Training camp has been in full swing for the past couple of weeks and the Dallas Cowboys have already played their first preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers on the road on Saturday August 10. Meanwhile, the Ezekiel Elliott holdout has begun. The running back has not shown up to training camp yet. There is serious concern that he will not be ready for Week 1. Dallas hosts the New York Giants on Sunday September 8.
Elliott was the fourth overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft and he is 24 years old. Ezekiel Elliott is also one of the best running backs in the NFL. He is under contract for this season and next season. The reason for the Ezekiel Elliott holdout is because he believes he deserves a new contract already. Since Ezekiel Elliott wants a new contract, should the Dallas Cowboys sign him or trade him?
There are pros and cons with the scenarios. The main pro is that they don’t have worry about him holding out any longer. He also might be the most important player on the offensive side ball of depending who you ask.
In 15 games played last season, Elliott rushed for 1,434 yards on 304 carries and six touchdowns. He also caught 77 passes for 567 yards receiving and three touchdowns.
In his career so far, Ezekiel Elliott has already rushed for 4,048 yards on 868 carries and 28 touchdowns. He has also caught 135 passes for 1,199 yards receiving and six touchdowns.
One of the potential cons for Dallas could be if Elliott gets extended, other players like Dak Prescott, Amari Cooper, Jaylon Smith, Leighton Vander Esch, and Tyron Smith may not get the money they want.
If Ezekiel Elliott was traded, one of the pros is there would be no more distractions. The second pro would be teams need to have at least two very good running backs to win the Super Bowl, even if they are not a super star. Dallas has not won the Super Bowl since 1996 and is yet to make a run with Elliott.
Some of the other running backs currently on the roster are Alfred Morris, rookies Tony Pollard and Mike Weber Jr., Jordan Chunn, and Darius Jackson. It would be very interesting to see who would be the starting running back in Week 1 for Dallas if Elliott is not ready to play. Any combination of these backs could be a dangerous one-two punch.
Another pro of trading him is the money would be distributed evenly between the stars on this football team. Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper are not complaining about their contract situation.
One of the biggest cons of trading Elliott would be not having one of the best running backs anymore.
Another con would be they would have to rely on Dak Prescott to win games. Although, he was much better when Amari Cooper arrived in Dallas last season after they acquired him in a trade with the Oakland Raiders.
Speaking of trades, some potential trade suitors for Ezekiel Elliott could be the Detroit Lions, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Buffalo Bills, the Miami Dolphins, the Denver Broncos, or the San Francisco 49ers.
What would I do if I were the Dallas Cowboys right now? I would first try to sign Ezekiel Elliott to a contract extension. If by the end of September he isn’t given his contract extension, then I would trade him.
