It's the end of an era for the Dallas Cowboys, only it was never an era to begin with. When the team opted to pass on T.J. Watt to select Taco Charlton with the 28th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, they did so with the belief the latter would fit their system much more than the former.

Two years later, Charlton has been released by the Cowboys and Watt is thriving as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Having battled both injury and attitude issues over the past few months, Charlton has performed like anything but a former first-round pick in his two NFL seasons. Three of his four career sacks were produced in 2017, and he has just seven starts on his resume -- having also been made inactive in the first two games of the 2019 season due to his inability to flex and outperform others like rookie fifth-round pick Joe Jackson in practice.

The relationship reached its boiling point this offseason, and after several failed attempts to trade Charlton, the Cowboys opted to send him packing to make room for the return of All-Pro pass rusher Robert Quinn in his return from a two-game suspension. 

The 24-year-old is subject to waivers and will be an unrestricted free agent if he goes unclaimed. Although teams weren't willing to cough up an asset or two to land him via trade with the Cowboys, there are a few who may give him a call now that they can sign him outright. 

1. New York Giants

You've seen this movie before, because it involves a former disgruntled NFL player taking up residence with a direct rival in the hopes of making some sort of point. That aside, the Giants could use help with a pass rush that feels nonexistent at the moment. Once the pride of Big Blue, the team hasn't been able to apply pressure consistently to their opposition during their 0-2 start. As a unit, they have only three sacks in two games. Granted, Charlton won't be seen as a big fix for that issue, but the fact remains the Giants should take any kind of help they can get -- particularly when that help has inside knowledge of how an NFC East rival operates. 

2. Miami Dolphins

If only this could've been a deal struck between the Dolphins and the Cowboys that sent Charlton to South Florida and Minkah Fitzpatrick to North Texas, but the problem was any offer to Miami would've needed to included a first-round pick, and the Cowboys weren't going to give one up for a second straight season after having done so to land Amari Cooper in 2018. Ironically, Fitzpatrick joins the aforementioned Watt in Pittsburgh, but the Dolphins are still pass rush needy. It's clear they're in rebuild mode, but they showed interest in Charlton ahead of the 2017 draft and might want to kick the tires to determine if he's a fit for what(ever it is) they have planned going forward. 

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

One team doing their best to make a playoff push is the Buccaneers, but they didn't help themselves by shipping out a defensive leviathan like Gerald McCoy. Assuming Charlton could help fill that cavernous void is much akin to tossing chewing gum into a volcano but, at minimum, he'd provide needed depth and could play rejuvenated once he lands in Central Florida. Like the Dolphins, the Buccaneers also had interest in Charlton in 2017 before the Cowboys made their call. Yes, there's a new sheriff in town with head coach Bruce Arians, but Jason Licht is still the general manager, and that's who had eyes on Charlton not so long ago. The Bucs have only four sacks on the season, and are extremely thin across their defensive line. 

4. Chicago Bears

At first blush, you're thinking a dominant defense like the Bears could not care less about a discarded former first-round pick. You'd be wrong, though, because although the Khalil Mack-led unit batters and bruises opposing quarterbacks, they sure wouldn't mind the depth Charlton might bring to the table. The jury is out on how much time defensive end Bilal Nichols will miss with a wrist injury suffered in Week 2, which has prompted the team to hold workouts at the position in the event Nichols can't return swiftly. That could make Charlton an interest -- even if only as a workout -- for the pass rush-happy Bears, who like to ensure they keep the pressure on when the starters are sipping Gatorade.

5. New York Jets

Why should one bad New York team have all the fun? The Jets aren't faring any better than their MetLife Stadium roommates this year, in any statistical category. They'd like to have more than four sacks on the season and won't be afraid to give a look at Charlton if they feel it could help the defensive front as a whole alleviate pressure on a secondary that's under siege, and Charlton would have a lot to prove for whomever he plays for next -- which will presumably under be nothing longer than a one-year deal. Additionally, if the Dolphins do still have interest and the Jets catch wind of it, then maybe it'll motivate them to siphon away the young defensive end from their direct AFC East rival.

Honorable mention: Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins

Much in the same vein as the Giants, running full speed to a division rival is something that feels almost inevitable here when factoring in the contention that exists between Charlton and the Cowboys. It also bodes well for Charlton that neither the Eagles nor the Redskins have been able to establish a pass rush to start the season, with the former having also lost starters Malik Jackson and Tim Jernigan to major injury. Where things get dicey regarding Philadelphia is in Charlton's inability to flex, spending much of his time on the left defensive edge, while the absence of Jackson and Jernigan both impact the defensive interior. 

The 3-tech is a role Charlton played well in his days at Michigan, and maybe he can convince the Eagles to give him a shot at adding depth there. 

For the Redskins -- historically the favorite landing spot for upset former Cowboys -- their inability to get home on the opposing QB has helped cost them two games, and that includes the Week 2 beating at the hands of Dallas. A usually solid defensive front in Washington has only one sack per game in 2019, and starting defensive tackle Jonathan Allen is currently sidelined with injury. Like a potential fit with the Eagles, if Charlton can convince the Redskins he can be a rotational piece on the interior in addition to helping on the outside, he'd likely be more than willing to join a team that so loathes the Cowboys.