PFT: Ezekiel Elliott has privately said that he’s planning a training-camp*holdout

Cotton

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Posted by Mike Florio on July 15, 2019, 1:23 PM EDT



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Chargers running back Melvin Gordon isn’t being coy about his intent to hold out until he gets a new deal. Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott apparently is, at least for now.

Per a league source, Elliott has privately said that he will hold out of training camp unless he gets a new contract.

The Cowboys haven’t focused on giving Elliott a new contract, largely because they don’t have to. They have instead focused on players with more immediate paths to free agency, from defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence (who has signed) to quarterback Dak Prescott and receiver Amari Cooper (who haven’t).

Prescott and Cooper are due to become free agents next year. Elliott, the fourth overall draft pick in 2016, has two years remaining on his rookie deal, given that first-round selections are subject to a fifth-year option.

If Elliot indeed intends to holdout, he’s smart. He has significant value now, and after the next two years his worth to the franchise could plummet — either due to the wear and tear of playing tailback or a possible shift in offensive philosophy away from the team’s run-to-set-up-the-pass-but-still-run-a-lot strategy.

After former Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray led the league in rushing five years ago (and in turn set a single-season franchise record that still stands), the team let him leave via free agency. Elliott could be facing that same fate, which makes any plan to make a stand extremely sensible.

Due to make a salary of $3.85 million this year and $9.09 million in 2020, Elliott ultimately could looking for at least $10 million per year. Whether the Cowboys blink — and whether Elliott follows through on his plan to hold out — remains to be seen.
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He would be monumentally stupid to do this.
 

deadrise

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"If Elliot indeed intends to holdout, he’'s smart. He has significant value now, and after the next two years his worth to the franchise could plummet — either due to the wear and tear of playing tailback or a possible shift in offensive philosophy away from the team’s run-to-set-up-the-pass-but-still-run-a-lot strategy.

"After former Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray led the league in rushing five years ago (and in turn set a single-season franchise record that still stands), the team let him leave via free agency. Elliott could be facing that same fate, which makes any plan to make a stand extremely sensible."

Florio seem to think Elliot would be smart and sensible to hold out. I tend to agree, putting aside the moral aspects of breaking a contract. ("Contracts are made to be broken" the saying goes.)

Elliot has leverage now. At the end of five years, he'll have none. The organization clearly believes it has the pieces in place to make a run. Elliot is THE KEY PIECE out of all those pieces. Dak may be on the cusp of bigger things, but maybe not. Frederick is a question mark. Heath is a question mark. May be a question mark as to who starts at left guard.

Of all those question marks, Elliot is the only one who's not a question mark. Without him, the odds of making a run drop through the basement.

Garrett's job is on the line. (If it's not, it should be.) Everyone, including Elliot and his agent, knows Garrett will run Elliot into the ground this season. So if the team is going to ride on Elliot's back to the post season, why not make them pay? Now?

Two years from now a lot of the tread may be gone from Elliot's tires. If you're Elliot, you have to say, They're not gonna dump me like they did Murray. Pay me now, or kiss any hopes for this season goodbye.
 

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RB is sort of an odd man position in the NFL compared to others. Most positions are hitting their prime at the end of 4 or 5 seasons. So for them to wait until then to get paid the big bucks kind of makes sense for everyone. RB is different though. By the time they go through 5 seasons in the league their best years are often behind them. They aren't usually as valuable at that point as say a cheaper younger option in the draft. So of course RB's are in a position where pushing for the big contract early is their best bet. On the flip side why should Dallas extend him now? He is under contract for 2 more years. And unlike the franchise tag he can't just sit them out and become an unrestricted free agent. He'd basically be sacrificing his career and money for no reason.
 

Simpleton

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Just give him 4/60 now and be done with it. If you're going to extend him (and they will one way or the other), it's better to do it now than 2 years from now. Rip up the 5th year option, tack on 4/60 that begins next year, absorb some of the guaranteed money this year, and by the time that deal is up he'll be going on age 29 which I'd imagine will be just about the perfect time to move on. He's still going to be an elite RB at age 27, but you'd rather that he only has 2 years left on his deal at that point rather than 4.
 

deadrise

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RB is sort of an odd man position in the NFL compared to others. Most positions are hitting their prime at the end of 4 or 5 seasons. So for them to wait until then to get paid the big bucks kind of makes sense for everyone. RB is different though. By the time they go through 5 seasons in the league their best years are often behind them. They aren't usually as valuable at that point as say a cheaper younger option in the draft. So of course RB's are in a position where pushing for the big contract early is their best bet. On the flip side why should Dallas extend him now? He is under contract for 2 more years. And unlike the franchise tag he can't just sit them out and become an unrestricted free agent. He'd basically be sacrificing his career and money for no reason.
Dallas should extend him now because if he holds out for any length of time their season goes down the toilet. They're as close as they've been talent wise in a long time. But without him a huge chunk of that talent is missing.

