Running Back Observations

[jazzcat22]

See, when I watch a football game, I watch a football game. I don't want to look at stats. Play 1) Zeke ran for 2 yards... Play 2) Zeke ran for 2 yards, Play 3) Zeke ran for 2 yards. Play 4) Zeke ran for 10 yards... OK that equals 16 yards, you divide by 4 it equals 4 yards per carry.... We all know this... But when I'm watching a game, I am constantly only seeing 2 yard gains from Zeke...

SMH. You need to watch more football.

 

[CowboyRoy]

This is the part you realize others are right and you are wrong, and start thinking others get offended when they don't.

Zeke is slow, that is a fact. Are you saying Zeke is fast?

 

[jazzcat22]

Zeke is slow, that is a fact. Are you saying Zeke is fast?

He isn’t slow.

 

[CowboyRoy]

He isn’t slow.

Then why doesnt have have more long runs? Why does he get caught from behind?

If you cant even admit that Zeke is slow for an NFL RB, then your dont belong in the conversation.

Maybe we should just move on.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

Yes Ladies and Gentlemen this is why you don't draft a RB with the 4th pick and then give in to them by paying them a record breaking second contract.

Our free agent RB's have looked very good for cheap this preseason.

Meanwhile how's that contract for Zeke looking now?

Not saying the backups are as good as Zeke, but when you compare their contracts to their abilities

I would take the rookies.

You could take the salary difference and shore up other areas of the team.

The Cowboy's situation at RB really shores up the notion that you don't draft RB's early and or give them

enormous second contracts.

one, we should have never drafted a RB in top 5 and pass on a CB. a CB is 10x more valuable than a RB.

and then two years before his contract is up, to make the guy the highest paid player in the league. you take a hard stance, let him sit out 10 games and not get paid. and then play 6 games to accumulate a year. you save on the cap.

no team says I have to have the highest paid and best RB to make it to the superbowl. can't recall last time it happened. this is not to say you don't need a running game. its that you don't need top talent at RB to win.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

It's preseason. Are these young guns going to be able to protect Dak like Zeke can? I am not a Zeke fanboy. I just feel this thread is a bit premature. We need to see what they do during real games going against the real guys. I am ready to move on from Zeke but I don't know if these young guys can replace him this year. At least not the first 6 games.

imagine if you will, lets not pay 12M to a RB and pay them, like 4 M and then have the 8 million and add some talent to the OL to protect the QB. or a nice blocking TE for around 4M.
a RB main job is to be able to run the ball, not be a pass blocker.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

right 4.2 on hurt back, torn knee, and an OL who couldn't stop holding or whiffing on blocks.

hurt back, torn knee, all the more reason not to have wanted Zeke, knowing shelf life of RBs is one contract.

dough boy needs to earn his money this year, if he doesn't get 1500 yards. it would be total waste of time and money with him. he would be my first cut in the off season

 

[jazzcat22]

Then why doesnt have have more long runs? Why does he get caught from behind?

If you cant even admit that Zeke is slow for an NFL RB, then your dont belong in the conversation.

Maybe we should just move on.

so if someone disagrees with you they do not belong in the conversation.



Yes I moved on from this now.

 

[CowboyRoy]

so if someone disagrees with you they do not belong in the conversation.



Yes I moved on from this now.

Buddy, if you think ZEke is fast for a RB, then you are completely delusional. There is not "opinion" about Zeke's speed. He is SLOW for an NFL running back.

And I see you avoided a simple question: Why does Zeke not have many long runs if he is fast?

 

[john van brocklin]

I’m not ready to give up on zeke yet. Still averaging 4.2 yards a carry just behind Henry who averaged 4.3. Also he had his second longest run in his career last season as well. Toddler is just not giving Zeke enough of carries. But let First Take and Undisputed tell some of you guys different.

I am not giving up on Zeke either.
I appreciate what he has done for the Cowboys,
and I was pretty unhappy about how he got treated by the NFL in regards to the unfair suspension he received.
I know we are stuck with him this season because of his contract and hope he shows out , reworks his contract and retires as a Cowboy.
Having said that, my larger point is that his career shows why you don't give a RB an enormous second contract.
There are other cheaper options out their.
I don't know how any of our Rookie backs would do in regular season games, but I have complete confidence in Pollard.
It's not that I value Pollard over Zeke, or think he's any better, it's about their value relative to the salary cap.
When you overpay at one position you have to go cheap at others.
I think this is a very valid point, have no agenda and have read nothing in the 5 pages of replies that would remotely make me reconsider my position on this.
You can't fall in love with any players.
You have to make business decisions relative to cap with all players constantly.
The successful teams do this.
Of course other teams are not run like a mom and pop grocery store.

