3 Reasons Cowboys Should Neglect Ezekiel Elliott While Extending Their Stars

Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys will soon find themselves caught in between a rock and a hard place, as several young stars, the most notable of which is running back Ezekiel Elliott, are in line for big paydays. The hard salary cap will make it nigh impossible for Dallas to keep all of their young pieces in town much longer. If they decide they have to jettison one or more of them to save money, here's why Elliott should be among the departed.

3. Elliott Has a Lot Of Mileage on His Tires And Baggage

While Elliott has put up some incredible numbers over his first three seasons, those numbers have come partially as a result of one of the most demanding workloads in the league. Elliott has led the league in carries in 2016 and 2018, each time crossing 300 carries. While different players fall off for different reasons, there is a strong correlation between running backs who get lots of touches and shorter careers. His off-field history, which saw him suspended in 2017, must be taken into account as well.

2. They Should Keep Their Young Defense Together

The Cowboys have drafted extremely well on the defensive side of the ball, with Jaylon Smith, DeMarcus Lawrence, Leighton Vander Esch, and Byron Jones all rising to the peak of their respective positions. With Lawrence already signed, Dallas will need to make some difficult decisions on which players stay and which go. Letting Elliott walk could free up space for two defensive stars.

1. They Have to Pay Dak Prescott

Is Zeke a better running back than Dak is a quarterback? Of course he is, that's not even a question. However, the days of building around a running back are in the past, and a quarterback is essential. Even if Dak is merely an above-average quarterback, keeping the QB over a running back who will won't be able to play as long is a move 32 teams out of 32 would make in this league.