How is it that zeke lost his explosiveness

[blueblood70]

You a member of the Jones family? If no you aint payin him a dime so your obsession with his paycheck is misguided at best. The Cowboys paid Zeke when the plan was to be a power running team. The plan changed almost the day after the deal was signed. Zeke had nothing to do with it. No one has said Zeke needs 25 carries to be effective. However 3 carries in the first quarter.. 2 in the second quarter, then maybe 4 in the third.. and depending on the score none in the fourth is a stupid way to use your top running back. Again.. unless you can win doing it.. The Cowboys have yet to show they can do so consistently but the year is young.. I'm hoping they have figured out how to win 11-12 games doing whatever they need to do.. whether it's running it 40 times or throwing it 40 times. At the end of the day I don't care how they win as long as they win. By the same token I don't care who is paid what or whose celebration or personality people don't like.. I watch these guys play football not have them over for dinner..

yes x100

 

[Sydla]

You a member of the Jones family? If no you aint payin him a dime so your obsession with his paycheck is misguided at best. The Cowboys paid Zeke when the plan was to be a power running team. The plan changed almost the day after the deal was signed. Zeke had nothing to do with it. No one has said Zeke needs 25 carries to be effective. However 3 carries in the first quarter.. 2 in the second quarter, then maybe 4 in the third.. and depending on the score none in the fourth is a stupid way to use your top running back. Again.. unless you can win doing it.. The Cowboys have yet to show they can do so consistently but the year is young.. I'm hoping they have figured out how to win 11-12 games doing whatever they need to do.. whether it's running it 40 times or throwing it 40 times. At the end of the day I don't care how they win as long as they win. By the same token I don't care who is paid what or whose celebration or personality people don't like.. I watch these guys play football not have them over for dinner..

People make this same post over and over and it's illogical and quite silly.

You understand this is a capped league right? If there was no cap, I doubt anyone would have an issue with what he's making. But this is a capped league. Next year, Elliott will account for one of the 4-5 highest cap hits on this team after they restructured a huge portion of his 2021 cap hit.

It's just bad business to have that much cap space tied up in a TB that is basically now splitting time with a late round TB. Are you seriously telling me this team couldn't use an extra $7-8 million of cap space on another position if they weren't overpaying their TB these last couple years?

The issue is that you guys are fanbois of players and often struggle with accepting the business side of the business and the reality that in a capped league, teams have to be smarter in who they pay, where they spend their cap space, etc.

 

[Aviano90]

Every person is entitled to his or her own opinion.

Agreed.

 

[G2]

People make this same post over and over and it's illogical and quite silly.

You understand this is a capped league right? If there was no cap, I doubt anyone would have an issue with what he's making. But this is a capped league. Next year, Elliott will account for one of the 4-5 highest cap hits on this team after they restructured a huge portion of his 2021 cap hit.

It's just bad business to have that much cap space tied up in a TB that is basically now splitting time with a late round TB. Are you seriously telling me this team couldn't use an extra $10 million of cap space on another position if they weren't overpaying their TB these last couple years?

I highly doubt Elliott and Pollard are splitting carries every game. I think the staff adjusts according to the match ups and defenses in general.

As far as salary, I don't see the point in taking a side on this topic, unless you're a player. I understand the disgust some have when a player isn't meeting their standards, but with fans players will never meet them. And are we giving them more for playing outstanding on a minuscule contract?

 

[Starforever]

Pollard will be cheap. When I say don’t pay a RB I mean don’t pay them 9 million plus.

I’m also fine letting them both go and drafting don’t get me wrong.

So every year Dallas would be drafting a back until they found a cheap fool, under your theory.

 

[Hadenough]

even though he’s the lightest in years and he’s never been hurt? He’s clearly in fantastic shape and worked hard in the offseason.

That's what 400 touches a season will do a guy. Zeke also just doesn't seem hungry. He showed a little speed once when he turned the corner in the Tampa game but he just doesn't hit the hole hard he looks like he runs about 3/4 speed.

 

[CATCH17]

So every year Dallas would be drafting a back until they found a cheap fool, under your theory.

I don’t know how you came up with that. You know RBs have rookie contracts that last 4 years that they play under right?

