Dallas Cowboys may have invested too much at running back
Ezekiel Elliott was ruled out before the Dallas Cowboys' week 13 Sunday afternoon bout against the San Francisco 49ers. Although Elliott did not play, his vacancy went unnoticed. Fourth round pick, Tony Pollard got the nod to start his first game of his career and showed out. In just 12 carries Pollard totaled 69 yards […]
Ezekiel Elliott was ruled out before the Dallas Cowboys' week 13 Sunday afternoon bout against the San Francisco 49ers. Although Elliott did not play, his vacancy went unnoticed.
Fourth round pick, Tony Pollard got the nod to start his first game of his career and showed out. In just 12 carries Pollard totaled 69 yards and two scores. Pollard was active in the passing game as well, hauling in six passes for 63 yards. The former Memphis Tiger proved himself as a quality three down back in not only this game, but all season. When given the opportunity Pollard has outshined Dallas' $90 million back.
Every time Pollard touches the ball there is big play potential. Pollard brings elusiveness, explosiveness, and ball security to the running game. All are areas where Zeke has underperformed this year. Even with a depleted, inconsistent offensive line, Pollard has found ways to showcase his talent while Zeke is struggling.
Elliott is wrapping up his worst season in his professional career. This season, Elliott is averaging a paltry 64 yards per game, and 3.9 yards per carry with six fumbles. Part of the blame can be directed at injuries on the offensive front. La’el Collins has missed nearly the entire season as well as all-pro lineman Zach Martin and Tyron Smith. Without a dominant offensive line Elliott’s play has declined this season.
Last season, Ezekiel Elliott inked a 6-year $90 million contract extension with the Cowboys. With three Pro Bowl selections under his belt, Elliott’s young career seemed to be taking off. However, a franchise running back has to find a way to be productive without a top-5 line like Elliott has had the majority of his career. At $90 million, is Zeke worth the money?
Is Elliott a $90 Million Back?
At just 21 years old, in his rookie season Elliott set the league on fire by racing for 1,631 yards and 15 touchdowns — securing the rushing title, a number one seed for his team, and a spot in the Pro Bowl. Elliott was, for the lack of a better word, a star in Dallas.
Although, Elliott has been lucky: most of his career has come behind three of the best offensive linemen in Dallas Cowboy history. Tyron Smith, Zach Martin, and Travis Fredrick have 18 combined pro-bowls, and led the way for the young back for the entirety of his career, except this season, where Zeke has preformed poorly.
Zeke’s overall numbers are astounding, but year-by-year those numbers have steadily dropped. In 2017, playing just ten games due to his suspension, Elliott still rushed for nearly 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns. The next two seasons Elliott ran for over 1,300 yards, but every year Elliott's yards per game has declined from 108.7 yards a game his rookie year to 64 yards per game this year.
Numbers aside, Elliott is still one of the most talented backs in the league. In five seasons, Elliott has three pro-bowls, and two rushing titles under his belt. Although, even acknowledging Elliott's past successes, Cowboys fans can’t deny Pollard’s surge onto the Dallas backfield. The opportunities Dallas could have with around an extra $10-12 million in cap space, other holes could be filled.
The number four overall pick will continue to carry the ball for Dallas for years to come. Hopefully with a healthy Dak Prescott and a stable offensive line, Zeke will get back to gorging on the field like an all-you-can-eat buffet.
Featured image Via Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
