Colin Cowherd Says Cowboys 'Don't Need Ezekiel Elliott'

The Dallas Cowboys leaders have constantly reiterated throughout this offseason that Ezekiel [...]

By John Newby

The Dallas Cowboys leaders have constantly reiterated throughout this offseason that Ezekiel Elliott will be back in the building with a new contract in hand, but so far, that hasn't exactly happened. While the team is preparing for roster cuts and the fourth preseason game, Zeke is down in Cabo training on his own. The expectation is that he will be healthy and ready when the deal is reached.

Interestingly enough, there is one figure that says the Cowboys don't actually need Zeke. Sports personality Colin Cowherd stated on Wednesday morning that the surrounding talented has improved so much that it's not really worth handing the star running back a bag of loot. Anyone could step into an offense that features Dak Prescott, Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, Jason Witten and this offensive line and quickly find success.

"Do you need $18 million a year at running back," Cowherd asked? "I'm not denying that Zeke's better than Tony Pollard, but running back is weird in the NFL."

As Cowherd continued to explain, Seattle used a seventh-round pick on a running back named Chris Carson. He was a little-used prospect out of Oklahoma State but has since taken over the starting job. Meanwhile, their first-round pick in Rashaad Penny can't beat out Carson in the rotation. Cowherd also cited similar situations in Denver, Los Angeles (Chargers) and San Francisco to further prove his point.

As the final piece in his argument, the outspoken radio host said that this Cowboys offensive line is so good that it doesn't really matter who is running the ball. They have created three different 1,000-yard rushers since 2014. DeMarco Murray started the trend with 1,845 yards in 2014, Darren McFadden added in 1,089 in 2015, and Zeke has topped 1,000 yards twice in his career. Cowherd believes that Pollard could be the latest to achieve this feat.

Ultimately, there is no denying that Elliott is the superior talent of the group. He's been electrifying since entering the league in 2016. Cowherd just doesn't believe that it's worth paying him so much money when another running back can step into the rotation and quickly find success.

If the team and Elliott do not reach a new deal prior to the regular-season kickoff against the New York Giants, Cowherd will be watching his theory be put to the test.

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