What if the Cowboys had waited? And another what if

[CalPolyTechnique]

I'm not defending Elliott, but what does +20 really mean, is that the measurement of a great RB? Just curious.

It’s certainly not the end-all-be-all, but if I’m paying top coin for a RB, Line #1: he’s got to be a dynamic runner above anything.

Four (4) career runs of 40+ yards in 1,319 career carries ain’t gonna do it.

It would be like paying $40M per year for a dink-and-dunk QB, and then overstating the importance of how he commands the huddle or stands tall in the pocket. That’s all great, but I’m paying that guy to be special game changer as a passer.

 

[foofighters]

What if Jerry had the courage to stonewall Zeke in his holdout in the summer of 2019? (Like the Steelers wisely did with LaVeon Bell) What if Zeke would have been told they weren’t going to negotiate with him two years early? What if indeed...

In the summer of 2016, the Dallas Cowboys signed Ezekiel Elliott, the 4th pick of the 2016 NFL draft, to a 4 year contract with a 5th year extension option. After 3 very productive seasons (one partially interrupted by a suspension) the Cowboys announced in April 2019 that they would be exercising Zeke’s 5th year option. In fact they announced it before he started his 4th year.

Later in the summer of 2019, Zeke famously headed to Cabo to try and twist Jerry’s arm early in a training camp holdout. Not going into his last year of a contract. After three years. We all know Jerry caved like a cheap suit and made Zeke the highest paid RB in league history.

Fast forward to now. If Jerry hadn’t caved, and we had stayed the course, Zeke’s rookie deal 5th year would be expiring in a few months. Or he could have turned into LaVeon Bell and left. And It’s safe to say had we waited, these things might have happened:

• Zeke would either be receiving a significantly different contract for his future from Dallas, or perhaps even from somewhere besides Dallas.
• Without the albatross of the Zeke deal, our roster flexibility would be much rosier.

Sure, hindsight is 20/20. But paying RBs a king’s ransom in today’s NFL is just foolish. We should have known that before 2019. It’s why the only two other teams that made the same mistake by signing big RB deals with LaVeon Bell (the jets) and Todd Gurley (Rams) both got out of those fat contracts early and cut their losses.

And since Zeke signed his big deal, his performance has fallen off the table. Starting last year when we still had T-Fred and the rest or our once great line. Want evidence?

• Since 2019, Zeke is tied for 25th in the league with just five 20-yard runs in 25 games.
• Compare that to Nick Chubb and Derrick Henry, who both have eighteen 20 yard runs during that same 25 game stretch.
• Since 2018, he has dropped from 4.7 ypc to 4.5 in 2019 to 3.7 this year.

So here’s the real question Dallas radio sports man Bob Sturm recently posed:

“If Zeke is no longer breaking big plays — and there are very few cases of players actually getting more explosive with age and wear and tear — should the Cowboys seriously consider turning down his March 2021 activator and playing with $24 million in dead money (split into two seasons) to get out of another doubling-down of his contract in 2022?”​

Count me in on that plan. Maybe we could learn from our mistake and move on as the jets and Rams did.

The wise move would be to cut our losses in March. I think everyone can see how differently our offense is when Pollard is back there. I am not saying Pollard is the answer but he's better than Zeke. Zeke was fun to watch for a few years but we should be in the business of winning. But we aren't so we will keep Zeke around and continue as we have for the last 20 plus years.

 

[G2]

It’s certainly not the end-all-be-all, but if I’m paying top coin for a RB, Line #1: he’s got to be a dynamic runner above anything.

Four (4) career runs of 40+ yards in 1,319 career carries ain’t gonna do it.

It would be like paying $40M per year for a dink-and-dunk QB, and then overstating the importance of how he commands the huddle or stands tall in the pocket. That’s all great, but I’m paying that guy to be special game changer as a passer.

Wait so now it's +40?

I get what you're saying and I don't necessarily disagree. But, there's a lot to factor in. Many here like to think he should be the 2016 version of Zeke, well that's a great wish in theory. I would also like the 2016 version of the O line, TE's and a healthy Prescott. For the record, I never would have drafted a RB 4th overall. But what's done is done.

