3 reasons why the Dallas Cowboys will be better off without Ezekiel Elliott
Ever since he was drafted fourth overall in 2016, Ezekiel Elliott has been one of the faces of the Dallas Cowboys, alongside quarterback Dak Prescott, who was taken 135th the same year.
In his seven seasons with Jerry Jones' team, he has been their primary offensive weapon on the ground, and his accolades and numbers speak for themselves: 8,262 yards on 1,881 attempts and 68 rushing touchdowns. His records rank him third-best in franchise history behind legends Emmitt Smith and Tony Dorsett; three Pro Bowls; and two All-Pro selections.
But just two weeks ago, that all changed when the Cowboys released Elliott.
Now, it may have been surprising at the time given his potential to be a franchise legend, but there are indicators that it was the right move for the team to make, both on and off the field. Here are three reasons why waiving Elliott will only be beneficial for the Cowboys in the long run.
The time has come
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The Cowboys will look to reduce costs
After a holdout in 2019, Elliott signed a six-year extension worth $90 million, $50 million of it guaranteed. That represented a large amount of money at the time, and four seasons later, the Cowboys have decided that it is indeed too much money to retain the player.
With Prescott (pictured) entering the third season of the $160 million, four-year deal he signed in 2021, they obviously needed to make some cap space underneath their quarterback. But even if they had not been under cap constraints, Elliott would still not have been safe, because...
Ezekiel Elliott has seen a decline in stats
2022 marked the worst year of Elliott's career, as he set career lows in almost every single stat. In 15 games (including four starts), the RB rushed for only 876 yards on 231 rushes, both career lows. The resulting 3.8 yds per carry were, in fact, the worst for a starting running back.
Besides those low rushing numbers, Elliott also did not do well when catching the ball. He had only 17 receptions, though at a higher rate (.739 when compared to .684 in 2021). He also failed to reach triple-digit receiving yards and catch a TD pass for the first time in his career.
All those numbers hurt Elliott's chances at remaining with the team, but another player may have ended them...
Tony Pollard looks set to be the Cowboys' rusher of the future
Meanwhile, as Elliott was declining, his former backup Tony Pollard had a breakout year. The fourth-year RB broke 1,000 rushing yards for the first time in his career, and he was also more prolific than Elliott in the playoffs, just missing 100 on 21 carries (Elliott managed only 53 on 23).
An unfortunate leg injury during the Divisional Round against the 49ers ended his run, but he soon received the franchise tag, only further solidifying his future in a Cowboys uniform.
But at 27 years of age, Elliott is still in his prime and has no shortage of chances to redeem himself and prove his worth. Per CBS Sports, the Cowboys could retain him on a less lucrative contract either as a backup or in red-zone situations. Otherwise, the likes of the Houston Texans and Cincinnati Bengals can pick him up to improve their respective ground games. Either way, it will be interesting to see where he lands next.