Ezekiel Elliott - Pro Football Rumors

Suspension Would Cost Ezekiel Elliott

July 19th, 2017 at 2:53pm CST by Zachary Links

If Ezekiel Elliott is suspended for any reason by the NFL, he’ll be feeling it in the wallet. In addition to missing game checks, Elliott will have to repay the Cowboys a portion of his signing bonus, as ESPN.com’s Todd Archer outlines. For Elliott, that means giving up nearly $240K per missed game.

Per the terms of the CBA, players suspended under the drug and PED policies are forced to repay their teams. Whether a player is suspended under the personal conduct policy, repayment is at the discretion of the team. However, multiple agents who have done business with Dallas tell Archer that the Cowboys have strict language in their deals that call for the full amount.

The league has been investigating abuse allegations against Elliott for roughly one year. Recently, Elliott may have compounded his problem by participating in a barroom brawl. Some witnesses say that it was Elliott who punched a man in the face on Sunday night in a Texas bar, leaving him with a broken nose. However, at least one witness says that the punch was not thrown by Elliott. It’s also worth noting that Elliott has yet to be questioned by police for his potential role in the incident.

NFC Notes: Rodgers, Panthers, Elliott, Cards

July 18th, 2017 at 1:07pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Packers have not discussed a contract extension for Aaron Rodgers with his agent, David Dunn, the quarterback told a Milwaukee TV station last week (via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com). Given that Rodgers still has three years left on the deal he signed in 2013, the Packers don’t have to work anything out imminently. However, on the possibility of Rodgers becoming the NFL’s highest-paid player again in the near future, team president Mark Murphy admitted to Demovsky, “You need to plan for it.” Unsurprisingly, Murphy added that the franchise regards re-upping the two-time league MVP as a priority. Rodgers topped all NFLers when he signed his five-year, $110MM deal four years ago, but salaries around him have increased significantly. As a result, the 33-year-old is set to rake in just the sixth-highest amount at his own position this season ($22MM).

Witness: Ezekiel Elliott Did Not Throw Punch

July 18th, 2017 at 10:12am CST by Zachary Links

Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott was said to be involved in a fight over the weekend that left one man with a broken nose. However, the running back has not been arrested for his involvement as of this writing and there are varied accounts of what transpired. Michael Huffman, a bouncer from Wichita Falls who was in the bar on Sunday night, says the alleged victim was the instigator and Elliott did not do anything wrong.

“It didn’t go down like that,” Huffman wrote in a private message to Domingo Ramirez Jr. and Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Star-Telegram. “Everybody is saying that, but he didn’t throw the punch … Zeke was just standing there arms folded chilling feeling the crowd. Then I seen DJ getting loud toward the vicinity of Zeke and then I see an overhand right come over the back of Zeke shoulder that landed square in DTrain’s face and he went to sleep. He didn’t even see it. Then the crowd circled and dispersed. I’m surprised a whole video hasn’t been released yet.”

Other witnesses have said that the man throwing the punch appeared to be Elliott. But, if Huffman’s account of events can be verified, then the running back will avoid punishment from the legal system and the NFL. On Monday, an NFL spokesman confirmed that the league is investigating the matter.

Cowboys’ Ezekiel Elliott Involved In Fight

July 17th, 2017 at 8:03am CST by Zachary Links

Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott was involved in a late-night incident at a Dallas bar Sunday, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. The news was first reported by 105.3 FM The Fan in Dallas.

Elliott was not arrested or detained following the altercation, but this is terrible timing for the running back as he faces a potential suspension for accusations of domestic violence. The NFL has been known to levy punishments even when the legal system does not see fit to do so and this bar fight may increase the likelihood of a multi-game suspension.

According to a statement from the Dallas Police, officers were called to a disturbance on Sunday in which a 30-year-old male victim said he was assaulted but he did not know who hit him. The victim was taken to the hospital for non-life threatening injuries. No arrests were made and nobody was listed as a suspect, but the investigation is ongoing.

Last week, it was reported that that Elliott could face a one- or two-game suspension from the league. It would make sense for the NFL to levy its punishment sooner rather than later so that Elliott can have time before Week 1 to go through the appeals process, but this latest incident could gum up the works even further.

NFC Notes: Rams, Elliott, Wentz, Redskins

July 14th, 2017 at 9:11pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

There’s still no movement toward a deal between the Rams and cornerback Trumaine Johnson, per ESPN.com’s Alden Gonzalez, who’s the latest to report that he’ll play 2017 under the franchise tag. Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson relayed earlier this week that no agreement would come to fruition by Monday’s deadline, meaning Johnson will play the season as the NFL’s highest-paid corner. Johnson will earn $16.742MM in his second straight year as the Rams’ franchise player, and the likelihood is that he’ll test the free agent market next offseason. Tagging him again isn’t going to happen because doing so would cost the Rams $24.1MM.

