Absolutely, I agree with you that it's not as easy as some people make it out to be. Those I listed are really best case scenarios. I just eer on the side or caution with Zeke and his off the field issues.
It's not just the off-the-field issues for me. A lot can happen in two years at any position, especially one where a player is a workhorse. The only positives I can see for extending him now are that you get him a little cheaper and he's more likely to be able to play out the contract.
That first positive doesn't really mean much because rising salaries go along with a rising cap. We've got him for $7 million this year and $9 million next year, and we're not going to do better than than.
The second positive doesn't really mean that much either because most contracts are set up where if you cut the player on the back end, you end up breaking even or saving cap dollars.
I'm also OK with franchising him for a year or two instead of going long-term. You tag him twice or even three times and you've gotten seven to eight years out of a running back. The main negative with that is how much the tag goes up each time. Then, there is the possibility that Elliott would refuse to accept it.
