Ezekiel Elliott - Pro Football Rumors

NFC Notes: R. Wilson, Gruden, Eli, Bennett

November 12th, 2017 at 11:14am CST by Rory Parks

Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, citing a source close to the situation, reports that the Seahawks violated the league’s concussion protocol by allowing quarterback Russell Wilson to reenter Thursday night’s game against Arizona without going to the locker room and being cleared by a team doctor and an independent physician. However, a league spokesman told ESPN that the NFL has not conducted any interviews yet, so it has not reached any conclusions. The NFL and NFLPA will jointly review the situation over the coming weeks.

If Seattle is determined to have violated the protocol, it could be fined up to $150K.

Now for more from the NFC:

Every year, it seems, we hear rumors concerning Jon Gruden‘s potential return to the sidelines as a head coach. With his former team, the Buccaneers, sputtering in 2017, and with Dirk Koetter looking less likely to return in 2018, Gruden-to-Tampa Bay rumors will only continue to pick up steam, as Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes. Gruden has mended his relationship with Bucs ownership and still lives about 10 minutes from the team facility, and a source close to him indicated it is possible that Gruden returns to the Bucs.
The Giants have no plans to bench Eli Manning, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com writes. Although their long-time signal-caller does not figure to be a part of any long-term rebuild, Rapoport says it would take a catastrophe for Big Blue to sit Manning down this season.
The Packers released Martellus Bennett with a Failure to Disclose a Physical Condition designation, alleging that Bennett failed to tell the team that he had a torn rotator cuff before he signed with the team this offseason. Bennett, of course, refutes that notion, but Green Bay intends to recoup the signing bonus it paid to Bennett, per Rapoport. Whether the Packers will seek the full $6.3MM bonus or the $4.2MM prorated portion is unclear, but they have over a month in which to file their grievance.
Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott, whose suspension was reinstated earlier this week, is leaving the country to clear his head and train in an undisclosed location, per Rapoport (via Twitter).

Latest On Cowboys’ Ezekiel Elliott

November 9th, 2017 at 4:51pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest ruling in the Ezekiel Elliott saga will put his six-game suspension into motion starting with this Sunday’s game against the Falcons. He still has options to fight the ban, but it will take a while before he can realistically get another legal intervention. Elliott’s expedited appeal in front of the Second Circuit court is scheduled for December 1st, as Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

The Cowboys have four games between now and 12/1, so Elliott will almost certainly miss games against the Falcons, Eagles, Chargers, and Redskins. After that, Elliott will have to assess whether to fight the league on the remaining two games. In theory, it seems possible that Elliott could stave off the final two games of his scheduled suspension only to have the ban reinstated in the postseason (assuming the Cowboys qualify).

The Cowboys are 5-3 heading into Sunday’s game with Atlanta. They have serious ground to make up in order to catch the 8-1 Eagles for the NFC East crown and they’ll have to do it without their best offensive weapon – at least for the next month.

Ezekiel Elliott’s Suspension Is Back On

November 9th, 2017 at 2:47pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest legal volley in the Ezekiel Elliott case has gone in the NFL’s favor. The Second Circuit has ruled in favor of the Cowboys’ running back. His six-game suspension goes into effect immediately, meaning that he will not be eligible to return until Dec. 24 against the Seahawks unless there is another ruling to shift things back in his favor.

The “good news” for Elliott is that his appeal will be heard on an expedited basis. It’s possible that he will be able to get another ruling from the courts before the six-game suspension ends.

Today’s hearing lasted only 30 minutes and ended without a ruling right away. Minutes later, however, the judging panel came back with a verdict to deny Elliott’s request for an injunction.

While Elliott is out, the Cowboys are expected to lean on Alfred Morris, Rod Smith, and Darren McFadden to keep the running game moving. Those three cannot offer the same explosiveness as Elliott, but it’s as good of a Plan B as anyone could have in the NFL.

