Zeke incoming? Cowboys' cutdown day leaves only 2 running backs on roster
A light at the end of the tunnel might be starting to appear for the Dallas Cowboys amid Ezekiel Elliott’s contract holdout.
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After a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Elliott and the Cowboys were making progress on a new deal and could have an extension done as early as this weekend, the Cowboys added some intrigue by cutting all but two of the running backs on their roster.
Here’s another sign there’s optimism on a new deal for Ezekiel Elliott: Dallas released RBs Jordan Chunn, Darius Jackson, Mike Weber, leaving Alfred Morris and Tony Pollard as only RBs on Cowboys’ roster. Signing Elliott would give Cowboys a third RB, not to mention their MVP.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 31, 2019
Also on the roster is fullback Jamize Olawale, per The Athletic’s Jon Machota.
It’s worth noting the Cowboys’ 53-man roster at this point last year also featured only two running backs in Elliott and Rod Smith, but that was the benefit of having a do-everything player like Elliott. Tony Pollard and Alfred Morris don’t quite cover that ground.
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Elliott has made clear he desires to become the NFL’s highest-paid running back, which means the Cowboys would have to top Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley’s four-year, $60 million deal. The Cowboys were previously reported to have offered Elliott top-two money (read: second) among running backs.
It’s unclear how the Cowboys and Elliott have made progress, but it seems a holdout that has gotten quite personal might be nearing its end.
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