Is Trading Zeke on the Table?

[CouchCoach]

You'd have to start with what would teams trade for him and which teams would be interested? Is this a MIN situation with a team that thinks they're a RB away from the championship?

You cannot divorce the off the field behavior as that is part of the package. However, his durability should be factored as well.

And the fact he wants to be right at the top in pay is going to limit the trade partners as well. Any team would have to gauge the back they have now and his salary with the difference in Elliott.

But you can put all of this to rest, Booger's not trading any of his triplets.

 

[ItzKelz]

I think we will extend him and trade him before he is used up. If we give him 15 a year then in a few years it won’t be highest paid.

But at that point would want to pay an RB nearing the end of his prime 15 mil?

 

[ItzKelz]

You'd have to start with what would teams trade for him and which teams would be interested? Is this a MIN situation with a team that thinks they're a RB away from the championship?

You cannot divorce the off the field behavior as that is part of the package. However, his durability should be factored as well.

And the fact he wants to be right at the top in pay is going to limit the trade partners as well. Any team would have to gauge the back they have now and his salary with the difference in Elliott.

But you can put all of this to rest, Booger's not trading any of his triplets.

Of the Triplets Zeke surely is the first to lose something. I would think. RB's like Emmitt do not exist anymore.

 

[cern]

perception and need. hawks saw Russell Wilson as being invaluable. raiders pass on mack, but not the bears. rams happy to sign Donald to be highest paid. zeke is invaluable to our offense. just don't see him being traded unless offer is off the charts.

 

[CouchCoach]

Of the Triplets Zeke surely is the first to lose something. I would think. RB's like Emmitt do not exist anymore.

Agree, they're running styles are different.

If it's true that he told Irvin it was his goal to break the rushing yardage record, he sure ran like it. I do not consider Emmitt the best ever but he was the best ever at getting all he could and then avoiding getting blown up.

Elliott's running style of contact and that hurdling would have me as not interested, if I was a coach. He is headed for an injury and it might be to his head and one too many is game over.

 

[Stash]

perception and need. hawks saw Russell Wilson as being invaluable. raiders pass on mack, but not the bears. rams happy to sign Donald to be highest paid. zeke is invaluable to our offense. just don't see him being traded unless offer is off the charts.

And could you honestly see any team making an "off the charts" offer?

I sure can't.

The day of the Herschel Walker trade is long past.

Running back is now a chew you up and spit you out meat grinder of a position. And that's why there are contract fights and holdouts happening all over the place (Bell, Gordon), as well as buyers remorse like the Rams and Gurley.

 

[ItzKelz]

Agree, they're running styles are different.

If it's true that he told Irvin it was his goal to break the rushing yardage record, he sure ran like it. I do not consider Emmitt the best ever but he was the best ever at getting all he could and then avoiding getting blown up.

Elliott's running style of contact and that hurdling would have me as not interested, if I was a coach. He is headed for an injury and it might be to his head and one too many is game over.

Emmitt was great at avoiding big hits, hiding behind his OL, using a fullback effectively, hitting the hole quickly and maximizing yards on plays. In comparison to Zeke.....I would take Emmitt any day. I truly believe Emmitt is a more talented RB.

 

[John813]

Marco was often injured but Zeke has had a lot of carries. Over 1500 carries in college and the pros.

I think it falls on the RB staying in shape, having the drive and then genetics.
Obviously not every back will be like Adrian Peterson, playing great into his 30's.
But I could see Zeke staying relevant for at least 3-5 more years unless he loses that drive or doesn't train as much.
I think he's athletically gifted and genetically he has a good blood line between his mom and dad.

What's important is vision. Emmitt was never the fastest, but could see holes all the way till the end when he was playing behind a dollar store line.

I would need to rewatch games to give my true opinion of Zeke and his vision. Can't recall how he did there.

 

[cern]

And could you honestly see any team making an "off the charts" offer?

I sure can't.

The day of the Herschel Walker trade is long past.

Running back is now a chew you up and spit you out meat grinder of a position. And that's why there are contract fights and holdouts happening all over the place (Bell, Gordon), as well as buyers remorse like the Rams and Gurley.

I remember back to when landry limited dorsett's carries in order to prolong his career. tony didn't like it as he wanted more carries and yards. but seems tom was right. dorsett had a long career. I don't know why that can't be done with zeke to some extent by spelling him with pollard or others during games. makes more sense to me than the chew them up and spit them out theory.

 

[slick325]

RB's are not done and past their prime after 4 or 5 years. Not as much as fans think anyway.

Agreed Jazz...great backs aren't. Backs like Alfred Morris, who was an average back, are toast after a few years.

You pay great players no matter the position. Zach Martin and Fred Beard play two positions that normally aren't paid well BUT...they are great players. Zeke will and should get paid handsomely.

 

[Stash]

I remember back to when landry limited dorsett's carries in order to prolong his career. tony didn't like it as he wanted more carries and yards. but seems tom was right. dorsett had a long career. I don't know why that can't be done with zeke to some extent by spelling him with pollard or others during games. makes more sense to me than the chew them up and spit them out theory.

I think it's all about the money. Workhorse backs get paid a lot more than replaceable committee backs do. These guys want to be irreplaceable.

