Rapoport: Zeke wants to be the highest-paid running back

[MWH1967]

I think it is an ego thing for the Jones's. They don't want to be told what to pay someone; they want to set the terms.

Zeke has a great argument for a payraise and has said nothing to indicate this is an ego thing. He wants what he deserves and he knows he should get it.

Remember the play he completely quit on? That's with the multiple troubles he has caused the Jones doesn't equate to #1 pay in the league. Also look at the TD's scored by him and the current #1. I know, I'm cherry picking again. Sorry!

 

[bcavi]

Everybody knows Zeke has 2 years left. You guys keep saying this. Do you guys ever stop to think, if that is your sticking point, then why are the Joneses negotiating with him? You really need to think about it. It obviously is not an issue if they are, right now, offering the 2nd highest paying, according to the media, contract amongst RBs. Is that clear? You have no point in constantly repeating this. Nothing but feelings I guess. Previously, the Joneses even said Gurley's contract is the starting point. They talk too much, and now flooding the media doing contrary to what they said. Go figure. Are they the victims now?

 

[Rayman70]

Gurley got extended. Why not Zeke?

You have an elite player. Its not only smart to extend them while they're in ther prime, but the right thing ro do.

monkey see monkey do? wow...what happened to Gurley last year? WAS HURT and the Rams were on the hook for a ton of money for someone that couldn't play well. Why should we do that when he still has time remaining? That said, had he come in here and practiced and played, I think JJj would have been much more willing to pay him now. The way he went about this was nasty.

 

[Gaede]

he has a deal he signed with 2 years remaining. HONOR WHAT U SIGNED. Theres a thought.

NFL teams don't give two craps about honoring anything. Players are disposable to them. Is it such a horrible thing to you that one player actually stands up for himself, instead of taking what he is given?

 

[Stash]

the kicker is, he is under a contract with 2 years left. Many act a sif hes been wronged lol..the guy is signed. Emmitt and company failed to mention that last night during the broadcast. How convenient...selective memory.

I love the 'threat' to sit most of all. Go ahead! Sit! Do tnothing! Get paid nothing! Lose it all while you watch someone else take your spot in the best running back situation in the league!

Retire! Be irrelevant! Until the next time you get arrested.

At this point, I'm hoping for someone else. Someone that knows how to behave, on the field and off of it. Someone who doesn't have to make a stupid gesture every time he runs for a first down. And someone who knows how to behave himself off the field and doesn't try to bully security guards and women.

That $15 million plus a year can be better spent. And Ezekiel Elliott and his 'associates' can go pound sand!

 

[Rayman70]

NFL teams don't give two craps about honoring anything. Players are disposable to them. Is it such a horrible thing to you that one player actually stands up for himself, instead of taking what he is given?

 

[cowboyblue22]

Whatever.

Zeke is ranked 432nd in total cash salaries for 2019.

That's right. 432nd.

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/rankings/cash/

Jerry will pay Zeke or he sits.

looks like to me he is going to sit the jones are dug in on this

 

[tomsanders921]

If he is the best player at his position in 3 years, but being paid worse than that, then yes

So basically you are saying everyone should be on short term contracts. Most players would not go for that. You can't have it both ways. A contract is a contract. Period. Players know when they sign them the team can cut them at any time. That's what the guaranteed money is for. All these people saying holding out is the same as teams releasing players are wrong. With that reasoning, a player could basically stop putting forth any effort once they cash in on a big contract.

I get it if a player is in their final year of a contract. It's a dangerous game and you don't want to have a significant injury on the last year of a contract. But two years is too early to hold out and ask to be the highest paid at your position. So when Barkley signs his new deal will Zeke be holding out again? Because if Zeke gets a new deal now Barkley will get way more than that in a couple years when he is due for a new one.

 

[Gaede]

I love the 'threat' to sit most of all. Go ahead! Sit! Do tnothing! Get paid nothing! Lose it all while you watch someone else take your spot in the best running back situation in the league!

Retire! Be irrelevant! Until the next time you get arrested.

At this point, I'm hoping for someone else. Someone that knows how to behave, on the field and off of it. Someone who doesn't have to make a stupid gesture every time he runs for a first down. And someone who knows how to behave himself off the field and doesn't try to bully security guards and women.

That $15 million plus a year can be better spent. And Ezekiel Elliott and his 'associates' can go pound sand!

Behave is an interesting word and I wonder why you chose it.

 

[Rayman70]

JJ owes Zeke nothing. Hes been loyal to Zeke...to a fault. Now hes askin him to rip up his current deal and reward him with like a 5 year mega deal? Optics of this is very bad.

 

[amame25]

Jerry always does the blah blah blah blah thing of his then he PAYS!
In this case he really has no other option as our team depends on Zeke in a most extreme way which I personally dislike as its gonna eat our Cap big time!
Same old, same old, one Jerry mistake brings another creates another and another .....this hold-out is just the end result of a idiotic GM who pretty much is in love with 1 thing ONLY........himself and his massive EGO!