 

[foofighters]

Told ya'll it was stupid at the time.

Dak deal is stupid as well.. But just like Zeke you guys will applaud it now.

I agree with you. I like Dak. I think Dak is a good QB. But is he worth that contract he wants?

 

[INCowboysFan]

yeah that was epic dumb. I was a big zeke fan but not for giving him a second contract two years early. Terrible deal. I felt like the jaylon deal was an attempt to pressure or dis Dak. Was really awful move. Miles Jack meanwhile... lol.

Myles Jack cap numbers: https://overthecap.com/player/myles-jack/4749/
2020 - $15.4M
2021 - $12.1M
2022 - $13.1M
2023 - $13.9M

Jack has played in 66 career games and has 236 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 3 ints, 2 TD

Jaylon Smith cap numbers: https://overthecap.com/player/jaylon-smith/4747/
2020 - $7.7M
2021 - $9.8M
2022 - $11.8M
2023 - $13.6M
2024 - $12.6M
2025 - $12.3M

Smith has played in 57 games and has 265 tackles, 8 sacks, 6 forced fumbles, 1 int and 1 TD

Who has the better contract? I don't think either of these guys will be with their current team past 2021, maybe 2022.

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

Wait so now it's +40?

I get what you're saying and I don't necessarily disagree. But, there's a lot to factor in. Many here like to think he should be the 2016 version of Zeke, well that's a great wish in theory. I would also like the 2016 version of the O line, TE's and a healthy Prescott. For the record, I never would have drafted a RB 4th overall. But what's done is done.

Take your pick really.

I’ve been referencing the 40+ yard stat for a couple of seasons now. That stat goes back to 2016 (three of his 40+ runs came during his rookie season), so it transcends the crapfest that 2020 is.

 

[CATCH17]

I agree with you. I like Dak. I think Dak is a good QB. But is he worth that contract he wants?

He may be worth it to a team that is like the 49ers of last year. No big salaries so you can kind of get away with paying the QB.

We simply can't put a good enough team around him to win a championship with because we have built this roster already and we will rely on rookies and scrub FA's to be our yearly upgrades.

Plus there is just too many quality young QB's on rookie deals currently and those teams will have a significant advantage.

The only thing going for Dallas really is our division is terrible but if Washington gets the QB position figured out then I think it's their division for awhile.

 

[Mannix]

------Bullet we're to old for what ifs. Shoot, what if I made $500k a year. I'd probably be stupid enough to own a suite in AT&T Stadium. How'd pissed I'd be then?

Is it too late to redact my awarding of yesterdays post of the day?

 

[Mannix]

Pollard is good, but not the answer....not big enough to be taking the majority of the carries. How about resigning Norm Granger?

 

[Diehardblues]

I agree with you. I like Dak. I think Dak is a good QB. But is he worth that contract he wants?

What are we without Dak or a QB of his ability?

All teams have to eventually pay their QB. What they usually can’t afford is to pay their WR and RB too.

 

[Loso86]

What if Jerry had the courage to stonewall Zeke in his holdout in the summer of 2019? (Like the Steelers wisely did with LaVeon Bell) What if Zeke would have been told they weren’t going to negotiate with him two years early? What if indeed...

In the summer of 2016, the Dallas Cowboys signed Ezekiel Elliott, the 4th pick of the 2016 NFL draft, to a 4 year contract with a 5th year extension option. After 3 very productive seasons (one partially interrupted by a suspension) the Cowboys announced in April 2019 that they would be exercising Zeke’s 5th year option. In fact they announced it before he started his 4th year.

Later in the summer of 2019, Zeke famously headed to Cabo to try and twist Jerry’s arm early in a training camp holdout. Not going into his last year of a contract. After three years. We all know Jerry caved like a cheap suit and made Zeke the highest paid RB in league history.

