News: Deciding what to do with Zeke. a fair assessment

[buybuydandavis]

Saw this assessment. Thought it well thought out and discusses minus the overblown contract rhetoric.

https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/202...t-decide-what-to-do-with-zeke-ezekiel-elliott

"We will almost certainly see a restructuring or extension of his contract, which will net almost $7 million in needed cap space."
i.e.
"Zeke is ineffective. My plan is to keep playing him longer."

Whatever money is guaranteed to Zeke is sunk cost. We can't avoid the 2021 salary. We can avoid the 2022 salary if we let him go *this* March.

We have a question: Is it worth guaranteeing Zeke his 2022 salary, 12.4mil, to get him in 2021 and 2022?

I say no. Even 6.2mil per year over two years is more than he's worth. Move on.

 

[baltcowboy]

Zeke still has utility and can be productive with improved blocking. That said, his role on this team needs to be reimagined. He needs to be splitting carries in a more significant way with Pollard and involved less in the passing game. He's still a productive short yardage and goal line player.

You want the highest paid running back in the league to be a productive short yardage and goal line back? LOL. Only in the Cowboys Zone you have someone ripping Jaylon but then kissing Zeke’s behind.

 

[baltcowboy]

Zeke is still a good back....

Just not in the way of his rookie year, think more Ingram on the Ravens now

his speedy days are gone for whatever reason

Ingram has been inactive for the last 5 games for the Ravens. He will be cut during the offseason. Maybe the Cowboys should pick him up.

 

[RonnieT24]

If the Cowboys want to get anywhere near their money's worth out of Zeke they have to do three pretty simple things.

1) Quit running him out of shotgun 40% of the time.. I am too lazy to look up the numbers but my recollection is that the other bellcow backs like Henry and Cook et al ran out of shotgun something like half as often we did with Zeke. It makes no sense to take your downhill runner and try to turn him into some scatback. Let the 230 pound battering ram hit the line with a head of steam and watch the results get orders of magnitude better.

2) Stick with him .. When the scores are out of hand is one thing but this team stopped running the ball way too quickly in most games over the past two seasons regardless of the score. Even football neophytes know you have to keep the running game in play even if it's only having modest success because it helps the passing game and has the added benefit of saving your defense, which you may have noticed stinks, from having to play many snaps.

3) Run him somewhere other than up the middle.. There is not a corner in the league who wants to tackle Zeke.. scheme up looks to get him to the outside 5-6 times a game and I guarantee you at least one 20 yard run from it. Of course that means the receivers and tight ends need to get better at sealing off the inside pursuit so that there aren't always two linebackers, a DE and a safety hanging out waiting for Zeke when he takes the pitch.

I could add a 4th -- get the o-line and the QB healthy but I assume that goes without saying.

The teams that do actually get value and production out of their top backs design their offense to take advantage of their strengths.. The Cowboys have not done that since Kellen Moore became the OC. Since that event the offense has reverted to what it was for most of Romo's career.. 65% pass 35% run. It's fine if you want to play that way but if you do then you're not going to get return on the investment you have made in your running back.. and frankly.. that's not his fault. If you're going to continue to play this Kellen Moore style of offense then your best move is to find a trade partner for Zeke because you're wasting money as well as his career..

 

[Sydla]

You guys crack me up

Zeke is still the same and Uber talented. He just lacks the focus and drive at this time

he needs a coach that can bring it out of him

He is not the same TB he was earlier in his career. He's not nearly as explosive. He's still a good TB but we are wasting cap resources paying him what we are paying him. Unfortunately we are stuck with him for a couple more years because of that.

And blaming his lack of drive and focus on not having better leaders on the team is bizarre. The responsibility to be focused and and driven to be your best resides with the player way, way, way more than anyone else. But blaming lack of leaders fits in with other excuses people make for him.

 

[Sydla]

This crap is ridiculous, Zeke is still the best RB in the league. If you have an OL that is inadequate then you get less from the running game, but Zeke still almost gave us a 1000 yard season. when you have even a great line and it cannot win the line of scrimmage you get the results that henry gave you in the titans loss to the ravens.
Let the Zeke crap go, he is still a number one RB, legit

The best RB in the league?