Elliott, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2016 draft, has 783 yards and seven touchdowns off of 191 carries this season (4.1 yards per carry). He also has 19 catches for 210 yards and two scores.

Assuming the ban holds up, Elliott will miss games against the Falcons, Eagles, Chargers, Redskins, Giants, and Raiders.

Ezekiel Elliott Rumors: Thursday

November 9th, 2017 at 2:11pm CST by Zachary Links

On Thursday afternoon, a hearing convened on the Ezekiel Elliott injunction that wasn’t originally supposed to happen. Reportedly, Elliott’s camp saw the hearing, which was not an automatic to happen, as a positive.

Here’s the latest on that hearing and where things stand for the Cowboys’ star running back:

The hearing ended after 30 minutes without a decision and there is no timetable for a ruling (Twitter link via Dan Graziano of ESPN.com). If no ruling comes down by the end of the business day on Friday, Elliott will presumably in action on Sunday against the Falcons.
If the next ruling does go in the NFL’s favor, his six-game ban will start immediately. “The moment the stay is lifted, the suspension is enforced,” league spokesman Joe Lockhart said (via the Dallas News’ David Moore). “Whatever time that happens, it’s enforced. If the result is some extension to hear further arguments, the suspension is stayed. This is very much in the court’s hands right now. They will dictate when the suspension will start.”
The judges asked the NFLPA what difference it would have made to have Elliott’s accuser testify at the arbitration hearing, as requested by Elliott’s camp (Twitter link via Kate Hairopoulos of the Dallas Morning News).
They also wondered how NFL investigators could suspend Elliott on a “credible evidence” standard when they admitted to finding credibility issues with the accuser (Twitter links). The league replied that the credibility issues were about only two of the five alleged incidents and Elliott was not punished for those.

Ezekiel Elliott Rumors: Monday

November 6th, 2017 at 12:47pm CST by Zachary Links

All parties involved in the Ezekiel Elliott saga say they are are not interested in a settlement. However, on Sunday, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reported that Elliott’s team has indeed been pushing for a compromise.

Will we see a settlement in which Elliott accepts something less than a six-game ban? It still seems highly unlikely given the comments made by the NFL and Elliott’s desire to clear his name.

For now, things remain in limbo as the two sides duke it out in the courts. We’ll keep track of the latest here:

The next hearing on the Elliott injunction will take place at 2pm ET/1pm CT on Thursday, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit announced. There might not be enough time for a ruling to come down before Sunday, so it seems like Elliott could be able to suit up on Sunday against the Falcons, regardless of the outcome. Thanks to an administrative stay, Elliott was able to suit up this past Sunday against the Chiefs. The running back finished out with 93 yards and one touchdown off of 27 carries.
A hearing was not originally supposed to occur on the pending Elliott motion and the running back’s representatives see it as a positive development in their favor, Mike Florio of PFT hears (Twitter link).
Elliott perhaps caught a break in avoiding Denny Chin or Barrington Parker as the judge in his upcoming hearing, sports attorney Daniel Wallach (on Twitter) notes. Chin and Parker both ruled in the NFL’s favor during the Deflategate saga.

NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Eagles, Redskins

November 5th, 2017 at 3:00pm CST by Dallas Robinson

While the NFL and NFLPA haven’t shown any inclination to pursue a settlement in Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott‘s suspension case, Elliott and his attorneys have indeed been pushing for some sort of settlement, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports. While it’s unclear how many banned games Elliott and his team have offered to the league, the NFL is not interested in any agreement. Elliott will play against the Chiefs this week after being granted an administrative stay, and could potentially be available for several months if he wins an injunction from the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Here’s more from the NFC East:

