Zeke smart for holding out last year

Tussinman

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It wasn’t that surprising to me.

This board had dozens of fans who were saying “just wear Zeke out for 5 years, run him into the ground and let him walk after his rookie contract is over”.

Then they acted surprised when Zeke held out before that could happen.
Another reason why it wasn't suprising was the front office is literally a joke. This is the difference in media between 2 strong front offices

Pete Carroll or Bellicheck: "no we don't do holdouts with 2 years left, our organization has no history of doing this and there will be no talks of a deal at this time, next question"

Stephen and Jerry answering same question: "zeke's out boy for life" "we already have the money allocated for him" "todd gurley is the starting point of the contract"


Love how those clowns a few months later go "uhhh why is he holding out" ? (him I wonder why he is ? :rolleyes::rolleyes:)
 

Loso86

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He's 100% right. You never side with the players because they are gone in the space of a season sometimes. The team, well, they are there for as long as the league is there. They don't have to risk there health for money. They can go to school and get an education and find a job. It's a personal choice to risk their health, in exchange for the money. I wonder, why is it we don't look at rough necks or salvage divers or hell, Roofers in the same way? This game is a shell of itself, in terms of how physical it is. I do't feel for these guys because they get paid well, the big time stars and the truth is, most of them would be playing Football if the job paid a 10th of what they are currently making now. Not because it's the only thing they can do but because it's what they want to do IMO.
Regardless of the field the point when getting paid and doing something you love you get the most you can. Regardless of the job. Why do we hound them because they make millions more than us?. If you have your own business or whatever your going to negotiate and get the most out of it
 

USArmyVet

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While there are of course outliers, a study was done in early 2014 that studied running back performance and decline based on total career touches. Their findings showed that:

"It’s apparent that a running back’s efficiency peaks in the season in which they reach 2,250 touches. From the season that a back reaches 2,500 touches and beyond, however, there is a sharp decline in efficiency..."


For reference sake regarding Ezekiel Elliott, he has to date amassed a total of 1,357 career touches (NFL only; in college he had a total of 650 career touches) and has 'averaged' 340 touches per year in his 4 year NFL career.

If stats hold true in terms of decline, if his per season touches average holds true, you should start to see a decline (barring injury) in just over 3 seasons or after the 2022 season.

As it relates to his contract, here is what is left:

2020 $10.9M cap hit $25.8M dead money

2021 $13.7M cap hit $14.9M dead money

2022 $16.5M cap hit $10.8M dead money

2023 $15M cap hit $6.7M dead money

2024 $12.6M cap hit $2.6M dead money

2025 $15.4M cap hit $0 dead money

2026 $16.6M cap hit $0 dead money


So to correlate the decline versus contract, Dallas seems to have negotiated the contract in line with the decline statistics as the earliest affordable release date would be after the 2022 season.
 

Kingofholland

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Probably slightly lower this year but still in the 12 to 15 range per year range. The Bell contract is still out there too.
 

ABQCOWBOY

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Regardless of the field the point when getting paid and doing something you love you get the most you can. Regardless of the job. Why do we hound them because they make millions more than us?. If you have your own business or whatever your going to negotiate and get the most out of it

Why do we complain and rail when they don't get paid a top contract? This is not about getting paid more then a fan. I don't believe that's what drives all of this. Cowboy fans are tired of losing. They are tired of settling for average play and they understand that this is a cap league. I don't think most fans really care at all, how much or how little any given player is making. They only care because it effects the overall quality of the team and that effects winning.

If I had my own business and I produced a product that was average, at best, over the past 20 years, I think that there would be a very good chance that I would be out of business. That's what the fans are being asked to support and I can't really blame them for not being willing to just support that.
 

aria

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I can't wait for @aria's response to this thread. He's our best Zeke hater. :popcorn:
First of all, he wasn’t smart, his agent was. Zeke is dumb as a box of rocks, people act like he made the decision himself, I hardly doubt that. Second of all, people act like he’s a great guy yet he held this team hostage during the pre season and by not practicing with his teammates clearly affected his play.

Zeke doesn’t care about winning, he quit in Denver and has jeopardized his team multiple times by his off the field actions. He’s an entitled cry baby, diva, punk bully who has landed in the best of circumstances since college. He’s used to getting what he wants and when he doesn’t he acts like a toddler or resorts to violence. I would LOVE to see him traded today to a team with an average to bottom 10-15 O line so he would be exposed for the chump he is.

No doubt he’s a good RB but no RB has had the line he’s had his entire pro career and no RB is worth a #4 overall pick and no RB is worth what Jerry paid him. He’s a mouth breathing moron, if his mouth was as big as his head maybe he wouldn’t have to tap out on crucial plays. Screw that loser, now people are giving him props for hurting his team and teammates? Cheering for the player over the team? Sickening.
 
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MarcusRock

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Notice how the anti-Zekes show up like bugs to an electric zapper, lol.

Of course Zeke was smart. As I was saying while it was going on, you strike while the iron is hot. The team relied on him heavily and he used what he could to protect himself knowing he was a crucial piece. Despite the grudge-holding, armchair GMs posting out of their "hopes," stating Zeke was getting bad advice, didn't really have leverage (lol), or that the team was going to make him sit, Zeke walked away with what he wanted, "out of turn" no less, lol. The only thing it cost him was the fickle admiration of fans. Who wouldn't make that trade, lol? Dak was the good guy back then, showing up to work while under contract. He has no contract now and is right where Zeke was in the eyes of fans because he hasn't accepted an offer right away. When you're disliked whether you do things "the wrong way" or "the right way," you ignore that noise and do things your way.
 