Fast forward to now. If Jerry hadn’t caved, and we had stayed the course, Zeke’s rookie deal 5th year would be expiring in a few months. Or he could have turned into LaVeon Bell and left. And It’s safe to say had we waited, these things might have happened:

• Zeke would either be receiving a significantly different contract for his future from Dallas, or perhaps even from somewhere besides Dallas.
• Without the albatross of the Zeke deal, our roster flexibility would be much rosier.

Sure, hindsight is 20/20. But paying RBs a king’s ransom in today’s NFL is just foolish. We should have known that before 2019. It’s why the only two other teams that made the same mistake by signing big RB deals with LaVeon Bell (the jets) and Todd Gurley (Rams) both got out of those fat contracts early and cut their losses.

And since Zeke signed his big deal, his performance has fallen off the table. Starting last year when we still had T-Fred and the rest or our once great line. Want evidence?

• Since 2019, Zeke is tied for 25th in the league with just five 20-yard runs in 25 games.
• Compare that to Nick Chubb and Derrick Henry, who both have eighteen 20 yard runs during that same 25 game stretch.
• Since 2018, he has dropped from 4.7 ypc to 4.5 in 2019 to 3.7 this year.

So here’s the real question Dallas radio sports man Bob Sturm recently posed:

“If Zeke is no longer breaking big plays — and there are very few cases of players actually getting more explosive with age and wear and tear — should the Cowboys seriously consider turning down his March 2021 activator and playing with $24 million in dead money (split into two seasons) to get out of another doubling-down of his contract in 2022?”​

Count me in on that plan. Maybe we could learn from our mistake and move on as the jets and Rams did.

Oh...another what if Zeke thread

 

[Diehardblues]

He may be worth it to a team that is like the 49ers of last year. No big salaries so you can kind of get away with paying the QB.

We simply can't put a good enough team around him to win a championship with because we have built this roster already and we will rely on rookies and scrub FA's to be our yearly upgrades.

Plus there is just too many quality young QB's on rookie deals currently and those teams will have a significant advantage.

The only thing going for Dallas really is our division is terrible but if Washington gets the QB position figured out then I think it's their division for awhile.

Giants might beat them to it if they already have their QB. And they appear to have the defense.

Look for them to continue to improve. And this is all without their RB. They’ve been in every game this year. Wouldn’t be surprised for them to win division this year.

 

[G2]

Take your pick really.

I’ve been referencing the 40+ yard stat for a couple of seasons now. That stat goes back to 2016 (three of his 40+ runs came during his rookie season), so it transcends the crapfest that 2020 is.

I agree. I would love to erase 2020. That being said, the real mistake here (using hindsight) was using the 4th overall pick on a RB, because it created unrealistically high expectations. Rightfully so as a fan. Same with extending him before his rookie contract. That made it worse.
Given the circumstances it's out of our control. The O line is garbage, just plain awful. So forget about a plentiful amount of +20/+40 runs. Just be thankful we have a couple of solid RBs that can stay healthy and that in itself is a freaking miracle.

 

[cowboyec]

The year after Zeke's HOF looking rookie season, draft another RB, and in the 1st round?

No. Just no.

Should have just done more in the offseason of 2019 to give us a legit 1-2 punch with Pollard + Someone.

Then see about trading Zeke. Given him and his agent permission to shop him. If some other team wants to pay Zeke *and* us, then let them. Win-win.

Barring that, turn the screws hard. Claw back bonus on each game he misses, if it gets to that. If he ever wanted to play again, he had to give us another half season to get his accrued season to leave for free agency, even if that means sitting his 5th year, which would mean *more* clawbacks.

By 2019, it was clear that Zeke was not Emmitt. Getting rolled by a holdout was just bad business. Got AWoods thinking he could squeeze a contract out of Jerry as an ERFA.

not the craziest thing.
following a great rookie season by Calvin Hill...Coach Landry drafted Duane Thomas.
i'm not saying they should have drafted Cook.
the pick should have been tj watt.
im just saying IF they had stuck to their board and taken Dalvin...1 of 2 things happen.
either the Zeke hold-out never happens or the Cowboys don't give in with Cook in the stables.
it's an interesting what-if to consider.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

Jerry is a player friendly owner.....he’s never doing that to his good players.