 

[aria]

If the Cowboys want to get anywhere near their money's worth out of Zeke they have to do three pretty simple things.

1) Quit running him out of shotgun 40% of the time.. I am too lazy to look up the numbers but my recollection is that the other bellcow backs like Henry and Cook et al ran out of shotgun something like half as often we did with Zeke. It makes no sense to take your downhill runner and try to turn him into some scatback. Let the 230 pound battering hit the line with a head of steam and watch the results get orders of magnitude better.

2) Stick with him .. When the scores are out of hand is one thing but this team stopped running the ball way too quickly in most games over the past two seasons regardless of the score. Even football neophytes know you have to keep the running game in play even if it's only having modest success because it helps the passing game and has the added benefit of saving your defense, which you may have noticed stinks, from having to play many snaps.

3) Run him somewhere other than up the middle.. There is not a corner in the league who wants to tackle Zeke.. scheme up looks to get him to the outside 5-6 times a game and I guarantee you at least one 20 yard run from it. Of course that means the receivers and tight ends need to get better at sealing off the inside pursuit so that there aren't always two linebackers, a DE and a safety hanging out waiting for Zeke when he takes the pitch.

I could add a 4th -- get the o-line and the QB healthy but I assume that goes without saying.

The teams that do actually get value and production out of their top backs design their offense to take advantage of their strengths.. The Cowboys have not done that since Kellen Moore became the OC. Since that event the offense has reverted to what it was for most of Romo's career.. 65% pass 35% run. It's fine if you want to play that way but if you do then you're not going to get return on the investment you have made in your running back.. and frankly.. that's not his fault. If you're going to continue to play this Kellen Moore style of offense then your best move is to find a trade partner for Zeke because you're wasting money as well as his career..

Lol, stick with him? The guy couldn’t even handle a reduced workload, was constantly sucking wind and was taking himself out of games but you want to get him more involved?


Run him somewhere other then up the middle? See above, he’ll be tapping out after every play plus he doesn’t have the speed to make the edges and turn up field.

Last but not least, blame it on everyone but zeke. I’ve never seen such a mediocre player so untouchable by fans just because he had a few good seasons.

 

[RonnieT24]

Lol, stick with him? The guy couldn’t even handle a reduced workload, was constantly sucking wind and was taking himself out of games but you want to get him more involved?


Run him somewhere other then up the middle? See above, he’ll be tapping out after every play plus he doesn’t have the speed to make the edges and turn up field.

Last but not least, blame it on everyone but zeke. I’ve never seen such a mediocre player so untouchable by fans just because he had a few good seasons.

At the risk of inducing another brain dead "discussion" with you how does openly advocating trading a guy if the team doesn't plan to use him add up to a player being "untouchable?"

 

[Thomas82]

I think you are right.

he was injured but it was not discussed in the media.

We were spoiled with Zeke's explosion into the league and his health and a top OL to open his holes.

Dak being healthy and being able to control TOP helped alot too.

We no longer have any of that.

So Zeke is the reason now?

Low hanging fruit to me.

I would add Moore playcalling has contributed alot to Zeke regressing. Moore constantly just calls Zeke on 1ast down like its 2016 and the defense stuffs us and its then long yardage...thus eliminating Zeke being effective for the rest of the series.

There is so much to unpack from so many parties as to why its a struggle.

I do know Zeke has been a warrior and still almost had 1,000 on a very bad offense lead by a bad coaching staff.

The fumbles have been a disaster. That is on him and he has to protect the ball with 2 hands. This is basic football.

I will work with Zeke and fix the other problems.

Very well said!!

 

[aria]

At the risk of inducing another brain dead "discussion" with you how does openly advocating trading a guy if the team doesn't plan to use him add up to a player being "untouchable?"

Because you literally have an excuse for everything zeke can’t or doesn’t do.

Today it’s many of the same but you’re now blaming it on the OC. Can zeke ever just not be as good as you think he is, which is supported by stats, and you not make excuses for him?

 

[Omegasupreme]

The best RB in the league?