Its not like I’m saying something controversial. A lot of teams do this with RBs.

 

[Sydla]

I highly doubt Elliott and Pollard are splitting carries every game. I think the staff adjusts according to the match ups and defenses in general.

As far as salary, I don't see the point in taking a side on this topic, unless you're a player. I understand the disgust some have when a player isn't meeting their standards, but with fans players will never meet them. And are we giving them more for playing outstanding on a minuscule contract?

It's not even about not meeting their standards, it's simply a cap situation with me. Paying a TB, any TB, what we are paying Elliott is just bad roster/cap management IMO. If this was an uncapped league and Jerry was paying Elliott $30MM a year, I wouldn't care. But we don't operate in that fantasy land.

If we are eating up the cap space we are for Elliott, he has to be a stud, a game changer IMO. He's just not been that guy and I think overall that hurts the team that could use his excess cap space to get better at DT or CB, etc.

 

[Buzzbait]

Hell, I was just as surprised as you when I read that. He's book smart, not necessarily common sense smart. Or he's just immature.

I used to have a brother in law like that, guy was extremely math smart, but common sense dumb.

 

[Cmac]

Huh?

RB is the easiest position to fill in football.

True, when you consider the transition from college to pro......however, who you get or who you don't can bring the tanking/rebuilding into the equation, real fast or frequently.

 

[G2]

It's not even about not meeting their standards, it's simply a cap situation with me. Paying a TB, any TB, what we are paying Elliott is just bad roster/cap management IMO. If this was an uncapped league and Jerry was paying Elliott $30MM a year, I wouldn't care. But we don't operate in that fantasy land.

If we are eating up the cap space we are for Elliott, he has to be a stud, a game changer IMO. He's just not been that guy and I think overall that hurts the team that could use his excess cap space to get better at DT or CB, etc.

As good as I think he is, this is why I wouldn't have drafted a back so early.

 

[phildadon86]

That's what 400 touches a season will do a guy. Zeke also just doesn't seem hungry. He showed a little speed once when he turned the corner in the Tampa game but he just doesn't hit the hole hard he looks like he runs about 3/4 speed.

Hes definitely faster this season. Anyone who says otherwise isnt being truthful.

 

[Sydla]

As good as I think he is, this is why I wouldn't have drafted a back so early.

And don't get me wrong, he's not a bad TB. He's a really good TB. But for what we are paying him/cap space used, he needs to be elite, game changing and he just doesn't seem like that kind of back anymore at this point.

Will be interesting to watch him over the next few weeks.

 

[RonnieT24]

yes x100

Man I honestly don't get why this is so hard for people. The Cowboys have yet to show they can win consistently using Zeke for 12-15 carries while splitting with Pollard or throwing it 50 times. On the other hand they HAVE shown that they can win consistently by riding Zeke 20 or more carries. People mistake wanting to give Zeke the ball more with some kind of love affair with Zeke when in reality it's a love affair with winning. We have been better when that dude was totin the rock more. When we show we are (consistently) better with someone else carrying the load I will advocate that person getting the ball more.. Pollard (occasionally) looks great in the change up role but if Zeke isn't in there pounding the defense between the tackles I don't believe a lot of that is possible. It's like when a relief pitcher comes in after a knuckleballer. Hitters tie themselves in knots swinging late on routine fastballs because they have been trying to time up a knuckleball for 6-7 innings. Pollard's quickness and explosion is Maybe I'm wrong but 2-3 nice games a year won't convince me. Zeke had the higher ypc in I believe 9 of the 15 games they played together last year. A fact that somehow gets swept under the rug by the people who appear to hate him. I will always maintain that at the end of season the change of pace back should ALWAYS have a higher ypc average than the starter.. One because he often gets carries against a tired defense when he is fresh and two because he is not the one the defense game plans to stop. A couple more games like this last one and that last part will change.. People will start devoting more than a few minutes a week prepping for Pollard.. If he continues to shine then we might have something.. but we obviously need to see more..

I will say this about the Sunday game.. It was different from Pollard's previous good games because he was consistent in getting positive yards. He didn't have a bunch of nothing runs augmented by one big one. This was better.. Maybe it's him getting better, maybe it was the way the Chargers played the run defense with that silly 3-3-5 alignment. Time will tell.