 

[john van brocklin]

I will always wonder if they drafted Ramsey instead of Zeke would they have drafted King Henry in the second round. The Cowboys needed a running back.

Great observation !!!!

 

[john van brocklin]

This is going to sound harsher than I mean it but nonetheless these types of posts are the worst.

Start with an agenda, play on emotional drama and let er rip with false equivalencies.
It's a facebook meme claiber post.

RB in pre-season mean less than zero. No team plays good RB during pre-season going back to us not playing Emmitt.
The Cowboys have tried any number of pre-season superstars over the years and exactly 0 have worked out in an actual season.

Drafting Zeke at 4 was a bad use of an elite pick due to positional value. But Zeke did his part and has stayed on the field contributing at a high level ever since.
He leads the NFL in rushing yardage since he was drafted. If anything he is a success story that beat the odds.
His contract was far from good value but it is also overblown. He's really on a 4 years 50M deal. And the team was ALWAYS going to pay 20M for the first 2 years regardless.

So all this crying is over 2 years at 30M.
And let's be clear Zeke could absolutely get 30M actual dollars on the open market TODAY.
It may take a 4-5 year deal to do so with cap relief offloads much like he has in place now but a lot of teams would be interested in Zeke for his all-around RB game and durability.

I like Dowdle. He knows the offense, he runs hard and he is a great value.
I also like Davis who is similar to all the above.
But Dallas may well cut them both and then resign one after IR'ing people because they are close in ability to each other and 10 other RBs who'll face waivers.
They are not in the same conversation with Zeke who would obliterate 2nd string defenses running behind Tyler Smith and Matt Farniok.

No Way any Team in their right mind would pay Zeke 30 Million Dollars right now.
We can agree to disagree on that and still be friends.
I mean this nicer than it sounds.

By the way the only Agenda I have is for the Cowboys to be better.
Oh unless you count the fact I would love to see Jerry retire as GM.

 

[john van brocklin]

one, we should have never drafted a RB in top 5 and pass on a CB. a CB is 10x more valuable than a RB.

and then two years before his contract is up, to make the guy the highest paid player in the league. you take a hard stance, let him sit out 10 games and not get paid. and then play 6 games to accumulate a year. you save on the cap.

no team says I have to have the highest paid and best RB to make it to the superbowl. can't recall last time it happened. this is not to say you don't need a running game. its that you don't need top talent at RB to win.

Ding Ding Ding !!!!
We have a winner !!!!

 

[Vinnie2u]

Bijan Robinson

I’ll take him with the 32 pick.

 

[john van brocklin]

imagine if you will, lets not pay 12M to a RB and pay them, like 4 M and then have the 8 million and add some talent to the OL to protect the QB. or a nice blocking TE for around 4M.
a RB main job is to be able to run the ball, not be a pass blocker.

Please quit making too much sense !
Are you really a professional GM ?
We could use one of those....

 

[DuncanIso]

Does elliot have a bad contract, yes.

Is it as bad as Christian mccaffrey,no

Is Elliot still an elite rb, questionable

Can Elliot still get hard yard and make a big difference, 100%


Bottom line is zekes time with the team is winding down and they will get as much out of him this year as possible...he overpaid but the hard yards are also underappreciated

Zeke is a warrior.

 

[Calvin2Tony2Emmitt2Julius]

this is foolishness, let the season play out. is there a back on the team that can replace Zeke now, no there isn't. Zeke is our RB 1 support him or don't but anything else is Speculative at best

 

[Acceptablename]

I’ll take him with the 32 pick.

Indeed

 

[john van brocklin]

Zeke is a warrior.

He does play hurt and nicked.
I like Zeke.
I just don't like his contract.

 

[The Quest for Six]

i'd carry all 4 this year.
zeke.
pollard.
dowdle.
davis.
and i'd use'm all.

This organization barely uses Pollard, and he's the better back, there's no way carrying four running backs makes any sense