While the Eagles didn’t acquire a left tackle in advance of last week’s trade deadline, they did engage in talks for both Cordy Glenn (Bills) and Duane Brown (Texans), according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com and Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (Twitter link). However, Philadelphia quickly realized no fit existed in regards to a possible Glenn deal, while the trade of Brown to Seattle — which netted the Texans second- and third-round picks — drove up the price for left tackles across the board, per La Canfora. The Eagles, who eventually picked up only running back Jay Ajayi before the deadline, were on the lookout for a blindside protector after losing stalwart Jason Peters for the season.
The Redskins worked out running backs Marcus Murphy, Dare Ogunbowale, Jhurell Pressley, Josh Rounds, and Trey Williams last week, per Howard Balzer of Sports on Earth (Twitter link). Of the group, Murphy is by far the most experienced, as he’s 16 games since entering the league in 2015. He’s mostly served as a return man (just two career touches on offense), and that’s likely the role he’d hold in Washington if signed.
Already fielding one of the league’s worst offensive lines, the Giants‘ front five was further weakened last week when center Weston Richburg was placed on injured reserve with a concussion. Richburg, 26, is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in the spring.

NFC Notes: Zeke, Beasley, Seahawks

November 3rd, 2017 at 6:45pm CST by GregGoldstein

It’s been a roller coaster news cycle regarding Ezekiel Elliott‘s six-game suspension since the regular season started. Now in another twist, it appears that if the second-year running back’s suspension is officially handed down in December, the league will force him to sit out through the playoffs, reports Clarence Hill Jr. of the Star Telegram (Twitter link). This news adds another aspect to the ongoing legal feud in that if the team felt that Elliott was going to eventually serve his suspension, wouldn’t they rather him take it now rather than wait till playoff time? It’s an interesting question, and while the 22 year-old has repeatedly stated his intention to fight the league, the issue will remain a cloud over Jerry Jones‘ organization for the rest of the year. Elliott will be allowed to suit up for this Sunday’s game after the United States Court of Appeals granted him a stay earlier in the day.

In other Cowboys news, another pivotal member of the offense is set to play in Week 9 as well. Wide receiver Cole Beasley cleared his final step of concussion protocol today after taking the week trying to recover from his head slamming to the ground in last Sunday’s game versus Washington, according to Brandon George of Dallas News. Beasley stated that he didn’t really suffer any concussion symptoms throughout the week, but was definitely feeling the effects of the contact during the game. “It wasn’t crazy,” Beasley said. “It was just kind of some dizziness when I hit the ground and it only lasted for a little while. I was able to pass most of the concussion test stuff, but some of the stuff we did it started making me kind of nauseous and made feel like I was going to throw up and they held me out.”
The Seahawks are in a tough spot with injuries heading into this week’s contest against Washington. Apart from Earl Thomas potentially missing a few games, the team also may be without defensive starters Sheldon Richardson (oblique) and Bobby Wagner (hamstring) with both players being officially listed as questionable, according to Brady Anderson of ESPN.com. Anderson does report that safety Kam Chancellor will play in Week 9 after dealing with an ankle injury throughout the week. However, losing these three key defensive starters would greatly hurt a Seattle team that is riding a ton of positive momentum after winning their last four games.
Anderson also passes along that Seattle’s newest trade acquisition, tackle Duane Brown, is adjusting to his new team’s offense well because of his experience with the Seahawks zone-blocking scheme, according to head coach Pete Carroll. “He’s done exceptionally well,” Carroll said. “Like we said earlier, the carry-over that he had from six years being in the same system has really ensured that he can make this transition as fast as you possibly could make it.” Brown figures to be a major upgrade at left tackle ahead of the team’s former starter on the blind side, Rees Odhiambo, who ranks as the worst qualified tackle in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus.

Cowboys’ Ezekiel Elliott To Play Sunday

November 3rd, 2017 at 9:29am CST by Zachary Links

Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott will suit up this weekend against the Chiefs. On Friday morning, the running back’s camp won a crucial decision from the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (Twitter link via attorney Daniel Wallach).