 

[Starforever]

I don’t know how you came up with that. You know RBs have rookie contracts that last 4 years that they play under right?

Its not like I’m saying something controversial. A lot of teams do this with RBs.

I know, I know, I just think it is foolish to follow that trend when you are already set at that position.

 

[RonnieT24]

That's what 400 touches a season will do a guy. Zeke also just doesn't seem hungry. He showed a little speed once when he turned the corner in the Tampa game but he just doesn't hit the hole hard he looks like he runs about 3/4 speed.

That's because he is.. Zeke is running more patiently now than early in his career. Every run doesn't need to be run at 100 mph. In fact many of them can't be. That was something he had to learn.. If Pollard was the full time starter he'd have to learn it too. If you just fly into the line at 100 mph it works great when the blocking is there right away but some plays the blocking takes longer to develop and the back needs to wait for it to happen. The tightrope is knowing when you need to wait and when there is only going to be a hole for a quarter of a second and you need to go right now. If Zeke is to be criticized for anything it is that he does not seem to have gotten a good feel for that balance yet. Maybe some of it is all the shuffling up front and maybe some of it is the herky jerky nature of how he 's being used. He has never had to share carries to any large degree since he was a freshman in college. This is new to him.. and to Pollard it's not.. Hopefully Zeke can adapt and still be productive because that is what's best for the team. Him getting 12 carries a game and NOT being productive serves no one.. except Zeke haters of course..

 

[CATCH17]

I know, I know, I just think it is foolish to follow that trend when you are already set at that position.

There is no need to do it now. Getting rid of Zeke’s contract doesn’t help us in the near future anyways.

After next season they’ll have to make a decision.

 

[SteveTheCowboy]

People make this same post over and over and it's illogical and quite silly.

You understand this is a capped league right? If there was no cap, I doubt anyone would have an issue with what he's making. But this is a capped league. Next year, Elliott will account for one of the 4-5 highest cap hits on this team after they restructured a huge portion of his 2021 cap hit.

It's just bad business to have that much cap space tied up in a TB that is basically now splitting time with a late round TB. Are you seriously telling me this team couldn't use an extra $7-8 million of cap space on another position if they weren't overpaying their TB these last couple years?

The issue is that you guys are fanbois of players and often struggle with accepting the business side of the business and the reality that in a capped league, teams have to be smarter in who they pay, where they spend their cap space, etc.

I'd rather be a "fanboi" of a player and team than some high and mighty fake bs fantasy accountant.

Fanboi isn't the insult you think it is.

 

[SteveTheCowboy]

That's because he is.. Zeke is running more patiently now than early in his career. Every run doesn't need to be run at 100 mph. In fact many of them can't be. That was something he had to learn.. If Pollard was the full time starter he'd have to learn it too. If you just fly into the line at 100 mph it works great when the blocking is there right away but some plays the blocking takes longer to develop and the back needs to wait for it to happen. The tightrope is knowing when you need to wait and when there is only going to be a hole for a quarter of a second and you need to go right now. If Zeke is to be criticized for anything it is that he does not seem to have gotten a good feel for that balance yet. Maybe some of it is all the shuffling up front and maybe some of it is the herky jerky nature of how he 's being used. He has never had to share carries to any large degree since he was a freshman in college. This is new to him.. and to Pollard it's not.. Hopefully Zeke can adapt and still be productive because that is what's best for the team. Him getting 12 carries a game and NOT being productive serves no one.. except Zeke haters of course..

Excellent. Not sure how much more you can do here. But you're a fighter!

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

It's not even about not meeting their standards, it's simply a cap situation with me. Paying a TB, any TB, what we are paying Elliott is just bad roster/cap management IMO. If this was an uncapped league and Jerry was paying Elliott $30MM a year, I wouldn't care. But we don't operate in that fantasy land.

If we are eating up the cap space we are for Elliott, he has to be a stud, a game changer IMO. He's just not been that guy and I think overall that hurts the team that could use his excess cap space to get better at DT or CB, etc.

Exactly.

I don’t understand the dissonance people have over this concept. Teams deal with a finite cap on an annual basis. Bad contracts have corresponding consequences; effectively, you rob Peter to pay Paul.