Should Cowboys run Zeke like they did Murray in 2014?

stilltheguru said:

Yall say stuff like this then ask for autographs. Lmao sad/amazing i must say.

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Swanny said:

I get you're point but I'm not one who asks for autographs. The Cowboys as a whole are more important than 1 guy. Use a player then dump him. This is a business. Better to get rid of a guy 1 or 2 years early than to be stuck with a contract like Gurleys.

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DakPresgoat said:

The easy answer for me is NO.

Actually, the cowboys should sign Ezekiel Elliott to a new deal either this off-season or next.

Going off the idea that a new contract would in all likelihood be a 5 year deal. If you sign him to a new deal this off-season. It makes Zeke the age of 28 during the last year of his deal. Which means he would be locked up to the last year you can reasonably expect elite level production from him.

Around the age of 29 is when the decline for a lot of top level RB’s has started.

Even in recent history, you can see it with a lot of the better RB’s. Lessen McCoy, Adrian Peterson, Marshawn Lynch, Matt Forte, Edgerrin James, ladanian Tomlinson, etc.

Sign Zeke now. Get 5 more years of top level production out of him. Then when he is about to hit the wall, he is off the books.

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PA Cowboy Fan said:

I agree. I hate it when I hear people say run him into the ground. He's replaceable. This team is supposed to be on a SB run. You can't do that if you keep changing your major players. If the Cowboys don't win anything in 5 years chances are they won't with this bunch.

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PA Cowboy Fan said:

And then people wonder why players hold out for big money. lol

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Doc50 said:

Agreed, and I like the fact that the emphasis has evolved a bit toward paying for blue chip OL.

Zeke is highly talented, but would seek the highest contract (IMO), based on that ego.

So, get what you can, and let him walk.

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gimmesix said:

There are several analysis out there that show that drafting an elite running back is not a sure-bet process.

This one https://www.milehighreport.com/2017/3/23/15025634/success-rates-of-drafting-a-running-back-nfl-draft looked at running backs drafted in the first two rounds for 10 years through 2016 and concluded that at best 11 of 47 running backs (23 percent) taken at best could be considered elite.

While you can find a starting running back anywhere in the draft that doesn't mean that most of the ones teams draft aren't going to turn out to be duds. It's very possible that we could go a while looking for Elliott's replacement even if we draft a first-round running back. That doesn't mean that we shouldn't draft any, because again you can stumble across a great one even in the later rounds. It only means that the idea that you can cast aside a stud RB and easily replace him is fallacious.

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DakPresgoat said:

The easy answer for me is NO.

Actually, the cowboys should sign Ezekiel Elliott to a new deal either this off-season or next.

Going off the idea that a new contract would in all likelihood be a 5 year deal. If you sign him to a new deal this off-season. It makes Zeke the age of 28 during the last year of his deal. Which means he would be locked up to the last year you can reasonably expect elite level production from him.

Around the age of 29 is when the decline for a lot of top level RB’s has started.

Even in recent history, you can see it with a lot of the better RB’s. Lessen McCoy, Adrian Peterson, Marshawn Lynch, Matt Forte, Edgerrin James, ladanian Tomlinson, etc.

Sign Zeke now. Get 5 more years of top level production out of him. Then when he is about to hit the wall, he is off the books.

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stasheroo said:

I'd ride his contract out at this point. As the #4 overall pick in his draft, he's already been well compensated from day one. And the fifth-year option isn't cheap either.

The fact is that this team and running game has been built via the offensive line, not any single running back.

That's why Murray led the league and set franchise rushing records, and was allowed to leave.

It's why a bust in Darren McFadden revitalized his career and was the #4 rusher the lone year he started here (after the Randle debacle).

And it's why Elliott has led the league in rushing every full season he's played.

The running game is bigger than any single running back.

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Bobhaze said:

Should the Cowboys top brass consider running Zeke Elliott like they did DeMarco Murray in 2014- Murray’s last great year as a Cowboy?

