Archer: With Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys won't have a committee approach

Cotton

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With Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys won't have a committee approach

9:10 PM ET
Todd Archer
ESPN Staff Writer

IRVING, Texas -- A year ago at this time, the biggest question about the Dallas Cowboys' running game in 2015 was the definition of roles.

Would Joseph Randle get the chance to show that DeMarco Murray left meat on the bone in 2014? Would Darren McFadden be the No. 1 back? Would the Cowboys go with some sort of committee approach to approximate the 1,845 yards Murray ran for?

There isn’t much of a question this year.

Not with the Cowboys selecting Ezekiel Elliott in the first round.

“You don’t pick a running back with the fourth pick of the draft unless you think he’s unique,” executive vice president Stephen Jones said.

The Cowboys drafted Elliott at No. 4 in an era in which running backs have become devalued. He is the first running back picked in the top five since Trent Richardson went No. 3 overall in 2012. He is just the seventh back since 2006 to be picked in the top 10, a list that includes McFadden, who went No. 4 overall in 2008 to the Oakland Raiders.

According to ESPN Stats & Information, the six running backs picked in the top five since 2005 have made one Pro Bowl. That was Ronnie Brown, who went No. 2 overall to the Miami Dolphins in 2005 and went to the Pro Bowl in 2008. The last running back picked in the top five to reach multiple Pro Bowls in his career was LaDainian Tomlinson, who went to five after being picked fifth overall in 2001 by the San Diego Chargers.

“If you’ve got one that’s special, one that brings something unique to the table, then, yeah, you use that guy more,” Jones said. “And you don’t use the committee. But if you’ve got some guys that it’s better to spread it around and led the guys do what they do best, then that can be effective to do. Obviously with the guy we just drafted he can do a little bit of everything and get in rhythm. He’s been very successful doing that. He’s caught the ball out of the backfield. He pass blocks. He rushes it very well. I think that’s why he’s been one of the more unique backs to come out in the last 10 years.”

Offensive coordinator Scott Linehan has relied mostly on one ballcarrier the last two seasons. Murray had a team-record 392 carries in 2014, with Randle having the second-most with 51. Last season McFadden had 236 carries and Randle had 76.

In the first six games, when Randle was the lead back, McFadden had just two games with at least 10 carries. Once Randle was cut, McFadden was the only back to have more than seven carries in a game. Four times McFadden had at least 20 carries. Three other times he had more than 15.

In 2014, the Cowboys had just two games in which two runners reached double-digit carries.

McFadden and Alfred Morris, who signed a two-year deal in free agency, might have to battle each other to be the No. 2 guy if Elliott is as successful as the Cowboys think. Lance Dunbar is recovering from a significant knee injury and is likely to open the season on the physically unable to perform list.

Having too many running backs isn’t necessarily a bad thing because of the pounding they take during a season. It is possible the Cowboys could find themselves in an envious position before the season starts, with a team perhaps wanting to make a low-cost deal for one of their veteran backs.

The Cowboys have months to work this out -- if something even needs to be worked out.

"We promote competition on our football team,” coach Jason Garrett said. “It's our job to try to bring the best players to our team. Everybody understands that. We make that abundantly clear. It's our job to make sure all the pieces of the puzzle fit together. To have a guy like Zeke Elliott available, we think that helps our team. To have Darren McFadden and Alfred Morris and Lance Dunbar and the other guys, it's a really healthy running back room.”

Just don’t expect a committee approach if Elliott is everything the Cowboys think he is.
 

Cowboysrock55

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I agree, but I also hope we don't abuse him like we did Murray. 392 carries for Elliott is not a good idea either. That means we still need to make sure to use the other backs, as painful as that may be. Obviously every time we pull Elliott off the field for McFadden or Morris I'm sure there will be a collective groan on this board with myself included, but ultimately we need to do it at times. You invested a fourth round pick in the guy to be the solution at RB for years to come.
 

Simpleton

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Yea, we can't be riding this guy for 30 carries against the Bears in Week 6 or some shit. McFadden and Morris are more than capable of spelling Elliott for a drive or two per half. Using 2014 as a benchmark Murray had 449 touches (carries+receptions), my goal would be to get Elliott down to about 325 touches this year, which would mean we'd have about 125 touches to split between McFadden and Morris.

In 2014 Randle had 55 touches, add that to the 125 and there'd be roughly 175-200 touches to be split between McFadden and Morris this season. That's barely even 10-12 touches per game between the two of them, our dumbass coaches better figure out a way to split 10-12 touches per game between these two guys who could easily start for us in a pinch.

Then in the really big games you ride Elliott like a horse.
 

skidadl

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I don't understand why this team hasn't figured out the concept of balance in all of the decision making. Murray didn't have to be used so much, although I loved seeing him back there. It is like everything is all or nothing. We like SPARQ scores? OK, every draft pick will be evaluated that way. We aren't going to try to build the OL in a reasonable way? OH, lookie now, we are going to draft a bunch of linemen. Again, maybe bad example because we got good results.
 

ravidubey

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It's idiotic to not preserve this kid. Garrett needs to look at how Kevin Gilbride used the Giants running backs for years in the late 2000's and early 2010's. Or how Tom Landry used Tony Dorsett.