 

[Creeper]

Good analysis, but at the end of the day, Jerry caved and now he is stuck with an anchor at RB1. And Jerry will keep paying him hoping one day Zeke proves all the critics wrong - but it will only prove them more right.

The reality is, Jerry never should have draft Zeke in the first place. Great college RB, but I would never use the 4th pick in the draft to take a RB. The league is full of quality RBs drafted in the middle rounds. I said that in 2016 when the took him. I said it again when the Giants took Barkley. Let's see what the Giants do when Barkley's rookie deal is up.

At the time Bell held out, he was considered a better all-around back than Zeke. The same with Gurley who was always a better receiver than Elliott. The best feature of Elliott's game now is blocking blitzing LBs. That is not worth $90 million.

What's in the past, is done. The question is, what do they do going forward? IMO, I would stop thinking about how much money Zeke is getting paid when making my game plans. In other words, give Pollard more playing time. Same with Dowdle who looks like he has both power and speed.

Speaking of which, the NFL is now a league of speed. Lot's of guys are big and strong, but big strong and quick is what wins. The Cowboys need more speed on both sides of the football.

 

[foofighters]

What are we without Dak or a QB of his ability?

All teams have to eventually pay their QB. What they usually can’t afford is to pay their WR and RB too.

We are mess with him and a mess without him.

 

[Jake]

What if Jerry had the courage to stonewall Zeke in his holdout in the summer of 2019? (Like the Steelers wisely did with LaVeon Bell) What if Zeke would have been told they weren’t going to negotiate with him two years early? What if indeed...

In the summer of 2016, the Dallas Cowboys signed Ezekiel Elliott, the 4th pick of the 2016 NFL draft, to a 4 year contract with a 5th year extension option. After 3 very productive seasons (one partially interrupted by a suspension) the Cowboys announced in April 2019 that they would be exercising Zeke’s 5th year option. In fact they announced it before he started his 4th year.

Later in the summer of 2019, Zeke famously headed to Cabo to try and twist Jerry’s arm early in a training camp holdout. Not going into his last year of a contract. After three years. We all know Jerry caved like a cheap suit and made Zeke the highest paid RB in league history.

Fast forward to now. If Jerry hadn’t caved, and we had stayed the course, Zeke’s rookie deal 5th year would be expiring in a few months. Or he could have turned into LaVeon Bell and left. And It’s safe to say had we waited, these things might have happened:

• Zeke would either be receiving a significantly different contract for his future from Dallas, or perhaps even from somewhere besides Dallas.
• Without the albatross of the Zeke deal, our roster flexibility would be much rosier.

Sure, hindsight is 20/20. But paying RBs a king’s ransom in today’s NFL is just foolish. We should have known that before 2019. It’s why the only two other teams that made the same mistake by signing big RB deals with LaVeon Bell (the jets) and Todd Gurley (Rams) both got out of those fat contracts early and cut their losses.

And since Zeke signed his big deal, his performance has fallen off the table. Starting last year when we still had T-Fred and the rest or our once great line. Want evidence?

• Since 2019, Zeke is tied for 25th in the league with just five 20-yard runs in 25 games.
• Compare that to Nick Chubb and Derrick Henry, who both have eighteen 20 yard runs during that same 25 game stretch.
• Since 2018, he has dropped from 4.7 ypc to 4.5 in 2019 to 3.7 this year.

So here’s the real question Dallas radio sports man Bob Sturm recently posed:

“If Zeke is no longer breaking big plays — and there are very few cases of players actually getting more explosive with age and wear and tear — should the Cowboys seriously consider turning down his March 2021 activator and playing with $24 million in dead money (split into two seasons) to get out of another doubling-down of his contract in 2022?”​

Count me in on that plan. Maybe we could learn from our mistake and move on as the jets and Rams did.

