Whoever said you can never go home again didn’t have the pleasure of playing football for the Dallas Cowboys. It’s a team notoriously faithful to their stars, keeping players even after it’s obvious they should walk away.
In the case of running back Ezekiel Elliott, the decision makers made the right call to release the franchise’s third-leading rusher of all-time this offseason. However at the owner’s meetings in Phoenix this week, the team brass gave some clarity on why they let Elliott go, and that in turn led to the statement the team isn’t against bringing him back into the fold later in the offseason.
It couldn’t have been easy to let one of their favorite players go, nor was it easy for quarterback Dak Prescott to lose one of his best friends on the team. Prescott and Elliott were selected in the same draft, becoming extremely close over their seven seasons in Dallas.
Yet it had to be done. Elliott isn’t the same player he was earlier in his career and his production has dipped. The Cowboys cut Elliott, allowing him to test the free agent waters for the first time in his career.
While initially it appeared as though Elliott would have some suitors, he still hasn’t been signed. Among the teams he has been linked to are the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Jets.
Cowboys’ RB Ezekiel Elliott has narrowed down his options about where to play to the Eagles, Jets and Bengals, and he would like to make his decision about where to sign by the end of next week, per sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 23, 2023
That hasn’t come to fruition yet, and Elliott remains a free agent. It’s been a very slow market for free agent running backs and there doesn’t seem to be a place for the veteran runner looking to extend his career.
While it doesn’t look like Elliott will be signing anywhere soon, would the Cowboys consider bringing him back? According to owner Jerry Jones, the idea isn’t far-fetched, and the door remains open for a reunion.
“The door is not closed on the Cowboys reuniting with Ezekiel Elliott.” – Jerry Jones, reported by @VoiceOfTheStar via @TalkinCowboys
A simple conversation with Will Grier will free up jersey number 15 👀
— ✭STX Mario✭ (@_STXMario) March 28, 2023
Bringing Elliott back wouldn’t be a total surprise, the Jones family has an affection for Elliott, drafting him fourth overall in 2016, and then compensating him for his performance with a top-of-market contract when the RB held out in 2019. His per carry average has suffered since then, most notably as he’s battled leg injuries the past two seasons after stronger starts.
However, there are a few obstacles in the way of Elliott’s return to Dallas. One is the team gave away his number to the newly acquired cornerback Stephon Gilmore. Jersey numbers can be switched, so that doesn’t seem like a huge deal, especially considering Gilmore hasn’t worn 21 in the NFL. And as stated above, Elliott could probably pry No. 15, his college number, off backup QB Will Grier.
The bigger problems for a reunion are money and playing time. The Cowboys recently signed veteran RB Ronald Jones to a one-year deal and re-signed Rico Dowdle. Neither RB should stop the team from bringing Elliott back, but the Cowboys moved on from him in favor of other options, so it’s difficult to fathom that changing now.
The draft is also full of upgrades, so Dallas might not be done adding talent to the position in late April.
The Cowboys made the decision not to offer Elliott a pay reduction, but instead letting him test the market to determine his market value for himself.
Via Nick Eatman of DallasCowboys.com:
“When you’ve got players and we’ve had them over the years, whether it’s Emmitt Smith, whether it’s a DeMarcus Ware … these type of players you’ve got such respect for everything that they’ve done for your organization,” Jones said. “Sometimes, the best thing is to let them get a feel for what the market is. The last thing we want to do is do anything that would be insulting to a player to a great player, like Zeke.”
If Elliott were to return to Dallas, it would now be in a complimentary role. Tony Pollard is now the lead RB and everyone else a compliment, at least for 2023.
You can chat with or follow Ben on twitter @BenGrimaldi.
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