Cowboys Rumors: Ezekiel Elliott’s Reps Meeting at Facility Ahead of 2024 NFL Draft

Joseph Zucker@@JosephZuckerFeatured Columnist IVApril 24, 2024

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The Dallas Cowboys have hosted a visit with free-agent running back Ezekiel Elliott and his agent, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Josina Anderson of CBS Sports first reported a representative for Elliott was at the team’s facility.

The three-time Pro Bowler spent his first seven years in the NFL with the Cowboys but was cut by the team last offseason. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported in March a reunion was possible but no deal was in place to that point.

Although a lot of fans have fond memories of Elliott, it would probably be a stretch to say his return would be a widely popular move in Dallas.

The team was right to move on when it did. The 28-year-old had run for 876 yards and averaged 3.8 yards per carry in 2022, both of which were personal lows. Tony Pollard, meanwhile, had shown he was the best runner out of the backfield.

Elliott subsequently signed with the New England Patriots and his general decline only continued. He carried the ball 184 times for 642 yards and three touchdowns while catching 51 passes for 313 yards and two scores.

The Cowboys have a glaring need for another running back after Pollard departed in free agency. Elliott alone isn’t really the kind of solution that addresses that concern, though.

Inserting him into a backfield that includes Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn and Royce Freeman would still leave Dallas short of somebody you’d trust to be an effective three-down back. Neither Dowdle nor Vaughn is proven in that role, and the ship has sailed on Elliott being a No. 1 option at this point in his career.

Unless the Cowboys are fully intending to bolster their ground game midway through the 2024 NFL draft, signing Zeke would be a case of putting sentiment ahead of practicality.