargers after his dismissal from Dallas is quarterbacks coach Doug Nussmeier.

The Buffalo Bills have the next best odds to land Elliott. However, it’s likely that those odds go down this week. Buffalo signed former Alabama star Damien Harris on Monday.

Behind the Bills, the Chiefs, Ravens, Browns, Jets, Texans, Saints, Jaguars and Rams are next on the odds leaderboard. Luckily for Dallas, none of their NFC East opponents are probable landing spots for Elliott at this point.

More on the 2023 NFL offseason, free agency

The NFL 2023 calendar year began at 4 p.m. ET on March 15. At that time, contracts running through 2022 officially ran out, making those players free agents. Prior to the beginning of free agency, teams had a chance to designate one franchise or transition tag player, starting on Feb. 21 at 4 p.m. ET and ending on March 7. The Cowboys used their franchise tag this year on Tony Pollard.

The legal negotiation period spanned from March 13 through March 15. The new year marked the beginning of all trades going official per the league office. April 21 marks the deadline to sign restricted free agents to offer sheets. On April 26, the deadline for teams to match restricted free agent offers sheets hits.

There were 722 players due to hit free agency in 2023, including 20 unrestricted free agents for Dallas. Follow all the Cowboys free agency news with the offseason tracker.