Elsewhere around the NFC…

The NFL needs to make a decision on whether to suspend Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott as soon as possible, opines Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. In doing so, he league would ensure that the internal appeals process would be resolved by Week 1, reasons Florio. Elliott is bracing for a season-opening ban, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN, and Florio wonders if the league leaked that information to Schefter in order to gauge the opinions of both the public and Jerry Jones. The Cowboys owner has made it known to NFL higher-ups that he won’t react kindly if the league suspends one of his stars without ample justification, reports Florio. Given the power Jones has, the NFL “needs to placate” him, writes Florio; at the same time, the league’s also in a difficult situation because it can’t afford to screw up another ruling involving domestic violence.
The Eagles want to “take a little bit off” second-year quarterback Carson Wentz‘s plate this season, head coach Doug Pederson told Comcast SportsNet’s John Clark this week (via Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com). Pederson believes that the offseason additions of wide receivers Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith and running back LeGarrette Blount should make life easier for Wentz, who didn’t have enough help at the skill positions last season and attempted 607 passes – the second-highest rookie total in NFL history, notes Frank. “Everything doesn’t have to fall on Carson’s shoulders and I think sometimes a little bit last year he felt that way and things had to fall his way a little bit to make a play and I don’t think we have to do that this year,” said Pederson.
Redskins safety DeAngelo Hall agreed to a pay cut last month, but he’ll still enter training camp in danger of losing his roster spot, suggests Rich Tandler of CSN Mid-Atlantic. A couple of other veteran safeties, Will Blackmon and Josh Evans, are also on the bubble, per Tandler. Injuries limited Hall to just 17 games over the previous three seasons, including a mere three in 2016. Conversely, staying healthy hasn’t been a problem for the 32-year-old Blackmon, who has made 30 of 32 appearances and logged 16 starts since joining the Redskins prior to 2015. Evans, a regular for the Jaguars from 2013-15, was on and off Washington’s roster last year and only played two games.

Cowboys’ Ezekiel Elliott To Receive Ban?

July 14th, 2017 at 12:00pm CST by Zachary Links

There is a “growing sense” that Ezekiel Elliott could be hit with a short suspension in the coming weeks, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (video link) reports. The Cowboys running back is personally bracing for the possibility that he could miss the start of the 2017 regular season.

The Cowboys open the season against the rival Giants before facing the Broncos in Week 2. At this time, Schefter gets the feeling that Elliott will miss one, if not both of those games. Still, the NFL has yet to make a final determination on the matter and nothing will be decided until the investigation is wrapped up.

Last year, a woman accused Elliott of abusing her on two separate occasions in 2016. He was never arrested or charged for either supposed incident, but the NFL requires much less evidence to levy punishment than the American legal system. Given the league’s ugly history with domestic violence, they are not taking the accusations against the young star lightly.

Elliott, 22 later this month, ran for a league-leading 1,631 yards off of 322 carries last year with 15 touchdowns. He supplemented that incredible stat line with 32 catches for 363 yards and one score.

NFC Notes: Saints, Cowboys, Falcons

June 3rd, 2017 at 10:23am CST by Ben Levine

The Saints signed linebacker Alex Okafor to a one-year, $3MM deal earlier this offseason. While the money and opportunity were obviously alluring, the former fourth-rounder acknowledged that he was really entice by the opportunity to play with former college teammate, Kenny Vaccaro.

“He definitely stuck his neck out for me,” Okafor told the Associated Press. “It’s surreal. Not many guys get to go back and play with some of their college teammates that, I mean, are as close as we are.”

Having started 25 games between 2014 and 2015, Okafor played more of a reserve role for the Cardinals last season. However, the 26-year-old was working with the starters during OTAs, and he’s confident that he can still play a major role on the Saints’ defense.

“It’s just a fresh start and a great opportunity,” Okafor said. “I’ve been that guy before and I know I can be that here.”

That’s check out some more notes from around the NFC…

It’s sounding like the NFL’s investigation into Cowboys star Ezekiel Elliott is winding down, and Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com says there are three possible scenarios that could play out next. For starters, the NFL could simply continue their investigation. They could alternatively determine that the running back “violated the Personal Conduct Policy,” and they’d presumably slap him with some type of punishment. The ideal route (at least in this impartial writer’s eyes) is the third option, which sees the NFL clearing Elliott and ending their investigation.
Thanks to Claire Z. Cardona of The Dallas News, details have emerged on Nolan Carroll‘s arrest last week for driving while intoxicated. Police pulled the Cowboys cornerback over at 2:20am after seeing him driving on the wrong side of the road. The 30-year-old told police that he hadn’t been drinking, and he noted that he “had not taken prescription medications or illegal drugs in the last 24 hours.” After getting arrested, Carroll “refused to voluntarily give a blood specimen.”
Now that he’s done playing, Michael Vick is turning his attention to a new pursuit in the NFL. “I would love to coach in the National Football League one day,” Vick told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. “… At some point, I’d definitely love to help work with young quarterbacks and develop them and still compete, you know, with the team and with the coaches. It’s another way to chase a championship. You know I’m not done. I’m not done by any means. You know I didn’t get the championship when I was playing, so, hey, maybe I’d get lucky one year, maybe fortunate enough to join the staff that may be good enough.” The former quarterback is hoping to sign a one-day deal to retire with the Falcons, an indication that his career is officially over. He also confirmed to Schefter that he is done playing.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Latest On Cowboys’ Ezekiel Elliott

June 1st, 2017 at 12:47pm CST by Zachary Links

The NFL’s investigation into Cowboys star Ezekiel Elliott could be winding down. The NFL Players Association recently turned over phone records and other documents that league investigators have been seeking in their probe of domestic violence allegations against the running back, Tom Pelissero of USA Today writes.