So did Jerry make a mistake drafting a very talented running back? Did Jerry make a mistake just not passing on the pick and should have just drafted a lesser player so that he wouldn't have to pony up big money in the future? I'm honestly at a loss to figure out what you think Jerrys mistake was here because it sounds like you just want to bash Jerry without a rational thought.

 

[Gaede]

So basically you are saying everyone should be on short term contracts. Most players would not go for that. You can't have it both ways. A contract is a contract. Period. Players know when they sign them the team can cut them at any time. That's what the guaranteed money is for. All these people saying holding out is the same as teams releasing players are wrong. With that reasoning, a player could basically stop putting forth any effort once they cash in on a big contract.

I get it if a player is in their final year of a contract. It's a dangerous game and you don't want to have a significant injury on the last year of a contract. But two years is too early to hold out and ask to be the highest paid at your position. So when Barkley signs his new deal will Zeke be holding out again? Because if Zeke gets a new deal now Barkley will get way more than that in a couple years when he is due for a new one.

The NFL lives and breathes on short term contracts. What is the average career in the NFL these days?

 

[Rayman70]

if he caves to the player then it sets precedent. WE CANNOT DO THAT. Show up and play then as the season goes, we can hash out a deal.

 

[glimmerman]

Sorry but if I am dug in then I ain’t signing him. Let’s him sit till next year and get a trade for him.

Anything short of a SB victory will be JJ fault for not signing him. Lose a game or 2 and pay him and miss the playoffs by 1 game and it’s JJ fault for not signing him earlier.

But there seems to be a slight change in this as it goes on when people and the media knows that he is doing this at least 1 year early on his 4 year rookie deal. As it grows closer I think fans and just football fans are realizing this is more on Elliot.

He is holding a stacked team hostage, he could be putting it over the top but instead he and his agent is trying to cash in thinking or even knowing they can’t do it without him and if you don’t pay me then you don’t get your ring. He don’t care about the ring. Heck Witten came back because he saw a team that was close, wonder his actual thoughts on this.

I like Elliot’s skill on this team because he is awesome. But after this is there gonna be a team that’s gonna pay him the 15+ a year he wants.

I know I know if he gets signed and scores tds then no one will care. Just like Dez today telling him to hold out and he wishes he did things different, he did hold out some and there was no discount given by Dez so I don’t know what he is talking about. Maybe he wishes now he ripped JJ off more.

I hope D-Law is the last one to get over on them with there agent. Holding off a surgery as leverage. Total BS.

We don’t win it all this year and it’s all on JJ and JG. But a selfish player and agent could be the culprit. Lol.

 

[armadillooutlaw]

I love the 'threat' to sit most of all. Go ahead! Sit! Do tnothing! Get paid nothing! Lose it all while you watch someone else take your spot in the best running back situation in the league!

Retire! Be irrelevant! Until the next time you get arrested.

At this point, I'm hoping for someone else. Someone that knows how to behave, on the field and off of it. Someone who doesn't have to make a stupid gesture every time he runs for a first down. And someone who knows how to behave himself off the field and doesn't try to bully security guards and women.

That $15 million plus a year can be better spent. And Ezekiel Elliott and his 'associates' can go pound sand!

Well, considering there should be a handful of quality backs hitting FA after camp cuts, the FO shouldn't feel any pressure about Zeke right now. Jay Ajayi is still out there, plus a guy like TJ Yeldon may get cut by Buffalo. Not to mention trade targets. You got your eye on any back in particular, Stash, besides Ajayi?

 

[Gaede]

JJ owes Zeke nothing. Hes been loyal to Zeke...to a fault. Now hes askin him to rip up his current deal and reward him with like a 5 year mega deal? Optics of this is very bad.

Like the optics of a billionaire owner shorting his star player on millions of dollars and calling into a two-bit radio show drunk and petty bad?

 

[Vegas_Cowboy]

So Zeke is supposed to play out a jacked up contract when hes making 50 percent below TGurley and Bell?

Really?

Yes, really. It's called honoring the contract you signed.

If Zeke were to sign a huge contract and suffer a career ending injury, do the Cowboys have the right to not pay him after that? What if he stays healthy but doesn't live up to expectations the next 2 years? Do the Cowboys have the right to renegotiate?

 

[Rayman70]

Zekes agent is trying to extort a mega deal using all means...ie Marshal Faulk,media and others. Its really ugly. The main facts are being omitted. HE HAS A DEAL!! Its not like hes in the final year of his deal.

 

[Rayman70]

Like the optics of a billionaire owner shorting his star player on millions of dollars and calling into a two-bit radio show drunk and petty bad?

owners own..thats life. Someone has to own the business and cut the checks. Sour grapes much. The players don't get to dictate business practices. Tail wagging the dog is not a good business model.

 

[PAPPYDOG]

So did Jerry make a mistake drafting a very talented running back? Did Jerry make a mistake just not passing on the pick and should have just drafted a lesser player so that he wouldn't have to pony up big money in the future? I'm honestly at a loss to figure out what you think Jerrys mistake was here because it sounds like you just want to bash Jerry without a rational thought.

Why is Zeke holding out with 2 years left to go on his contract?
Answer that and you will be able to follow the line of logic on how we ended up where we are today with Zeke?