He could be. Yes the fumbles. But if you look at a control/variable analysis, Pollard et al were just as variable with Dallas’s run plays. As Steve Young pointed out, the run play design has to be intricate; running smart. Zeke or any other RBs need smart run plays. Zeke blocks, catches and run fine. Just needs smart plays.

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

You want the highest paid running back in the league to be a productive short yardage and goal line back? LOL. Only in the Cowboys Zone you have someone ripping Jaylon but then kissing Zeke’s behind.

You’re sincerely dumb.

 

[baltcowboy]

You’re sincerely dumb.

Your the idiot that keeps kissing Zeke’s booty.

 

[baltcowboy]

Because you literally have an excuse for everything zeke can’t or doesn’t do.

Today it’s many of the same but you’re now blaming it on the OC. Can zeke ever just not be as good as you think he is, which is supported by stats, and you not make excuses for him?

This Zeke defenders are comical. He is slow, out of shape, turnover prone but they continue to come up with excuses for him. By every metric he is not worth his contract. We needed him to step up when Dak was hurt and he shrunk. The one game he sat out the offense did not miss a beat.

 

[Shadowfax]

You guys crack me up

Zeke is still the same and Uber talented. He just lacks the focus and drive at this time

he needs a coach that can bring it out of him

And one thar will tell him he needs to be playing at 215 lbs.

 

[visionary]

How am I not? Because one position is worth paying for and the other isn’t? Because one position is much more expendable than the other? Because one position typically has a much longer career than the other?

Yes QB is a much more important position but when they paid Zeke he was the second best RB after Gurley while Dak is asking to elite money when he is nowhere near an elite QB

the surest way to stay mediocre is to overpay average players and the surest is to pay an average QB elite money. Just look at Philly and Rams as examples

 

[Sydla]

He could be. Yes the fumbles. But if you look at a control/variable analysis, Pollard et al were just as variable with Dallas’s run plays. As Steve Young pointed out, the run play design has to be intricate; running smart. Zeke or any other RBs need smart run plays. Zeke blocks, catches and run fine. Just needs smart plays.

He doesn't have the skill set a guy like Kamara or McCaffery have.

 

[Sydla]

Your the idiot that keeps kissing Zeke’s booty.

I don't think CalPoly is kissing his booty. In fact, he's doing the opposite. He's saying Elliott is a flawed back that is only good at a few things now so use him in those situations.

 

[Sydla]

Yes QB is a much more important position but when they paid Zeke he was the second best RB after Gurley while Dak is asking to elite money when he is nowhere near an elite QB

the surest way to stay mediocre is to overpay average players and the surest is to pay an average QB elite money. Just look at Philly and Rams as examples

Also overpay for positions like we did with Elliott. Part of the Rams problem was they also gave Gurley a dumb contract. They had a nearly $12MM dead money donut on their cap this year (Over the Cap) from Gurley.

 

[Redball Express]

"We will almost certainly see a restructuring or extension of his contract, which will net almost $7 million in needed cap space."
i.e.
"Zeke is ineffective. My plan is to keep playing him longer."

Whatever money is guaranteed to Zeke is sunk cost. We can't avoid the 2021 salary. We can avoid the 2022 salary if we let him go *this* March.

We have a question: Is it worth guaranteeing Zeke his 2022 salary, 12.4mil, to get him in 2021 and 2022?

I say no. Even 6.2mil per year over two years is more than he's worth. Move on.

I understand where you might want to cut bait and move on.

This league changes so quickly.

We were slow to migrate out of a RB oriented ball control attack but I think Zeke can still be effective with rushing the ball.

You are not going to find a quality back in the bargain bin.

This dilemma has occurred because Jerrah loves him and what he did with Dak from 2016-2018.

Jerrah is too sentimental. He did it with Romo and Dez and now at least a half dozen others whom he thought by paying them a lionshare of the cap..

ensured them emerging as the core of his team going forward.

Jerrah is lost in the past as we all know. Being creative and investing in coaching is the key anymore.

It's drained our success over the years as we have all seen.

We overpaid back in the 90s for our Stars like Deon and Aikman and Emmitt lost talent as FA took hold.

We still cling to these formulas if you ask me.

But not dumping Zeke for now will continue for the foreseeable future.

Just what I see.