MarcusRock

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First of all, he wasn’t smart, his agent was. Zeke is dumb as a box of rocks, people act like he made the decision himself, I hardly doubt that.

I agree he didn't make the decision himself. But the best move was made by Zeke hiring that guy to represent him in the first place. I'm sure the agent was planting this plan in Zeke's mind after his great rookie season. Business strategy is his job. Zeke's job was to create the leverage. He did that and rode his agent's "bad advice" to the promised land.
 

aria

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I agree he didn't make the decision himself. But the best move was made by Zeke hiring that guy to represent him in the first place. I'm sure the agent was planting this plan in Zeke's mind after his great rookie season. Business strategy is his job. Zeke's job was to create the leverage. He did that and rode his agent's "bad advice" to the promised land.
Eh, I see what you’re saying but I won’t even give him that much credit. His mommy and daddy or maybe even Urban probably set him up with his agent.
 

aria

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So people saying he was smart for holding Jerry and the team hostage by getting as much as he did are essentially admitting that he was over paid and therefore not worth it.

“Am I wrong? Am I wrong?” -Walter Sobchak
 

TheMarathonContinues

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Belichick would have traded him and drafted his replacement, but what the heck does that guy know about building winning teams.
You know you guys constantly boost up what Bellicheat does but may be if BEllicheat didn't trade all of his talent he'd probably have more rings? Hell maybe if he actually drafted 1st rounders well he'd have more talent. Maybe....just maybe if he would've drafted better he wouldn't be without a starting quarterback this year.
 

Bobhaze

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I really don't get the hate this board has for Zeke. He was second last year among RBs in APY and averaged 4.5 yards a carry. He wasn't the problem.
I don’t have any hate for Zeke. He’s an excellent NFL back. What does bother me however is the big picture of what having Zeke means. They have one playoff win with him. Sure he has great stats, but the most important stat is wins, and I don’t think having a “bell cow” RB is the “must have” cornerstone of a championship roster like it once was. That’s not “hate”, just an observation.

The running game in the modern NFL is not designed to be what it once was. In today’s game it is primarily a set up piece for the passing game. Defenses are so much more athletic than they were in the 90s. Having a “dominant” running game is extremely difficult these days. All the more reason to not build your team around a high priced RB who isn’t the key to winning in the playoffs. You can win SBs with talented young RBs that don’t cost a fortune.
 

JoeKing

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First of all, he wasn’t smart, his agent was. Zeke is dumb as a box of rocks, people act like he made the decision himself, I hardly doubt that. Second of all, people act like he’s a great guy yet he held this team hostage during the pre season and by not practicing with his teammates clearly affected his play.

Zeke doesn’t care about winning, he quit in Denver and has jeopardized his team multiple times by his off the field actions. He’s an entitled cry baby, diva, punk bully who has landed in the best of circumstances since college. He’s used to getting what he wants and when he doesn’t he acts like a toddler or resorts to violence. I would LOVE to see him traded today to a team with an average to bottom 10-15 O line so he would be exposed for the chump he is.

No doubt he’s a good RB but no RB has had the line he’s had his entire pro career and no RB is worth a #4 overall pick and no RB is worth what Jerry paid him. He’s a mouth breathing moron, if his mouth was as big as his head maybe he wouldn’t have to tap out on crucial plays. Screw that loser, now people are giving him props for hurting his team and teammates? Cheering for the player over the team? Sickening.
There you go, saying what needs to be said. That OL that makes Zeke so good just got worse with Fredrick retiring. Now let's see Zeke be as great as some folks say he is.
 

aria

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Good guy though.
Thanks! People take it personal that I don’t like a player or what we paid him. I think the reasons for not liking him off the field are well justified but even if he were my favorite player on the team off the field I would still be very critical of the draft pick and salary.
 

MarcusRock

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So people saying he was smart for holding Jerry and the team hostage by getting as much as he did are essentially admitting that he was over paid and therefore not worth it.

“Am I wrong? Am I wrong?” -Walter Sobchak

I'll just speak for me but I think he was smart from a personal standpoint. He was being ridden by the offense and he wanted compensation before potentially being let go with little to nothing else from Dallas. As for overpaid or not worth it, this wasn't a 1-year deal. That determination of worth will be made once the decision point comes to retain or release him early from "the contract he signed," which is what we heard so much about while he was in Cabo, lol. Even then it'll be debatable about whether the deal was worth it vs. what else we can get in his place, etc. at that time.
 

aria

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There you go, saying what needs to be said. That OL that makes Zeke so good just got worse with Fredrick retiring. Now let's see Zeke be as great as some folks say he is.
I honestly think he’ll be fine without Frederick as long as he stays in shape, we didn’t have Fred in 2018 and he did well plus Fred wasn’t all that last year. For the team, I hope I’m right but I don’t think one guy on an O line that good will make that big of a difference and I loved Fred and everything he did for this team.
 

America's Cowboy

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Now Dak is doing the same. Pulling a Zeke. They are best friends...by the way.

Some fans say Zeke is the motor to this team (lol). Just watch what will happen if Dak holds out. Those same fans will learn very quickly who truly is the motor to this team.

:popcorn:
 
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