The NFL was asking for Elliott’s phone records for a while, but the running back’s camp was reluctant to turn those over and the union was also putting up a battle for fear of setting a bad precedent. As Pelissero notes, phone records also became an issue in the Tom Brady Deflategate case. Ultimately, Brady’s unwillingness to fully cooperate with the investigation led to him being served with a controversial four-game suspension.

Last year, a woman accused Elliott of abusing her on two separate occasions in 2016. However, the 21-year-old was never arrested nor charged for either supposed incident. In one case, a key witness says Elliott’s accuser told her to lie to police about a separate incident. From a legal standpoint, there’s little evidence to pin Elliott for wrongdoing, but the NFL requires much less proof to dole out a suspension or fine. The league is also feeling increased pressure to come down hard on domestic violence cases in the wake of the Ray Rice fiasco.

The NFL opened its investigation in July, meaning that we are nearing its one-year mark.

NFL Still Investigating Ezekiel Elliott

May 22nd, 2017 at 3:38pm CST by Zachary Links

The league’s investigation into Cowboys star Ezekiel Elliott “remains under review,” a spokesman tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The inquiry into domestic violence claims against the running back has been going on since July and that probably marks a new record for the league office.

A former girlfriend of Elliott’s claims that she was a victim of five separate domestic violence incidents when they were together. Meanwhile, the district attorney’s office in Columbus, Ohio, opted against pursuing charges against him last September. Elliott has maintained his innocence ever since the allegations came to light.

In January, Elliott said that he wanted the investigation to conclude so that he could have closure and move on:

“I do want closure,” Elliott said. “I would rather it not drag on this long. If there was something to find, which there’s not, they would’ve found it by now. The police did a very thorough investigation. I will tell you this — it just seems like they’re dragging their feet right now. Who knows, man? I’m just ready for it to end.”

Elliott, 22 in July, ran for a league-leading 1,631 yards off of 322 carries last year with 15 scores. He also added 32 catches for 363 yards and one touchdown.

NFC Rumors: Vikings, Zeke, Roseman, Cards

April 1st, 2017 at 4:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

Harrison Smith underwent ankle surgery in February but is expected to be ready for training camp. The Vikings‘ top defensive back is ahead of schedule in his recovery from the left ankle operation, per Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, but the team is expected to be cautious with him this offseason. A high ankle sprain hampered Smith toward the end of last season, and although the Pro Bowl defender returned for the Vikings’ final two games after missing two in December, a corrective procedure became necessary. A source informed Tomasson that Smith opted for surgery after playing on the injured ankle in the Pro Bowl led to it “getting worse.” Smith will enter the first season of his five-year, $51.25MM contract in 2017.

Here’s more from the NFC.

Jerry Jones acknowledged the Ezekiel Elliott video that emerged via TMZ last month is “not good.” The video shows the Cowboys running back lowering a woman’s top on a float at a Dallas St. Patrick’s Day parade. “There is not much that I want to say other than that was unfortunate and not good,” Jones said, via the Dallas Morning News,” Jones said. “It wouldn’t be the right emphasis one way or the other to get into any communications or dialogue since that happened. … I wouldn’t want to say on communication, but I’m aware of the incident and I’m aware of the criticism.” Representatives of the 21-year-old Elliott expect him to be cleared of wrongdoing in a 2016 domestic violence case, but this incident adds to a growing list of off-the-field drama for the talented back.
The Rams did not pursue T.J. McDonald or Case Keenum in free agency, according to the Los Angeles Times. An impending eight-game suspension reduced interest in McDonald, who landed with the Dolphins. Keenum signed with the Vikings.
Howie Roseman‘s given more power over the Eagles‘ draft board to VP of player personnel Joe Douglas than he did previous lieutenants Ryan Grigson or Tom Gamble, Jeff McLane of Philly.com writes. “The draft is going to be really built by Joe,” Jeffrey Lurie said, via McLane, before adding “the final decision will be made by Howie.” This will be Douglas’ first draft with the Eagles after landing in Philadelphia last May. McLane writes this will take some of the prospect-evaluation burden off of Roseman.
The Cardinals do not look set to add any notable help at either running back or wide receiver. Bruce Arians said (via Kent Somers of AZCentral.com) the team is content with what it has there. The fifth-year Cardinals coach noted Kerwynn Williams can be the No. 2 back behind David Johnson, and the coach expects a healthier season from John Brown. Somers notes depth pieces could come via lower-round picks or UDFAs, but it appears Arizona will address other positions with its higher draft picks.
Tim Hightower‘s 49ers deal is a one-year agreement, according to Nick Shook of NFL.com. The former Cardinals, Redskins and Saints back will turn 31 in May.