Murray led the NFL in rushing in 2014 with a league leading 1,845 yards and had a whopping 449 total touches for the year, which also led the league. Murray had that great 2014 season at the age of 26...and he was never the same after it. 2014 was Murray’s “contract year”, and the Cowboys famously decided eventually that he would not be worth paying market value long term, so Murray left after 5 very productive seasons

The Cowboys have an interesting crossroads coming with Ezekiel Elliott after the 2020 season. Sign him to a bigger long term deal, franchise tag him (which didn’t work out well with Pitts when they tagged LeVeon Bell) or just let him walk to some other team.

I know many here will disagree with me but I’m in favor of the letting him walk option. And here are my reasons in no particular order of importance:

• His off field behavior placed this team’s ability to count on his services in jeopardy in 2017 and maybe again this coming season. That suspension in 2017 cost this team dearly. (The most important ability a player must have is availability to play) If Zeke doesn’t grow up and stop acting like a spoiled frat brat, he’s not worth making a centerpiece to your team.

• Although Zeke is very talented, a RBs talent fades faster than almost any other position player. Most really good RBs begin to show decline sometime after 5-8 seasons. It’s why most NFL teams don’t make the RB position worth a long term investment.

• If a RB has a season like DeMarco Murray, where they have over 400 touches in a season, a drop off in production usually happens the following season. The 400+ touch season is historically a killer for the long term effectiveness of NFL RBs.

• Remember Larry Johnson, Jamal Anderson, Terrell Davis, James Wilder, Eddie George? They all led the league in rushing with over 400 carries. And within a year or two fell off the performance cliff.

So let’s use Zeke over and over the next two years. Pile on the touches. Maximize his use. Ride him to a Super Bowl? Because at the end of his 5 years here, he may not be worth keeping around much longer anyway.

Of course, I could be wrong. Maybe he’s worth making a big cap commitment after 5 seasons. Maybe Zeke is an outlier. If he’s used like we did DeMarco Murray, NFL history says otherwise. (Is Todd Gurley going to be another example of the need to not make a big RB commitment?)

I respect dissenting opinions. Should we keep Zeke long term? Or should we let these next 2 years be his swan song?

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Bobhaze said:

I understand what you’re saying, and although I disagree, you’ve made a decent argument here. But here’s the problem as I see it- I can’t see Zeke taking a long term deal without being paid a market setting price that’s beyond Gurley money. I might consider a deal that signed him for 5 years but only guaranteed 3 years.

Until Zeke proves he can act like a grown man and not some high school sophomore with a big allowance, I’m not sure he’s a reliable candidate for a 5 year cap strapping deal.

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xwalker said:

Murray was a free agent after that season.

Zeke is NOT a free agent after this season.

What possible reason would there be to not Franchise Tag him after 2020?

DLaw's agent said La'veon Bell was the big loser in that ordeal and that he would never do that with his clients. Bell lost money that he is unlikely to ever recover.

It's cheaper to Franchise a RB than many other positions like DE, QB, etc..

At worst case they could Franchise Zeke then trade him.

The options are:

Get nothing "let him walk".
Franchise and trade.
Keep on the Franchise Tag.
​

Brilliant...Let's opt to get nothing.

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Swanny said:

I get you're point but I'm not one who asks for autographs. The Cowboys as a whole are more important than 1 guy. Use a player then dump him. This is a business. Better to get rid of a guy 1 or 2 years early than to be stuck with a contract like Gurleys.

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InTheZone said:

Murray was dealing with more injuries every year. He was at the age where he most likely wouldn't be playing at a high level for long and you could see a noticeable drop throughout the season. Zeke has not shown the same signs and hopefully he lasts. He seems a bit more durable than Murray at this point.

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Johnny23 said:

Although I tend to agree you can get a productive guy. Neal Anderson was taken in the 1986 draft to replace Sweetness and went to 4 consecutive pro bowls once Walter retired. He obviously wasn't Walter but he did good for himself. Rodney Hampton was solid for the Giants after OJ Anderson retired and was in the Emmitt,the two Barry's(Sanders and Foster), and Thurman Thomas discussion for a while. The Colts and Rams moved on from Marshall Flauk and drafted Edgerrin James and Steven Jackson respectively. It is not a sure thing but it's not out of the realm of possibility.

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