I like Zeke and probably always will because he's a fellow Buckeye and was huge in our title run in the first CFP. But caving to his hold out was dumb. Several of us said so at the time so it's not hindsight. We also knew Jerry would cave because he always thinks "this is the year" and wants all of his pieces in place.

The franchise tag is the only reason he didn't cave in to Dak this year. Every honest Cowboys fan, whether they like Dak or not, knows it. That's Jerry.

I agree it's time to cut our losses with Zeke. Like most physical runners that style has a shelf life and he's already showing signs of hitting the proverbial wall.

 

[CouchCoach]

What if Jerry had the courage to stonewall Zeke in his holdout in the summer of 2019? (Like the Steelers wisely did with LaVeon Bell) What if Zeke would have been told they weren’t going to negotiate with him two years early? What if indeed...

In the summer of 2016, the Dallas Cowboys signed Ezekiel Elliott, the 4th pick of the 2016 NFL draft, to a 4 year contract with a 5th year extension option. After 3 very productive seasons (one partially interrupted by a suspension) the Cowboys announced in April 2019 that they would be exercising Zeke’s 5th year option. In fact they announced it before he started his 4th year.

Later in the summer of 2019, Zeke famously headed to Cabo to try and twist Jerry’s arm early in a training camp holdout. Not going into his last year of a contract. After three years. We all know Jerry caved like a cheap suit and made Zeke the highest paid RB in league history.

Fast forward to now. If Jerry hadn’t caved, and we had stayed the course, Zeke’s rookie deal 5th year would be expiring in a few months. Or he could have turned into LaVeon Bell and left. And It’s safe to say had we waited, these things might have happened:

• Zeke would either be receiving a significantly different contract for his future from Dallas, or perhaps even from somewhere besides Dallas.
• Without the albatross of the Zeke deal, our roster flexibility would be much rosier.

Sure, hindsight is 20/20. But paying RBs a king’s ransom in today’s NFL is just foolish. We should have known that before 2019. It’s why the only two other teams that made the same mistake by signing big RB deals with LaVeon Bell (the jets) and Todd Gurley (Rams) both got out of those fat contracts early and cut their losses.

And since Zeke signed his big deal, his performance has fallen off the table. Starting last year when we still had T-Fred and the rest or our once great line. Want evidence?

• Since 2019, Zeke is tied for 25th in the league with just five 20-yard runs in 25 games.
• Compare that to Nick Chubb and Derrick Henry, who both have eighteen 20 yard runs during that same 25 game stretch.
• Since 2018, he has dropped from 4.7 ypc to 4.5 in 2019 to 3.7 this year.

So here’s the real question Dallas radio sports man Bob Sturm recently posed:

“If Zeke is no longer breaking big plays — and there are very few cases of players actually getting more explosive with age and wear and tear — should the Cowboys seriously consider turning down his March 2021 activator and playing with $24 million in dead money (split into two seasons) to get out of another doubling-down of his contract in 2022?”​

Count me in on that plan. Maybe we could learn from our mistake and move on as the jets and Rams did.

Ohhhh brother Bullet, I was right there with you until this appeared, Maybe we could learn from our mistake. Maybe aardvarks can learn to be CPA's, maybe Amelia Earhart and Jimmy Hoffa have been living next door all this time and maybe, just maybe the Cowboys FO will learn from their mistakes. My money is on the first two becoming reality.

 

[Cowfan75]

No he didn’t. But he did get second-guessed anytime a 50/50 call went wrong over the ten years he was here. And of course, not credited at all when they went right. Typical.

We’re seeing now what mediocre coaching actually looks like. Hope you’re enjoying it. Personally, I feel like it’s been riveting.

Yes, he did. The reason why he was second guessed so much is because he cost us games with bad clock management repeatedly, and couldn't adjust a belt.

When it went good? We won with the talent we had, not with scheming. I don't care how much of a Garrett homer anyone is, that can't be denied. Our whole philosophy was line up and beat the guy in front of you. Sometimes we did.

I'm not saying i think McCarthy will be a good coach...I didn't even want him here. But that doesn't mean Jerry's Golden Boy should still be here.