We don't want to burn this kid out like we did Murray, Emmitt, and even Marion Barber. Sheesh our track record sucks.
 

VA Cowboy

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I don't understand why this team hasn't figured out the concept of balance in all of the decision making. Murray didn't have to be used so much, although I loved seeing him back there. It is like everything is all or nothing. We like SPARQ scores? OK, every draft pick will be evaluated that way. We aren't going to try to build the OL in a reasonable way? OH, lookie now, we are going to draft a bunch of linemen. Again, maybe bad example because we got good results.
It is frustrating. It's like when Garrett called passes three straight times inside the 10 and failed and then got heavily criticized all week. The next game in the same situation we ran three straight times, either as a knee jerk reaction.

Let's face it, our 'leadership', Jerry and Garrett are basically morons.
 

skidadl

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It is frustrating. It's like when Garrett called passes three straight times inside the 10 and failed and then got heavily criticized all week. The next game in the same situation we ran three straight times, either as a knee jerk reaction.

Let's face it, our 'leadership', Jerry and Garrett are basically morons.
I know some hate him but I'm holding out hope that Jones Jr has a strategy instead of a wildcatter mentality.
 

Jiggyfly

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I know some hate him but I'm holding out hope that Jones Jr has a strategy instead of a wildcatter mentality.
80% of evrything he has done has shown that but some just can't acknowledge that.

Not saying he has been right but he has definitely stuck to a game plan of substance over flash.
 

Angrymesscan

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It's idiotic to not preserve this kid. Garrett needs to look at how Kevin Gilbride used the Giants running backs for years in the late 2000's and early 2010's. Or how Tom Landry used Tony Dorsett.

We don't want to burn this kid out like we did Murray, Emmitt, and even Marion Barber. Sheesh our track record sucks.
We burned Emmitt out???
How many career carries did you expect him to have...???
 

skidadl

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80% of evrything he has done has shown that but some just can't acknowledge that.

Not saying he has been right but he has definitely stuck to a game plan of substance over flash.
I do think he is going to be better. I think that recent drafts point towards reason on the horizon.
 

ravidubey

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We burned Emmitt out???
How many career carries did you expect him to have...???
365, 373, 283 (missed two games), 368, 377, and 327 carries from 1991-1995.

That's a retarded number of carries and it doesn't count playoffs.

No wonder he just collapsed at the end of 1994, played crippled in 1996, and was a non-factor in 1997. He came back strong in 1998, but was never the same. And this was a special, special back, as tough as they come.

Had they another option besides scrub Lincoln Coleman they may have gone 18-1/17-2 and won the Superbowl in 1994. Instead, the first game in San Francisco Emmitt was sluggish after a ridiculous 35 carry game the week before so he could "chase Barry Sanders" for the rushing title (according to Switzer) and his hamstring gave way in New Orleans.

Dallas was so desperate to get him help they locked onto and drafted Sherman Williams in 1995.

Now they have a chance to give carries to Morris, McFadden, and whomever else makes the team. That will be huge come playoff time.
 

p1_

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We don't want to burn this kid out like we did Murray, Emmitt, and even Marion Barber.
How do you say that about Emmitt? We brought him along perfectly. Dude was durable AF.
 
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DLK150

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Durability is an intangible that varies from RB to RB. You can't draft it, you can't coach it, you can't teach it, you either have it or you don't. After Emmitt set the rushing record against Seattle, how many backs have been touted as the one to break it? A half dozen or so? Martin, Lynch, Peterson, Johnson, etc. RB is one of the most volatile positions that takes the most abuse. There is no way to guarantee that any RB will be the "next great thing."

I do expect Elliot to be the focus of the run game, that's pretty much guaranteed by his draft position. That doesn't mean he will become the new bearer of the standard. Everyone that expected Murray to become the franchise all time season rusher in 2014 after his first couple of years, raise your hand. :towel I didn't see it coming and I've been around the block a time or three hundred.

Even though we made Elliot a top 5 pick, I don't expect him to become the face of the franchise. To me, that's just unrealistic.
 

townsend

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I think we need to get comfortable utilizing Morris and McFadden as closers. Elliot can help us burst out to an early lead. The other two can help us drain the clock out of the 3rd quarter. The thing that's going to kill us (which is to say kill Elliot) is if we stay inside of a possession of the other team all game.
 

p1_

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Even though we made Elliot a top 5 pick, I don't expect him to become the face of the franchise. To me, that's just unrealistic.
I imagine the machine will get back on that "new triplets horse" and ride it as much as possible. Romo, Dez and now Zeke. Can't you hear it now?
 

Cotton

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Cotton

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Cowboysrock55

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I wish I felt that way about Elliott. Don't get me wrong, I like Elliott as a player but I don't see anything that makes me think he should be put in a similar category to Peterson.
 

Clay_Allison

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I wish I felt that way about Elliott. Don't get me wrong, I like Elliott as a player but I don't see anything that makes me think he should be put in a similar category to Peterson.
I wouldn't compare Edgerrin James to Peterson, but I have no problem comparing Elliot to Edgerrin James.
 
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