Skip Bayless shoots down rumors of Ezekiel Elliott's Cowboys return - “Need that like a hole in the head”
Ezekiel Elliott hasn't even been officially clear of the Dallas Cowboys for a full week. But rumors of a Tom Brady-like return to his former team are already proliferating through cyberspace.
Speaking on Undisputed, a diehard Elliott fan Skip Bayless wrote off the idea succinctly in two sentences. Here's how he put it:
"Well, that's what we need. Yeah, we need that like a hole in the head."
He went on to reveal that there was no personal ill-will directed toward the running back. He simply didn't get it done and hasn't for quite some time.
Tony Pollard's rise key in Ezekiel Elliott's fall
Most would agree that ever since Tony Pollard entered the equation, the veteran running back revealed several flaws in the running back's game. While Pollard has proven an ability to hit holes hard in a north-south manner in addition to catching the football, Elliott has not.
Tony Pollard is the only one of the franchised tagged players without a long-term deal who has signed his tag. twitter.com/OmarDRuiz/stat…
The peak of Pollard's career coincided with the lowest two points of his predecessor's career, at least from a reputation standpoint. In 2021 and 2022, Pollard earned over 1700 yards combined on the ground and 11 touchdowns in 320 attempts. In comparison, No. 21 earned less than 1900 yards in 468 carries.
Top 10 running backs in the NFL right now
1. Nick Chubb
2. Derrick Henry
3. CMC
4. Saquan Barkley
5. Jonathan Taylor
6. Josh Jacobs
7. Miles Sanders
8. Aaron Jones
9. Justin Fields
10. Tony Pollard https://t.co/5IE2ZHlPKj
In terms of receiving yards, Pollard also had him beaten over those two years. No. 21 earned less than 400 combined yards while Pollard earned about 700 yards. For years, pundits across the airwaves have expressed a sense of impending doom for the running back and after the 2023 season, doom arrived.
Landing spots for Ezekiel Elliott
Now, the question is where the running back might land next. At this point, no teams have publicly made a move to court the running back. However, some have pointed to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a potential landing spot after the exit of Leonard Fournette as the offense attempts to quickly remodel after losing Tom Brady.
Others have pointed to the New England Patriots, who have made a habit of taking swings at big-name players in recent years (Antonio Brown). At the very least, they have a precedent of making a run at improving the offense in a big way overnight via free agency.
The Browns have also been touted as a potential fit after losing Kareem Hunt. With a make-or-break season on the way for Deshaun Watson, getting extra pieces on the market might be a spot of emphasis.