How many carries will Zeke get a game?

[sacase]

Zeke's going to average 20+ carries a game. He's clearly RB1. Rico might get up to 10, but that's it.

I am also convinced that the team was going to bring him back last year, but he signed with the Patriots before the season started. I think they wanted to bring him back after week 1.

 

[EPL0c0]

Zeke has 4 100+yd games in the last FOUR seasons combined. He's not the Zeke of 2016-2018

His pass protection skills though, make him an easy choice as a 3rd down/short yardage back

I'd expect a max of 5-10 carries per game.

 

[sacase]

There does not need to be any pitch count for Zeke or any other back. If it's a true RBBC then it's simple. You ride the hot hand. Whoever is ballin' gets the totes. Period. Watching Zeke in New England get yards behind the worst line in football with a rotation of steamin piles at QB made me sure the year of not having to shoulder the load allowed his body to heal up. The dude scored a TD by literally leaping over a would be tackler and hitting the ground without breaking stride in that Pittsburgh game and that was pretty late in the year. Zeke's body is never going to hold up for 20+ touches. At least not more than 2-3 times a year. But he absolutely will have a few games this year which will remind us why he was picked so high. One thing's for sure.. our failure rate in the red zone just went down significantly.

This is Key. Zeke had 12 TDs for us in his last year and that was splitting carries with Pollard. Pollard had what 6 all season last year as RB1?

 

[EPL0c0]

Zeke should be in, at most, short yardage and maybe some passing downs. That's it.

The guy doesn't have the speed to do anything else now. He was never the most agile player and he lacks second gear. What you hope to get from him is running between the tackles and pushing some bodies. He's an average RB at this point with very very limited skill set.

IMO, signing Zeke is about pass protection.

It's delusional to think he could be the RB of 2016-2019.

BUT, he can help keep Dak's uniform clean. And with the youth at OL, he will be needed for that job.

 

[gimmesix]

It is what it is, this post is about how you feel they'll divide up the carries. What's your numbers for Zeke 10 or less touches? Will automatically designate him as RB1 not giving anyone a chance to really take his carries.

How should we use him

30. We're going to run him into the ground since he's on a one-year deal. Burn him up and put him back on the shelf.

I think he absolutely will be RB1. We trust him in that position even if he can't get as many yards as he once could. There's no other back on this roster that I feel the front office will trust to be the lead back.

 

[mattjames2010]

IMO, signing Zeke is about pass protection.

It's delusional to think he could be the RB of 2016-2019.

BUT, he can help keep Dak's uniform clean. And with the youth at OL, he will be needed for that job.

Zeke was steadily becoming worse in pass protection too. So much so Pollard was ranked in the top 3 league wide in pass protection in 2022 and Zeke wasn't in the top 10.

Zeke is pretty much an all around average player now. What's keeping him in the league is name recognition and the fact he can still push piles. That's about what you get from him.

 

[mattjames2010]

30. We're going to run him into the ground since he's on a one-year deal. Burn him up and put him back on the shelf.

I think he absolutely will be RB1. We trust him in that position even if he can't get as many yards as he once could. There's no other back on this roster that I feel the front office will trust to be the lead back.

He can't be that. You run players into the ground when they still have stuff left in the tank. Zeke can't hit the outside anymore. You want Zeke in on those running plays? Those are almost guaranteed loss of yards.

I expect the front office to watch for cuts or even trade blocks.

 

[NumOneQB]

He’s the #1 guy. 15-20.

 

[Jarv]

How did Zeke lose his burst with no major injuries?

 

[Mr_437]

12-15 per game. Jerry is going to make him RB1.

 

[mattjames2010]

How did Zeke lose his burst with no major injuries?

Heavy work load from 2014 to 2018. In college he rushed nearly 300 times the two seasons he started there and then 2016 and 2018 he ran the ball 300+ times and was on pace to have even higher work load in 2017 if it wasn't for the suspension. He was also in on a lot of passing downs. He also bulked up after his rookie season which I just think was a mistake. His burst was already fading in 2018.

 

[Jarv]

Heavy work load from 2014 to 2018. In college he rushed nearly 300 times the two seasons he started there and then 2016 and 2018 he ran the ball 300+ times and was on pace to have even higher work load in 2017 if it wasn't for the suspension. He was also in on a lot of passing downs. He also bulked up after his rookie season which I just think was a mistake. His burst was already fading in 2018.

Yeah I agree about the bulk up. It just seems to me if Zeke wanted to he could work with trainers to shed some lbs, work on his burst and get a little of his speed back?

 

[mattjames2010]

Yeah I agree about the bulk up. It just seems to me if Zeke wanted to he could work with trainers to shed some lbs, work on his burst and get a little of his speed back?

Not sure he could even get that burst back. He's been carrying that weight for a while and at this point keeping that weight on might be for the best because he'll be an in between the tackles guy anyways.

 

[jaybird]

It is what it is, this post is about how you feel they'll divide up the carries. What's your numbers for Zeke 10 or less touches? Will automatically designate him as RB1 not giving anyone a chance to really take his carries.

How should we use him

over/under at 12

 

[stinkface]

It's not Carrie's, its snaps. If we add no other running backs he will get 15 to 20 snaps per game. Maybe 11 Carrie's. Rest in pass protection.

 

[Kwyn]

Less than 12. He’ll get a couple of series here and there and maybe some short yardage.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

8 to 10.

wow. that's a lot for a FB. we need a RB. he can be like Johntson and catch from the backfield and be a good blocker.

 

[Chasing6]

wow. that's a lot for a FB. we need a RB. he can be like Johntson and catch from the backfield and be a good blocker.

RB by committee is something Cowboys fans will need to get used to.

 

[jwitten82]

The NERVE of Zeke and Jerry wanting him to retire a Cowboy!

Why does he need to retire a Cowboy? He had 3 good seasons here. The rest were pretty average. Yall make it seem as if he had an Adrian Peterson or LT type career here. Clinton Portis was a better back than Zeke

 

[Chasing6]

Why does he need to retire a Cowboy? He had 3 good seasons here. The rest were pretty average. Yall make it seem as if he had an Adrian Peterson or LT type career here. Clinton Portis was a better back than Zeke

They mismanaged Zeke and ran him into the ground.