Video: Ezekiel Elliott Not The No. 1 Running Back Yet | First Take | June 27, 2017

[Deep_Freeze]

Zeke, Bell, Johnson....all great.
Glad we have Zeke

Interesting to see him compared to guys 4 years older than him.

Age might make a difference.

 

[xwalker]

I still think Johnson is the most complete back in the league and due to his versatility, he could fit into any system. Just a rare back

Johnson

293 carries, 1,239 yards, 4.2 average, 16 TDs
80 receptions 879 yards, 11.0 average, 4 TDs

I think Zeke may go on to become a better pure runner, not sure Zeke will be as good a receiver though.

Zeke is as good as it gets in terms of blocking. His demonstrated blocking ability as a rookie was rare.

 

[Hardline]

It's just like the Emmett Smith-Barry Sanders debate.

Sanders was the best runner
Smith was the best running back.

 

[robjay04]

I'm trying to find the percentage of times he was lined up in the slot and such - most of what I've seen is of him running normal RB routes, screens and such and gaining big yards that way.

Johnson lines up in the slot and even outside at times - I think it makes his receiving far more impressive, especially in terms of route running.

I don't deny it.

I'm just saying Zeke has that ability. As the season went on, we saw him move around more but I don't believe he got a ton of targets. Regardless---he has that ability, remember he was just a rookie that missed most of training camp

 

[mattjames2010]

I don't deny it.

I'm just saying Zeke has that ability. As the season went on, we saw him move around more but I don't believe he got a ton of targets. Regardless---he has that ability, remember he was just a rookie that missed most of training camp

Until I see Zeke being able to do it in the NFL, it's a wait and see. As of now, Johnson and Bell are doing it all (With Johnson running more routes on the inside and out)

 

[robjay04]

Until I see Zeke being able to do it in the NFL, it's a wait and see. As of now, Johnson and Bell are doing it all (With Johnson running more routes on the inside and out)

It doesn't matter to me if Zeke gets 2 catches or 8 catches a game if we win. Just because he gets less catches than a running back in a different system doesn't mean anything.

Just because a player gets more targets doesn't mean they're the better player...or receiver. As I stated, Dallas doesn't pass the ball much and they have a lot of players competing in the intermediate passing game. If Cole Beasley was the the slot receiver for the Cardinals...would Johnson have as many catches? If Carson Palmer threw the ball 140 times less a season..would Johnson have as many catches? I believe Zeke is more valuable to his team...I don't believe we win more than 8 games without him last season.

Regardless....Johnson wasn't in this conversation after his rookie season. That speaks to how valuable Zeke is. He can do everything on the field...with Dunbar off the team, you will see that soon.

 

[StylisticS]

He's already a better pure runner and his receiving ability will go as far as Dallas lets him. He was a great receiver in college and he was fine last season...we are just a run first team with a lot of mouths to feed at receiver.

Johnson played on a team playing from behind quite a bit with a QB that was struggling most the year. I'm not taking anything away from him but that can inflate receiving numbers for a running back quite a bit.

Bell on the other hand...he is on another level as far as being a receiver. He is a better pure runner as well at this point. Zeke has only been playing for one season but I believe Zeke is a more durable back though.

Bell is the more patient back but Zeke has more speed. You get him in the open field, he is hard to catch. I think they are a tie as runners though I give the slight edge to Zeke. Pass catching though, yes, Bell is much better right now.

 

[wrongway]

At least Irvin doesn't hide the fact that he's a home!

 

[ActualCowboysFan]

I think Zeke will kind of blow up in terms of receiving stats this year. Demarco had 57 catches in 14.

 

[tyke1doe]

I should have skipped it given it is ESPN pushing a dramatic angle.

That a former NFL coach would ignore blocking is unfathomable. He's playing a character, I'm sure.

He didn't ignore blocking. He just thinks D.J. is a good blocker too.

 

[tyke1doe]

Herm seems to have an issue with Zeke. Is he still butt hurt about what Drew Pearson said on draft night about his beloved Eagles?

Stop.
He doesn't have an issue with Zeke. He just is going with the guys who have done it longer.

 

[Floatyworm]

I would set the bar @ 80%...that he is the number one pick in most Fantasy Football drafts this year. And I'd bet the over on that..

 

[tyke1doe]

It doesn't matter to me if Zeke gets 2 catches or 8 catches a game if we win. Just because he gets less catches than a running back in a different system doesn't mean anything.

