Cowboys Trade of Ezekiel Elliott: Would There Really Be A Benefit?

Seemingly all of the headlines relating to Dallas Cowboys working again Ezekiel Elliott this offseason have been questioning his future in Large D. Most just lately, Bleacher Report recognized Elliott as a participant Dallas ought to commerce earlier than the season. 

Consequently? Let’s simply say seats to get again on the Elliott bandwagon are available.

Final season, Elliott posted over 1,000 speeding yards on 4.2 yards per carry with 10 speeding touchdowns. Nonetheless, 2021 was thought-about a down 12 months. 

Rating because the seventh main rusher on {a partially} torn PCL after which being criticized for it’s appears harsh. For a lot of working backs, that may be a profession 12 months. But Elliott will get thrown into commerce rumors.

Whereas doubt has been a surrounding narrative for Elliott, his crew has adamantly had his again. Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy expects Elliott to bounce again, and cites his well being as a serious motive.

“I believe the most important factor with Zeke is he’s utterly wholesome now and he’s had an amazing offseason,” McCarthy mentioned. “He’s in high form. On the finish of the day, he’s a particularly instinctive, robust, sensible soccer participant, nice teammate. So, I believe he’s positively set himself up for that.”

Cowboys All-Professional proper guard Zack Martin when praising Elliott, reminisced on his resiliency throughout the tumultuous 2020 season.

“Assume again to 2020. Half of the offense is out and Zeke continues to be in there carrying the ball 20 instances a recreation. So, we have lots of love on this crew for Zeke, and we’re pumped to get him again going the precise route,” Martin mentioned. “He loves this crew and he offers every little thing of himself for this crew. The final two years, that is proven.”

(Our Mike Fisher has written about this idea from inside The Star locker room; Elliott is a crucial driver of the constructive emotion with this crew.)

The Cowboys additionally like Tony Pollard, and Zeke’s backup figures to be much more within the image this season – another excuse some are speculating about an Elliott commerce. However B/R’s most distinguished level is concerning the cash, and here is the place the concept of an Elliott commerce goes a bit nuts: B/R writes, “He is beneath contract for the subsequent 4 campaigns and the quantity by no means dips under $14.3 million. By buying and selling him now, the Cowboys can save $12.4 million towards this 12 months’s wage cap.”

The problem there: Whereas Elliott is certainly beneath contract by 2026, the contract was designed to have an “escape hatch” after 2022. In order that cap financial savings that may be had by dumping Zeke now may also be had, at virtually the identical charge, by transferring off of him a 12 months from now.

If Dallas wanted cap room immediately, this may be a extra viable idea. However the Cowboys have already got $22 million of room, earmarked for future-years spending. So they do not want the room.

Of their view, they want a star working again. And of their view, they’ve one in Ezekiel Elliott.

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