In a move which comes as no surprise at this point, Ezekiel Elliott is set to return to the Cowboys. The former rushing champion has a deal in place with Dallas pending a physical, Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network report. 
This is a one-year agreement worth $3MM, per Clarence Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Elliott will collect $2MM guaranteed, he adds. The 28-year-old is therefore in line to once again take on a notable role in the Cowboys’ backfield.
One month ago, Elliott was named (alongside Dalvin Cook) as a veteran back interested in a Cowboys contract. Signs pointed to the team matching that desire in Elliott’s case shortly thereafter, and while Cook is still unsigned the former No. 4 pick is back where his career began. Elliott spent seven years in Dallas, earning three Pro Bowl invitations and one first-team All-Pro nod in his opening four campaigns.
The Ohio State product’s efficiency began to wane afterwards, however, and in 2022 he ceded some of his workload to Tony Pollard. During the subsequent offseason, Dallas retained Pollard via the franchise tag and released Elliott. That move led to a $6MM dead cap charge for 2024, but Cowboys owner Jerry Jones publicly indicated that figure would not dissuade him from pursuing a reunion. Taking the dead money charge into account, Elliott will represent a rather lucrative commitment on offense for the Cowboys this year.
Pollard was not retained this offseason, and he became one of several veteran running backs who quickly found a new home in free agency. That created a vacancy atop Dallas’ backfield depth chart and led many to expect a notable investment in the position. After Royce Freeman was added on a low-cost deal, the team appeared to be set up for a rookie addition during last weekend’s draft. The Cowboys did not add at the position, however, having spoken with Elliott on the eve of the opening round.
With a deal now in place, Elliott will re-join a Cowboys team which also includes the likes of Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn and Malik Davis in the backfield. Following his Dallas release, Elliott joined the Patriots on a one-year deal similar to this one. The 2023 campaign produced career-lows in carries (184), yards (642) and efficiency (3.5 yards per attempt), but Jones still views him as being capable of handling a starter’s workload. It will be interesting to see how Elliott’s role shakes out in 2024 upon return to a familiar team.
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
This isn’t great, but it’s not the worst thing in the world. Dowdle, Vaughn, and Davis can at least replace Pollard’s production as a committee, and Zeke can come in on short yardage situations, which they struggled with mightily last season when Zeke wasn’t on the team. They will need to draft a RB next year in the early rounds though.
LMAO!!!! This is Jerry Jones all in move to win the Super Bowl. Good luck with that. The curse of Jimmy Johnson continues for another year. Zero sense of urgency.
I don’t think it’s an all-in move at all. The Cowboys kind of screwed themselves on the cap front, and now they missed their window to give CeeDee Lamb an extension as the cost of WR extensions just went higher. Cowboys are 31st in cash spent, which means they are giving out small signing bonuses and converting to cash later on in the contracts. So not paying up big for a running back or spending draft capital on one this year when there are a lot of depth issues, isn’t a bad decision. Running back is a non-premium position. They don’t need Saquon, they need tackles to protect Dak. But yes, this could have been avoided if Jerry wasn’t so cheap and was borrowing against the cap for so long.
It’s hard to be a cowboys fan with Owner/GM Jerry Jones with Stephen Jones waiting to take over. Not a time to be a fair weather bandwagon fan though you ride out the storm. Here’s hoping Dak is gone after this year and cowboys at least get a high draft pick. That Trey Lance trade tells you everything you need to know about the cowboys. Flashy moves rather than smart moves. All Trey Lance has done as a cowboy is hold a clipboard and he’s also a free agent after this year. Is it too early to drink ?
If they want to keep Lance on the roster, they should at least draw up a wildcat package for him like Mariota was doing that year with the Raiders.
The jury is still out on Lance, he needs to see some extensive time undercenter. Jordan Love was viewed by many to be a bust as well, but looks to be a budding star now that he has gotten some playing time.