The motion for a brief administrative stay will allow Elliott to play in the Cowboys’ upcoming game, but a six-game suspension still looms. He’ll remain in limbo until a three-judge panel rules on his fate. After that ruling, we may finally have some finality on the Elliott saga, though it’s hard to bank on that given the back-and-forth nature of the legal process so far.

There were rumblings of a potential settlement in October, but both sides have gone on the record to say that they are not interested in meeting in the middle. The NFL does not want to set a precedent of players reducing suspensions by using the pressure of the legal system. Elliott, meanwhile, is determined to clear his name of any association with domestic violence.

Elliott, 22, has 690 yards off of 164 carries, giving him the third-highest total in the league and 4.2 yards per attempt. He’s also tied for the league lead with six rushing touchdowns.

If Elliott’s six-game suspension is put into effect after the Chiefs game, he’ll be forced to miss games against the Falcons, Eagles, Chargers, Redskins, Giants, and Raiders. He would not be eligible to return until Week 16 against the Seahawks.

Latest On Ezekiel Elliott Appeal

November 2nd, 2017 at 12:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

In the middle rounds of what’s been a lengthy fight, the NFLPA and NFL have fired additional salvos this week after Ezekiel Elliott‘s suspension was restored on Monday.

The NFLPA’s requested an emergency motion for an injunction with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in hopes of expediting this process so Elliott can play either this week or shortly thereafter, legal analyst Daniel Wallach reports (Twitter links). But the NFL has fired off a counter effort in hopes of squashing this.

The league filed a motion arguing against the emergency injunction, Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk reports. The NFLPA’s 14-page argument for the injunction, which would allow Elliott to play while the case continues, is Southern District judge Katherine Polk Failla ignored “numerous cases” of courts allowing athletes to play while their post-suspension appellate efforts proceed, Mike Florio of PFT reports. Florio adds Failla’s husband is a partner at the firm that helped craft the CBA’s labor agreement, one that gives Roger Goodell full autonomy to levy discipline, but the NFLPA’s motion did not mention this.

Conversely, the NFL is arguing Failla’s ruling denying Elliott the preliminary injunction he sought wasn’t “a close call.” Should nothing come down on the Elliott front by Saturday, he will not play against the Chiefs this week. He stands a good chance of missing that game. As of now, Elliott is suspended through Week 14.

The NFLPA is arguing by Elliott missing games, he will suffer irreparable harm by this suspension beginning without the 22-year-old’s full due process being afforded to him. Because once the suspension includes games missed, Elliott’s effort only becomes about recouping game checks and restoring his reputation.

Multiple courts have denied this assertion in the past month, so this is looking like a last-ditch effort for the running back to see the field before mid-December.

Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott Files Appeal

October 31st, 2017 at 5:49pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Judge Katherine Failla — the same judge who on Monday dissolved Ezekiel Elliott‘s restraining order against the NFL — has denied the Cowboys running back’s request for a stay, which would have allowed him to stay on the field while his case is sorted out, according to Kate Hairopoulos of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link).

The decision was entirely expected, and Failla indicated as such in her ruling: “For the Court to grant the NFLPA’s motion for a stay at this stage would in effect be to reverse its decision of last night,” wrote Failla, per legal analyst Daniel Wallach (Twitter link). Elliot’s motion requested an answer from Failla by 7pm Eastern, and noted he and his team would “have no choice but to seek relief from the Second Circuit,” and that’s exactly what they’ve done.

Elliott’s appeal is already on the second circuit’s docket, tweets Hairopoulos, and he’s requested an “expedited” process, per Wallach (Twitter link). Essentially, Elliott wants his appeal paused for a third time while the case plays out, reports Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link).

Still, there’s little to no chance that Elliott will be available in Week 9, meaning the Cowboys will turn to a combination of Alfred Morris, Darren McFadden, and Rod Smith in the backfield. Dallas was reportedly considering running back additions prior to today’s trade deadline.