It would be one thing if he were a great running back on an average team. But he's a great RB on what seems to be a fairly talented team that may be poised to go to the next level. I remember the Emmit Smith holdout when they lost the first two games of that season. Suddenly Jerry found the money.
 

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Dallas should extend him now because if he holds out for any length of time their season goes down the toilet. They're as close as they've been talent wise in a long time. But without him a huge chunk of that talent is missing.

It would be one thing if he were a great running back on an average team. But he's a great RB on what seems to be a fairly talented team that may be poised to go to the next level. I remember the Emmit Smith holdout when they lost the first two games of that season. Suddenly Jerry found the money.
I seriously doubt a guy making almost 10 mil next season is going to hold out with 2 years left on his contract. Dallas really holds all of the power in this situation. My guess is as most he holds out for camp and is back as soon as the paychecks would start coming.
 

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Dallas should extend him now because if he holds out for any length of time their season goes down the toilet. They're as close as they've been talent wise in a long time. But without him a huge chunk of that talent is missing.

It would be one thing if he were a great running back on an average team. But he's a great RB on what seems to be a fairly talented team that may be poised to go to the next level. I remember the Emmit Smith holdout when they lost the first two games of that season. Suddenly Jerry found the money.
It’s been something with Elliot every season. While he is a talented RB he always has some issue that keeps the team in a state of waiting for the other shoe to drop. Now that the Commissioner has declared a no suspension issue he brings his own stick to stir the pot before the season even gets underway. I don’t think he will ever become a mature player. He just might fade away as one who falls into the what might have been label.
 

Cowboysrock55

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Just give him 4/60 now and be done with it. If you're going to extend him (and they will one way or the other), it's better to do it now than 2 years from now. Rip up the 5th year option, tack on 4/60 that begins next year, absorb some of the guaranteed money this year, and by the time that deal is up he'll be going on age 29 which I'd imagine will be just about the perfect time to move on. He's still going to be an elite RB at age 27, but you'd rather that he only has 2 years left on his deal at that point rather than 4.
And I'm cool with this too. The guy is already making nearly 10 mil a season. Plus the fifth year option will be even more. Of course if he won't take a deal like this I'd probably just play hardball.
 

deadrise

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Just give him 4/60 now and be done with it. If you're going to extend him (and they will one way or the other), it's better to do it now than 2 years from now. Rip up the 5th year option, tack on 4/60 that begins next year, absorb some of the guaranteed money this year, and by the time that deal is up he'll be going on age 29 which I'd imagine will be just about the perfect time to move on. He's still going to be an elite RB at age 27, but you'd rather that he only has 2 years left on his deal at that point rather than 4.
Seems to be a very common sense solution. Pay the guy and be done with it.
 

deadrise

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It’s been something with Elliot every season. While he is a talented RB he always has some issue that keeps the team in a state of waiting for the other shoe to drop. Now that the Commissioner has declared a no suspension issue he brings his own stick to stir the pot before the season even gets underway. I don’t think he will ever become a mature player. He just might fade away as one who falls into the what might have been label.

And Jerry's pathetic Super Bowl desperation will fade away along with him, once again, into the what might have been label.
 

L.T. Fan

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And Jerry's pathetic Super Bowl desperation will fade away along with him, once again, into the what might have been label.
Are you blaming Jones for Elliot’s behavioral problems of the past?
 

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Jerry thinks we're close, so this will never happen in a million years, but he has a point about Zeke's peak value. It'll never be higher.
 

Rev

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It’s been something with Elliot every season. While he is a talented RB he always has some issue that keeps the team in a state of waiting for the other shoe to drop. Now that the Commissioner has declared a no suspension issue he brings his own stick to stir the pot before the season even gets underway. I don’t think he will ever become a mature player. He just might fade away as one who falls into the what might have been label.
This isn't about being immature. Its a response to how teams view or pay the RB position now. He very well should get his money because if he waits then the team is going to use the wear and tear against him. The same wear and tear that they put on him. Use them and toss them seems to be the in thing to do now.
 

L.T. Fan

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This isn't about being immature. Its a response to how teams view or pay the RB position now. He very well should get his money because if he waits then the team is going to use the wear and tear against him. The same wear and tear that they put on him. Use them and toss them seems to be the in thing to do now.
I guess it’s a race whether he screws up beyond being retrieved first or is used up trying to break Murray’s rushing record for a season.
 

Rev

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I guess it’s a race whether he screws up beyond being retrieved first or is used up trying to break Murray’s rushing record for a season.
He dont need that record to be considered far superior. :hattip
 

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Jerry thinks we're close, so this will never happen in a million years, but he has a point about Zeke's peak value. It'll never be higher.
Id seriously consider trading Zeke.
 

ravidubey

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We rode this kid and Dak was useless without him

So we’re going to pay Dak a truckload and deal with Zeke “later”. Like when his back is broken?

I’d be like ”Fuck You”

Get what you can, Zeke, you’ve more than earned it
 
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