The Packers signed Love to a one year $13.5MM deal after his first four years. The Cowboys would be wise to do the same with Lance.
I love how people change things to fit their narrative. Jordan Love was never considered a bust, but rather many football people were affraid that he sat behind Rodgers for too long. Anyone who saw Love play in either preseason, or mop up duty knew he was going to be a stud. Sitting was very beneficial to Loves development and understanding of the game. With that being said, Lance was always considered an overreaction by SF, and when he did play was viewed as being over his head against talent and competition.
Let’s just say, if he was any good or showed any promise, who he have been beaten out by the last pick on the draft? Or given up on for such little compensation in a QB starving league? Nope.
So better rethink that position you took.
Lance was always going to be in over his head. That COVID year draft in 2021 was brutal because draft prospects couldn’t follow the regular offseason draft process. There were no in-person workouts. Players only participated in pro days where stats were relayed to coaches, making it difficult to assess someone. Due to the 2020 season being moved to spring in FBS, Lance did not have a full season of play since 2019. They got Central Arkansas to play them in a warmup game in the fall literally just for Trey Lance. Lance only started one year in college, as a redshirt freshman. He was seen as a top high school prospect from Marshall, MN, but Power 5 schools did not see him as a QB. The 49ers taking him at 3, let alone what they gave up for him, might have been the worst draft-trade of all time, not just because he was a bust, but because there were a lot of red flags going into the draft. Micah Parsons was selected at their original #12 spot, along with two firsts and a third. If they didn’t make that trade, it is likely they would have had enough talent to win the Super Bowl a few months ago.
Yeah, who is changing the facts about Jordan Love now? He didn’t play in 2020, he played poorly in 2021, and he had all of 21 passing attempts in 2022. If he was going to be such a stud, why did he not get his fifth year option exercised? Why was Green Bay able to sign him for $13.5MM for his fifth year?
As for Lance, yes he couldn’t beat out a seventh round pick, but Purdy seems to be the real deal. If someone was beaten out by the six round pick Tom Brady, would that be a slam? If someone is beaten out by the UDFA Tony Romo, does that mean he can’t have success in the league?
Legit players get moved all of the time for late round picks, look at what the Chargers did this year.
As I said, we won’t know about Lance until someone gives him legit playing time.
Lmao Jerry doesn’t want a ring it’s getting super duper obvious now XD
Yawn.
NBC producers finally get a chance to zoom in on this guy spitting water before a game because that was must see TV
NBC is too busy worshipping Odell Beckham for making a circus catch in a game the Giants lost … to Dallas.
I suppose if this doesn’t go according to plan the fallback option will be Herschel Walker.
Lol
Dudes cooked
He was actually decent last year in NE.
3.5 ypc isn’t decent.
Fair, but New England’s offensive line was worse than Elliot was.
He was decent. Don’t believe your lying eyes.
Nothing about New England’s offense was decent last year. Be for real.
Oline was garbage. Just like you.
You’re corny.
The tread on #21 are bald. skids and crashes are imminent.
The nostalgia tour begins.
Cowboy fans ( lead by the blow hard Skip Bayless) were saying for the last 2 years Zeke was on the Cowboys that he was done. The only reason his numbers were decent was due to his OL being good. But ultimately, as with most RB’s he began to decline rapidly and became a shell of his former self.
Don’t get me wrong as a big Ohio State fan I love Zeke and wish him the best, but his best time is behind him and I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s out of the league after this year.
This was just Jerry being Jerry, looking for a few days of newspaper/sport talk radio chatter, but won’t translate into anything special on the field.
I’m not a fan or anti-Cowboys at all, but both groups seem to get extremely dramatic when it comes to anything the team does. The Cowboys signed an old vet on a cheap deal, they’re bracing to try to negotiate three extensions. It’s fairly obvious what they’re doing, especially with a lame duck coach in his final year. They probably won’t be great, but probably won’t be awful. We’ll see if that expectation bears out.