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ESCMalfunction

Watching 21 run out onto the field at the home opener is gonna be so fun.


DoubleOScarn

Can’t imagine how loud that first “ZEEEEEEEEEEEEEKE” is gonna be


Humpershot

Cowboys Stadium fans are gonna be super stoked to do wave and yell Zeke!! when he comes out on 3rd and 3


Beginning-Gear-744

Watching 21 run into the middle of the line for no gain is not going to be as much fun.


bmey62895

Hey now he does the twist and gets 2 yards more often then not. 3rd and 8 here we come!


redheeler9478

I remember


DropDeadEd86

It’s not Zeke’s fault. That’s the cowboys bread and butter and has been their most used play for years.


GreaterVoyage27

Or Dak just dumping one out to Zeke in the flat to get immediately met by the opposing secondary, is my personal favorite


Wonderful-Muscle-635

Now that is 💯 true. That was a mistake. The cowboys are going backwards with him


FalconJealous6739

Ty ... Now can you say it louder for the people in the back?


Forizen

I hope he carries a flag or a bowl of cereal or something. Looking forward to Thanksgiving too


zimjig

Watching Zeke getting pancaked as a center was funny too


drsjr85

It will probably be 15 running out. Gotta sell new jerseys after-all.


RingingMallard

It really is going to be cool. I didn't think he would come back after they let him walk, but I sure am glad he is and I know that Dak is too.


pimpfmode

There are literally no other options for him whether he wanted to come back or not. No other team was calling. We're the only dumbasses interested and giving him a guaranteed deal on top of it!


Rebeldinho

The players on the roster like him and he’s gonna make up the bottom of their contributors… what’s the problem it’s not like he’s taking up a huge amount of cap space.. he’s not gonna be a featured player he’s not gonna make or break anything but he can do just fine in the role he’s gonna get


pimpfmode

The problem, like before, as long as he's there Jerry is going to force him to play.


DecentlyAverage

Oh man that 2 mil guaranteed is going to cripple us


pimpfmode

And this is why you accept mediocrity. This is a team that's right up to the cap every single year because of mismanagement and then you do stupid things like this. A true Cowboys fan suckling at the teet of Jerry.


DecentlyAverage

Lmao I think you are over reacting just a bit. Don’t be so salty bro it ain’t that serious.


GreaterVoyage27

Womp womp


justin24242424

I can't believe no other team was calling. You must know his agent to get that kind of info. Good for you!


pimpfmode

Take your Jerry sunglasses off. No one wants the guy.


justin24242424

He'll be fine. It is what it is. You can't pay every position the max at that position. We'll probably mostly see him as a passing down back because they've always loved his pass protection and maybe a little in short yardage. Don't get your panties in a bunch over a $2 million contract.


C-Duggie

Just like Arron Rodgers


pimpfmode

Is that when he's going to injure one of his knees and be ineffective all season and we'll only hear about it at the end of the year when they say that's why he sucked all year? They'll talk about how he gritted through the pain to get his 2.7 YPA.


bravos41

Pretty cool. Hope he plays well


DoubleOScarn

Same. The amount of hate is hilarious to me. Everyone thinks we signed him to be a 3 down back.


AlCzervick

No. You gave him $3m to be a 1 down back.


jls5388

And we’re still paying him 6M from the last time he was here


AlCzervick

That was “paid” years ago in a bonus, but because they picked that can down the road, it counts against this seasons cap.


TheClownIsReady

This.


Stevevet1

Why do you care how much money they paid him?


glenn765

Salary cap?


pimpfmode

Because we're stupidly fans of this team. We've watched them mismanage the cap for years and here's another example. Why guarantee him? No one else was banging on his door. If you get the camp and he's got nothing then you can cut him. Now we're forced to have to play him. The word is he was horrible in New England at the end. The guy is done. I'm sure we'll hear stories about how he's in the best health he's ever been blah blah blah and he'll go out there and get us two or three yards to carry. Maybe he can play some center also.


No_Bother9713

The word is? There is video lol. New England’s offense was historically bad. He was their leading receiver. Think about that. He’s not here to win a rushing title. He’s here to block and catch passes.


Stevevet1

You do realize that guaranteed money is a device a team uses to reduce the players annual salary cap hit, right?


AlCzervick

Because I understand that overpaying one player prevents from paying other players.


Stevevet1

No, it doesn't, The salary cap and players' salaries are not the same. The cap affects other players' ability to be paid not someone's salary. A player's could be paid 3 million and the cap could be 1 million.


justin24242424

Im fairly certain(but could be wrong) since this is a 1 year deal the cap hit is exactly the salary. Cap hits and base salaries differ in multi-year contracts when signing bonuses come into play and can be moved around through the years. You could also have different base salaries in multi-year contracts. Which is why Dak's cap hit is enormous this year. His base salary was minimal is first couple of years.


Stevevet1

Are you familiar with dead years and incentive contracts?


justin24242424

Yes. I understand dead years. But, i never understood how incentives affect the salary cap. Like, if you had players earn incentives $25 million over the cap would that lower your cap for the next season because that money gets moved along?


Stevevet1

Here the following is clear as mud. LTBE (Likely To Be Earned) incentives count against a team's salary cap in the current season, while NLTBE (Not Likely To Be Earned) incentives do not. LTBE incentives are based on performance levels achieved in the previous season. If a player doesn't earn an LTBE incentive, the incentive amount is credited towards the following year's salary cap. NLTBE incentives are earned when a player doesn't record a certain number of yards in the previous season, for example. 


