One season away was enough. In a blast from the past Zeke is back in Big D.
Running back Ezekiel Elliott and the Dallas Cowboys have agreed to terms, pending a physical that will bring the multi-time former Pro Bowler back, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported Monday morning, according to sources.
Elliott was back in his home away from home to visit the Cowboys on Wednesday to discuss a potential deal, but nothing came together at that point. After a draft in which Dallas failed to address a glaring need at the running back position, now they have.
“I think a lot of times there is a question of, ‘Will you really, really stick to your board?’ It just felt like every time the situation was there for us to make a pick and do the right thing, it wasn’t at running back,” executive vice-president Stephen Jones said at the draft’s conclusion Saturday. “We had running backs, and we’d be thinking, ‘OK, our pick is coming in 10 picks; eight picks; five picks away,’ then he might be taken.
“We obviously had a group of running backs there in that space where I think there were 75-85 players that we had to watch leave the board. We had a handful of backs that we would have considered, but it just didn’t work out.”
Embed from Getty ImagesElliott, 28, was released in the 2023 offseason by the Cowboys and made his way to Foxborough, signing with the New England Patriots in August and finding moderate success on a struggling offense. He led the Pats with 642 rushing yards as Rhamondre Stevenson was hampered by the injury bug. Still, Elliott averaged only 3.5 yards per carry, offering more statistical evidence that his finest years are in the rearview mirror.
Nonetheless, Elliott’s return to Dallas should offer some stability beyond just memories of the good old days. The former two-time rushing champion, who was taken fourth overall in the 2016 NFL Draft out of Ohio State University by America’s Team, still has a knack for finding the end zone and is a usually an above average pass protector.
“Well, Zeke, as we all know, is one of our favorites,” Cowboys Stephen Jones said Thursday. “He’s laid it on the line for this franchise. He’s the ultimate competitor. I mean, he’s a guy that we obviously think a lot of.”
He will join a backfield that is still flashing a vacancy sign for a true RB1, as Elliott will be part of a depth chart that features Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn and Royce Freeman. They picked up Freeman a week ago in free agency.
Having proclaimed that his club was going “all-in” this year on multiple occasion, owner and general manager Jerry Jones is not likely to satisfy a starving fanbase looking for a big splashy addition to the roster.
But Elliott is bound to cause some excitement and anticipation with his return. Not to mention, as this ‘Boy is back in town’, it might well be his last ride, and it would be fitting if it came with a star on his helmet.