Just because a player gets more targets doesn't mean they're the better player...or receiver. As I stated, Dallas doesn't pass the ball much and they have a lot of players competing in the intermediate passing game. If Cole Beasley was the the slot receiver for the Cardinals...would Johnson have as many catches? If Carson Palmer threw the ball 140 times less a season..would Johnson have as many catches? I believe Zeke is more valuable to his team...I don't believe we win more than 8 games without him last season.

Regardless....Johnson wasn't in this conversation after his rookie season. That speaks to how valuable Zeke is. He can do everything on the field...with Dunbar off the team, you will see that soon.

Maybe the Cardinals throw the ball more to Johnson because he's a better receiver?

I think we're being too picky here. If the Cardinals threw less to D.J. We wouldn't k is he was that good catching the ball. The fact they do factors into him being perceived as more versatile. In short, he's making do and doing well with what he's asked to do.

 

[perrykemp]

Zeke is clearly #1 heading into the 2017 season.

The guy I expect to be the #2 RB, just as he was last year, is Jordan Howard. He had an absolutely tremendous season for Chicago, especially considered he was a 5th round pick.

 

[mattjames2010]

It doesn't matter to me if Zeke gets 2 catches or 8 catches a game if we win. Just because he gets less catches than a running back in a different system doesn't mean anything.

Just because a player gets more targets doesn't mean they're the better player...or receiver. As I stated, Dallas doesn't pass the ball much and they have a lot of players competing in the intermediate passing game. If Cole Beasley was the the slot receiver for the Cardinals...would Johnson have as many catches? If Carson Palmer threw the ball 140 times less a season..would Johnson have as many catches? I believe Zeke is more valuable to his team...I don't believe we win more than 8 games without him last season.

Regardless....Johnson wasn't in this conversation after his rookie season. That speaks to how valuable Zeke is. He can do everything on the field...with Dunbar off the team, you will see that soon.

I don't think you're understanding what I'm saying

The amount he is thrown to doesn't matter, it's the kind of catches he is making. An RB out wide is far different than a planned screen pass or a simple dump off - obviously, that is still effective when done right, but being able to take out a WR and put your RB on the outside or inside the slot, it changes up a playbook and makes mismatches. I'll show you a clip here



Got to 3:07 - I don't think Zeke will ever be this RB, even outside of our scheme. This is just one of the plays he has, there are a lot of him in the slot. It's just a entirely different level for an RB, what Zeke is doing is a typical RB role.

Also "It doesn't matter if we win" - Well, we're not discussing team here. We are discussing players, a lot more factors into a win than just a single player.

 

[robjay04]

Got to 3:07 - I don't think Zeke will ever be this RB, even outside of our scheme. This is just one of the plays he has, there are a lot of him in the slot. It's just a entirely different level for an RB, what Zeke is doing is a typical RB role.
.[/QUOTE]

How polished of a receiver was Johnson as a rookie?

Stating Zeke doesn't have that ability is really selling him short. One of the main comparasion he received out of college was LaDamian Tomlinson...you even seen a lot of comparasions to Marshall Faulk...those are backs that revolutionized the game for receiving running backs.

I fully expect Zeke to take it to another level this season as a receiver with a full training camp and a Dunbarless team. Let's both hope you're wrong.

 

[mattjames2010]

While Johnson was splitting time, he ended up with 36 receptions, 457 yards, 4 TDs, and a 12.7 average

And I truly don't think he has that ability - I think he's going to be a great screen guy and dump off - but to be playing down the field? I just don't see it. Did he even play outside or from the slot all that much in college? This stuff isn't learned overnight or even in a single offseason. If it was, you'd be seeing a lot more RBs used this way.

Like I said, those dump offs and screens work for our offense - but being able to take an RB and place them all over the field and have them be just as effective is just on a whole other level.

 

[plasticman]

Is this some kind of sick joke?

Zeke averaged 5.1 yards a carry, Johnson averaged 4.2. So you are better if you average almost a full yard less per carry?

I looked for Johnson's 83 yard TD reception but that seems to be missing.

They have the same average yards per reception. So, because their quarterback had to check off to his RB every other passing play that means that Johnson is a better receiver? Catching 67% of the passes thrown your way is now better then catching 82% of them?

I'm confused.

 

[risco]

Without listening to all of this, I think the operative word is "yet".

People will just point to his line as a reason to discredit Elliott just like they did with Emmitt back in the 1990's. It can't be helped.

And to me- that's stupid of them to do so. Every team has a set of professional linemen, enough said.

 

[PJTHEDOORS]

It's just like the Emmett Smith-Barry Sanders debate.

Sanders was the best runner
Smith was the best running back.

Ask Herm Edwards if Emmitt benefited running behind a great OL as Zeke. So Emmitt should have been lower on the rb scale as Zeke in his mind.