Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones wants running back Ezekiel Elliot signed and with the team as soon as possible. However, there is one problem that is causing the delay. Jones was recently on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas and he was asked if it would be easier to sign Elliott if he was in Dallas right now.
“Of course, you eliminate…that’s always been the issue with me and my approach to managing the Cowboys. When you cut out people in between the money and the player, we all know that agents, attorneys all have an agenda,” Jones said. “But the way, they are all taking money out of the pie too where they’re there. The straighter it goes from the source to the once receiving it, nine times out of 10 that’s efficient.”
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Elliott has not been with the team as he’s been in Cabo training and waiting to get a deal he likes. And according to Mike Garafolo of NFL media, Elliott won’t be with the Cowboys until he’s the highest-paid running back in the league.
Jerry Jones on @1053thefan was asked about it being easier to get contracts done when there are negotiations in person, and if the Ezekiel Elliott contract would get done quicker if he was in Dallas right now: pic.twitter.com/pgSQLruqmk
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) August 28, 2019
“More efficient? Or cheaper? Zeke’s reps aren’t taking a deal that wouldn’t make him the highest-paid running back. I can’t blame them one bit on this one,” Garafolo said when responding to Jones’ comments.
On Wednesday, the Cowboys had their awards luncheon and to no surprise Elliott was not in attendance. Jones talked about Elliott at the luncheon and he’s confident the NFL’s leading rusher in 2018 will be back very soon.
“We’re missing one but we’ll have him on the field,” Jones said. “And I’m not joking.”
If for some reason, Elliott isn’t available to start the season, the Cowboys will go with Tony Pollard, a rookie from Memphis. Pollard talked about Elliott earlier this week and he said he’ll be ready to go in any capacity.
“That’s not for me to worry about,” he said. “I’m just coming in being the best back I can be, doing whatever the team needs me to do.”
In his three seasons in Dallas, Elliott has rushed for 4,048 yards and 28 touchdowns. He has led the NFL in rushing yards in 2016 and 2018 and he has led the NFL in rush yards per carry the last three years. So if the Cowboys wants to make a run at the Super Bowl, Jones needs to find a way to sign Elliott very soon.