 

[ItzKelz]

I think it falls on the RB staying in shape, having the drive and then genetics.
Obviously not every back will be like Adrian Peterson, playing great into his 30's.
But I could see Zeke staying relevant for at least 3-5 more years unless he loses that drive or doesn't train as much.
I think he's athletically gifted and genetically he has a good blood line between his mom and dad.

You do not make it to the NFL without a genetic advantage. I absolutely love watching Zeke run over LBs....if you never done it pull Zeke on YouTube and watch him in slow in short yardage situations....brutal!!! With that said he takes a lot licks that he doesnt have to at times. He is the best back in the NFL IMO but his running style will cut his career short....of course if we keep him long term I hope I am wrong lol.

 

[CouchCoach]

perception and need. hawks saw Russell Wilson as being invaluable. raiders pass on mack, but not the bears. rams happy to sign Donald to be highest paid. zeke is invaluable to our offense. just don't see him being traded unless offer is off the charts.

Do you see an offer off the charts, I do not.

How many teams are going to run enough to justify the cap %? How many think Elliott is how many $ better than what they have?

What I think is the root of a no trade is not Elliott, it is Prescott without Elliott. I think the FO considers them as Butch and Sundance. And isn't it like that with Cooper as well?

It is set up that as long as Prescott is the QB, the triplets are required. And this is not a slam on Prescott, just an observation after seeing him without those two players.

I think it is a mistake to have the triplets in the top 5 paid at their position but I think it is an unavoidable one in this case. This is already set in motion and all we can hope for as fans is that they can get at least one ring while that window is open because it can surely close in a hummingbird's heartbeat. This is not the way to build a continuous contender, there is that price to pay on the other side but from what I gather from the majority of the posters here, a price worth paying.

I am different and my opinion is based on that. I would rather be a contender for 5 years and not win it all than be a contender for 3 and win 1. Nothing right or wrong with either, just the way we lean. That 1 ring would not balance out the 2 bad years for me. But then again, I do not have as many years left as most on here.

 

[ItzKelz]

Agreed Jazz...great backs aren't. Backs like Alfred Morris, who was an average back, are toast after a few years.

You pay great players no matter the position. Zach Martin and Fred Beard play two positions that normally aren't paid well BUT...they are great players. Zeke will and should get paid handsomely.

Tomilinson was basically done at 28. He had a good year that season but the writing was on the wall. Every year after he was a shell of himself.

 

[CouchCoach]

I think it's all about the money. Workhorse backs get paid a lot more than replaceable committee backs do. These guys want to be irreplaceable.

That's why Felix Jones tried to bulk up to be the feature back. And it was a huge mistake, they let him go the opposite direction he should have gone.

 

[Stash]

That's why Felix Jones tried to bulk up to be the feature back. And it was a huge mistake, they let him go the opposite direction he should have gone.

Their first mistake was using a 1st round pick on a committee back in the first place!

 

[Blackspider214]

Until we know how to run an offense that is not outdated and based on a great OL and bell cow RB, Zeke is needed. I hate investing so much in OL and RB but it is what we have done so Zeke is needed. We saw how this team looked without Murray in 2015. Offense was terrible. And without Zeke for 6 games a few years ago. It isn't pretty. When you build your offense around one guy and that you depend on him producing, the next man up will be drastically worse.

 

[Stash]

Tomilinson was basically done at 28. He had a good year that season but the writing was on the wall. Every year after he was a shell of himself.

So we should revisit this four years from now, when Elliott reaches that same point in his career then?

 

[IndianaCowboys1994]

I have been a football fan since I was 6 (2001). I've said that the two best running backs of this era are LaDainian Tomlinson and Adrian Peterson. Here is how Zeke compares to those two in their first 3 seasons (by the way, this is averaging their total yards a game as if they played the full 48 games-LT actually did:

Zeke 6,360 total yards 41 TD
AP 5,530 total yards 43 TD His prime was from age 22 to age 30
LT 6,100 total yards 42 TD His prime was from age 22 to age 29

Zeke is the third best running back of this era. He compares to both of those guys. I take him over Gurley, Bell, and others. Saquon can join that group. His behavior has to improve but he is a Hall of Fame talent. I think Zeke can play at a prime level until about 2024. That is 6 more years including this year. Pay the man. If he was a DeMarco Murray like running back I agree let him walk. But he is special. I think Dak compares really well to Russell Wilson in his first three years. Could you imagine Russell Wilson with Adrian Peterson or LaDainian Tomlinson?? I know that is a bit of a stretch but that is essentially what we have.

By the way...Zack is locked up until 2025, Tyron and Travis unitl 2024. Who knows how Williams or McGovern turn out.

 

[Dwight]

Colin Cowherd suggested today that Zeke should be traded while his value is high. I have mixed emotions about that because Dak needs him. But a trade could be a blessing in disguise because if Dak plays without Zeke this season and his numbers drop than his demand for a high contract will go down.

Therefore, I say trade Zeke for a high draft pick because he has two or three good years left. Plus this team is more than likely will not make the Super Bowl under Jason Garrett anyway. So why waste talent again under Jason Garrett?

But Zeke is more important than Dak by the way.