Twitter: Zeke's exit may need to happen sooner than later

[Whyjerry]

To me, it goes back to a philosophical decision Jerry and the FO made in the 2016 draft. Zeke or Ramsey? In the short term, Zeke was the fun pick with instant results. We all loved it- me included. Ramsey has not necessarily been all world, but I believe he has a longer future as an impactful player than Zeke.

No surprise there. The shelf life of a RB is probably the lowest of all positions. As long as Zeke was on his rookie deal, it was not a problem. Once Jerry decided he had to double down on Zeke long term, it became a bad decision. While Zeke’s stat numbers have been good on paper, his ability to make explosive plays has greatly diminished. He hasn’t had a run longer than 40 yards since his rookie year.

One of my favorite Dallas area sports writers and radio guys is Bob Sturm. He said in 2016 that Zeke was the great short term pick but that we better take advantage of his rookie deal. Because long term investment in RBs was usually not a cap era good decision. I’m afraid that has proven to be true with Zeke.

You can count the number of Running backs that were great past 28/29 on one hand.

 

[eromeopolk]

Several Dallas area sports radio guys (Bob Sturm and Jake Kemp specifically) have been chatting quite a bit lately about the Cowboys cutting Zeke at the end of this season, and just taking the cap hit now. Before everyone screams “Can’t do it!”, look at the details of Zeke’s contract as lined out on Spotrac.com: https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/dallas-cowboys/ezekiel-elliott-18952/

I would argue that if this team’s is going to get better faster, we need to get rid of Zeke and his 3.8 ypc and 60 something yards a game, and draft a good young RB out of college with a mid round pick (and a rookie contract) to tandem with Pollard. Cut Zeke as a post June 1 cut, unless some other team is willing to trade for him (which won’t happen).

Here are the reasons:

• Keeping Zeke and the big contract is not the future. It’s the past. Sure it would give us some dead money to deal with but his signing was a mistake to begin with. Cut him at the end of the season and deal with the mistake instead of prolonging it. If this team is rebuilding, you have to suffer some to get better.
• His production continues to drop every year. Sure he hasn’t had a good line this year, but his per game yardage and per carry yards have continued to decline year after year.
  
• He’s lost his dynamic playmaking ability. He hasn’t had a run over 40 yards since his rookie year. Compare that to Derrick Henry who has had 9 runs over 40 yards since his rookie year. Two over 90 yards. Zeke may have taken too much punishment or had too big a load, but whatever the reason, he’s not that special anymore.

I know this will not be a popular opinion. And I know the dead money issue is real. But this team’s future is going to be all about drafting younger, cheaper talent, not keeping declining stars with big contracts. This team is not a player or two away from being relevant.

And for fans who think this would be stupid, I understand that argument. Maybe. But don’t worry. Because this front office won’t make bold moves like this because they are still buried in the delusion that “this roster is close” to being really good. No it isn’t. And won’t be until they recognize it needs a complete overhaul.

The Cooper deal was another mistake. Is he an excellent WR? Sure. Does his presence on this team make it a contender? Even with Dak? No. Jerry has always overvalued WRs.

I find it interesting that most of the really consistently good franchises rarely ever put a lot of cap space into WRs. Look at Balt- won two SBs in two decades without putting a ton of cap space on WRs. If we as a franchise want to study teams that consistently draft well and manage their cap well, look at Balt and Pitts.

Picture Colin Kaepernick, Paxton Lynch or Brett Hundley skill set at QB with this roster and a Defensive Coordinator that can actually coordinate. Would you still trade/cut Zeke and Amari? You would be more competitive and that is a ticket to an NFC East Championship with this poor division. Don't let the idiocy of Jerry Dumbo GM Jones have you make bad decisions like Jerry Dumbo GM Jones the reincarnation of John Mecom Jr. You cut these guys (Zeke, Amari, Dak) and you will see Belichick smiling ear to ear with Dak, Zeke, and Amari in the red, white and blue of the Patriots switching stars on their helmets.

You invest in the DL, OL, CB in the draft, fire the garage/basement analysis Head Coach and fake Defensive Coordinator, bring in Urban Meyer like Stephen and McClay wanted to do in the first place or get Jim Harbaugh out of Michigan. I do not know why people thought a combination of McCarthy and Nolan who stunk up the NFL in SF would be good in Dallas. Who cleaned up their mess in SF? Harbaugh.

Jerry Dumbo GM Jones is afraid of a alpha male Head Coach because he would lose his reputation as the fake builder of the Dallas Cowboys 90's Dynasty (which no one with common sense believes he had anything to do with building that Dynasty). You add an Alpha male Coach to this roster, go back to an attack 4-3, and you go back to contending for a Super Bowl.

 

[Bobhaze]

McCaffery and Kamara are the only two backs in the league that MIGHT be worth a big contract.

I wouldn’t do a big second contract for any current RB.

