As we draw nearer to the end of July and the start of training camp for the Dallas Cowboys in Oxnard, California, it’s time to start thinking about how the team can shape up for the 2024 regular season.
Training camp officially starts with the first practice on July 25th.
The Cowboys and the other 31 NFL teams are allowed a 90-player roster for camp that can extend to 91 if they designate an international player.
The Cowboys’ previous international player, DT Isaac Alarcon, saw his eligibility expire last season so he can no longer take that title on the roster. Dallas likes to take advantage of every clause so I’m certain they will unearth another to maximize the amount of bodies at camp.
A couple of days ago I published an article about three cornerbacks who are closer to the roster bubble than we think. Today we flip to the offensive side of the ball.
Dallas lost quite a few players to expiring contracts and most of them are now in Washington under new Commanders head coach and former Cowboys’ DC Dan Quinn.
Players who exchanged The Star on their helmet for a big, ugly “W” include C Tyler Biadasz, defensive ends Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler Jr., and CB Noah Igbinoghene.
Social media is calling Washington the “Cowmanders” and I think that’s pretty funny.
The exodus of so many impact players in free agency has created more competition among younger players on the roster vying for more snaps.
This competition is worth monitoring and will have huge implications for the final roster.
I won’t focus on a specific position group today. Instead, I want to focus on a particular player who has been a fan favorite since he arrived in 2016.
RB Ezekiel Elliott
Everybody loves Ezekiel Elliott.
If you are one of those fans still crying about the dead money he is counting against the cap, trying your best to prove that he is “washed,” then you will entertain the idea of his release.
Elliott signed a 1yr/$2 million deal with $1.625 million guaranteed and a $375k signing bonus.
He is no longer wearing #21, instead donning his college number, 15. It looks different but there’s a certain comfort having him back in the lineup with his bestie, QB Dak Prescott.
As much as we love to see Zeke back in a Cowboys uniform, we must prepare for the chance that he is not on the roster for the week 1 matchup in Cleveland.
Tony Pollard is gone to Tennessee and the duo of Pollard and Rico Dowdle wasn’t terrible. Blame the running game (or lack, thereof) on a poor run scheme and an offensive line that didn’t feel cohesive until late in the season.
Ezekiel Elliott hasn’t lost all of his bursts, but poor run-blocking won’t do him any favors. He’s not as shifty as he used to be so the overall run scheme will be important to his success.
I don’t see any other running back on the roster capable of doing the things Ezekiel Elliott can do.
Rico Dowdle proved that he could step in and contribute. He even surprised us with some of the plays he was able to break open, running free into the secondary. However, Dowdle lacks in the pass protection department, a trait that is important to HC Mike McCarthy’s offensive scheme.
Prescott needs time to let his downfield routes develop and he can’t do that with blitzers screaming into his line of sight.
Deuce Vaughn appears to be a change-of-pace back if he’s even given ample opportunity to do so.
Hunter Luepke is still remembered for his fumble on the 1-yard line in Miami. Dallas lost that game by a field goal and a victory would have kept their hopes alive for the NFC’s #1 seed.
Royce Freeman possesses many of the same traits as Elliott, including pass protection; it was a must in Sean McVay’s offense in Los Angeles.
Could Ezekiel Elliott really be on the roster bubble? Only time and training camp will tell.
as a Cowboys fan, Jerry Jones brought back Ezekiel Elliott on a desperate move because Jerry Jones didn’t draft a running back and Tony Pollard left through free agency what Jerry Jones shuold do is call Steelers Omar Khan and trade for Najee Harris and give the Steelers the Cowboys 2025 number# 1 draft pick
Ain’t no way Dallas should send a 1st round pick for Najee. 6th or 7th would suffice.
Look, it’s spot on to warn readers to be prepared for totally unimpressive rushing performance work from Elliott – it’s certainly what I expect. But the claim about “roster bubble” is ugly clickbait. Even the article itself seemed to speak against the premise.
Elements in play:
-Elliott is only being paid like a guy competing for a RB2 spot
-Most of the pay is already guaranteed
-The Cowboys don’t exactly have RB “prospects” on hand who could be an opportunity cost of keeping Elliott
-Even if he’s an outright JAG rusher in general, Elliott’s hard running, feel for gaps in short yardage, and blocking make him a guy with plenty of room to have a role in most any RB room
-Dallas’s RB room is almost empty, and thus needs guys with something to offer
What would be the “why” behind cutting him?There haven’t been signs of his being trouble in the locker room; he wouldn’t take the roster space of someone who is cheap and has promise; he is cheap himself, and his pay is basically locked in; he has some stuff to offer.
There may be a hard ceiling on the upside of holding on to him, but there’s some floor and virtually no downside in keeping him.