 

[loublue22]

We all know Jerry will never even consider it

 

[Flamma]

I know this will not be a popular opinion. And I know the dead money issue is real. But this team’s future is going to be all about drafting younger, cheaper talent, not keeping declining stars with big contracts. This team is not a player or two away from being relevant.

Ok, but they're better off putting Zeke on the inactive list than cutting him. Why would they want double the cap hit? That makes zero sense. He's fat and slow, let him lead block for Pollard.

 

[RonnieT24]

You can count the number of Running backs that were great past 28/29 on one hand.

Sorry but this simply isn't true.. Off the top of my head I can name 6 running backs who were great past 28

Sweetness had 4 1000 yard seasons past age 28 and put up a 1684 yard season at age 30 and 1551 at age 31.
Emmitt had 4 as well including 3 after 30.. He was second in the league in rushing in 1999 at age 30 with 1397 yards!
Adrian Peterson has had 3 and even led the NFL at age 30..
Curtis Martin led the NFL in rushing with 1700 yards at age 31
John Riggins set the NFL record for TDs at age 34 and had his two best seasons at age 34 and 35
James Brooks ran for over 1000 yards at 31 and 32 while averaging 5.6 and 5.1 yards per carry in those seasons.

Guys who know how to tote the rock don't forget how to tote the rock at a certain age. They typically have to alter their running style as the miles add up but dudes who really know how do it never lose it.

And that doesn't even count guys like Marcus Allen and Jerome Bettis who really excelled late in their careers in split duty situations. Or a guy like Frank Gore who while maybe never thought of as one of the all time greats has been productive well into his 30's.

The great ones defy "conventional wisdom."

 

[Whyjerry]

Sorry but this simply isn't true.. Off the top of my head I can name 6 running backs who were great past 28

Sweetness had 4 1000 yard seasons past age 28 and put up a 1684 yard season at age 30 and 1551 at age 31.
Emmitt had 4 as well including 3 after 30.. He was second in the league in rushing in 1999 at age 30 with 1397 yards!
Adrian Peterson has had 3 and even led the NFL at age 30..
Curtis Martin led the NFL in rushing with 1700 yards at age 31
John Riggins set the NFL record for TDs at age 34 and had his two best seasons at age 34 and 35
James Brooks ran for over 1000 yards at 31 and 32 while averaging 5.6 and 5.1 yards per carry in those seasons.

Guys who know how to tote the rock don't forget how to tote the rock at a certain age. They typically have to alter their running style as the miles add up but dudes who really know how do it never lose it.

And that doesn't even count guys like Marcus Allen and Jerome Bettis who really excelled late in their careers in split duty situations. Or a guy like Frank Gore who while maybe never thought of as one of the all time greats has been productive well into his 30's.

The great ones defy "conventional wisdom."

The league has changed. You notice DTs are 310 pounds. John Riggins and Walter Payton. Are you serious? Gore and Peterson are the 2 guys in the modern era.

 

[Jake0]

Doubt they do this. Probably just said to light a fire under Zeke's *** and motivate him. He's still a good RB when all the pieces are in place here.

 

[garyo1954]

Doubt they do this. Probably just said to light a fire under Zeke's *** and motivate him. He's still a good RB when all the pieces are in place here.

Zeke hasn't hit 100 yards in 8 games. Yeah, the last time Zeke hit 100, he had 122 in the 47-16 blowout of Washington, last game, last year. Before that? Two weeks prior in the Rams game in which Pollard ran 12 times for 131 Elliott had 117 on 24 carries.

You have to go back to November 4, 2019 to find his next one (and the last time he had back to back 100 yard weeks). No, he's not getting less touches......

This year he's averaged 16.5 carries a game for 77 yards a game (average).
Last 8 games of last year he averaged 17 carries a game for 65.125 yards a game (average).

Overall he's had two 100 yard games in the last 16. Seven in the last 24.
The fun is gone. He punches the clock and counts his money. The yards he used to fight for? He's content to let them be. He's Hakuna Matata.

 

[Jake0]

Zeke hasn't hit 100 yards in 8 games. Yeah, the last time Zeke hit 100, he had 122 in the 47-16 blowout of Washington, last game, last year. Before that? Two weeks prior in the Rams game in which Pollard ran 12 times for 131 Elliott had 117 on 24 carries.

You have to go back to November 4, 2019 to find his next one (and the last time he had back to back 100 yard weeks). No, he's not getting less touches......

This year he's averaged 16.5 carries a game for 77 yards a game (average).
Last 8 games of last year he averaged 17 carries a game for 65.125 yards a game (average).

Overall he's had two 100 yard games in the last 16. Seven in the last 24.
The fun is gone. He punches the clock and counts his money. The yards he used to fight for? He's content to let them be. He's Hakuna Matata.

Yeah he definitely needs motivation and also, no RB will have any success in this current offense other than maybe Barry Sanders.