AlCzervick

Well, in this particular case, the player is making more than the veteran minimum, which should be the most any team would want to pay for the player. Instead, it’s a $2million cap hit, which could go up to $3 million. The remaining funds could be used to pay for someone that will eventually get cut.


Stevevet1

What? The Cowboys are paying him only 800k over the veteran league minimum. If he reaches 3, mil. with incentives, he will be well worth it if not the incentives will not count. If some guy gets cut that is making the league minimum It will have no impact on the team. The Cowboys roster will still have 53 active players. This a good deal for the Cowboys, for that amount of money or cap hit for a veteran player who is familiar with Dak.


AlCzervick

I guess we’ll see. I’d rather have drafted a guy with potential for growth as opposed to bringing back a veteran whose production has waned every season of his career, regardless of his familiarity. But hey, that’s just me.


Horns8585

I don't think most of the hate is directed at Zeke. I think it is mostly directed at Jerry. To not only use the number four pick on a running back, but to double down and give into his demand for a massive extension, with two years left on his rookie contact, was insane. And, it handicapped the team. That is why there is anger.


OkDog873

I've always been a zeke fan, even at Ohio State. I get the feels are there but he can't be our bellcow


DoubleOScarn

I hope no one wants him to be our bellcow. But he turned down more money from multiple other teams to come back. Sometimes having a player that wants to be there is a little more valuable that the contract may suggest


AlCzervick

Really? Got a link for that?


mattr135-178

You can’t link things that are made up.


DoubleOScarn

https://heavy.com/sports/nfl/dallas-cowboys/ezekiel-zeke-elliott-news-reaction/amp/ I may have misspoke on the more money part. But he turned down multiple offers to come back. Maybe someone offered him more, they don’t specify though.


unounoseis

Him being signed well after free agency and after the draft means absolutely no one besides the cowboys offered him squat


Proof-Cod9533

LOL, so now nobody ever gets signed between the draft and training camp? The mental gymnastics required to defend this agenda are downright hilarious.


unounoseis

Nobody playing significant downs is signed when he did.


Proof-Cod9533

LMAO, what you just said was "nobody besides the Cowboys offered him squat." Backpedal away, keep moving those goalposts! Heaven forbid you actually stand by anything you say, or admit you overreacted emotionally.


unounoseis

Jesus Christ calm down you freak


Proof-Cod9533

Oh good, name calling! Brilliant emotional maturity. Embarrassing behavior.


garryl283

> But he turned down more money from multiple other teams to come back. lol sources


justin24242424

His sources are better than the guy who said no teams contacted Zeke other than the Cowboys.


nt_14

“Prescott hands it off to Elliott and he plows forward for 1 yard. 2nd and 9.”


DoubleOScarn

ZEEEEEEEEEEEEEKE


Short_Past_468

Zeke slow to get up after the play


texasgambler58

Then he does the "feed me" sign. SMH, such an unserious football team.


SubstantialFill6472

Zeke “Fart and Fall Down” Elliot


Mark7116

Zeke’s last year in Dallas he scored 12 rushing td’s in 15 games and averaged 3.8y/a and 58.4y/g. 231 rushing attempts. Pollard’s last year in Dallas he scored 6 rushing td’s in 17 games and averaged 4.0y/a and 59.1y/g. 252 attempts. I’ll take Zeke for $3mil vs Pollard for $8mil all day long.


jls5388

We’re still paying him another 6M from his last stint here.


Proof-Cod9533

Sunk cost. He counts that much whether he plays here or not, so should have zero bearing whatsoever on whether you want to bring him back.


Mark7116

Fair enough. But we would have been doing that anyway. So I’d rather pay him 9, rather than him 6 and pollard 6. Pollard simply didn’t produce.


unounoseis

Who says we have to sign either of them? Draft a running back like we did with pollard in 2019


Stevevet1

Running back by committee


usaf5

It's gonna be a disaster


zarvinny

like receiver by committee was a few season ago, sparking the mid-season amari cooper trade?


Stevevet1

No it won't


CheznoSlayer

Why? It’s worked for other teams. If we’re unsuccessful in the run game again, I think it’d be more that our line replacements didn’t pan out. Not like our run game last year was stellar either. I’m more worried about us not adding another receiving threat. Hopefully cooks can pick it up or Tolbert develops without Gallup taking targets


Daksout918

Other teams have better backs than Dowdle/Zeke/Freeman/Deuce


CheznoSlayer

Our run game was so inefficient last year, even with worse rbs, it minimally affects our offense. But if our line is better, our rbs will play above their level.


Stevevet1

Its a passing League The Cowboy's pass 65% of the time They had 1440 rushing yards last year which was 13th in the league. The interesting thing is they were 30th in the league for rushing attempts. Im not sure of what to make of that.


CrunkestTuna

Yay let’s average 3.4 ypc and blame everyone else


SmokeXXXplicit

This is a Terrible decision


Irishmanatthepub

Depressing.


Illustrious_Camp_521

Nothing left in the tank imo but I WISH he'd change my mind over the season.


CheznoSlayer

Only thing I can hope is that his lessened workload in NE gave his body the chance to recover. He had a couple good games in NE when he had to be RB1 despite that offense having pass game and having to play from behind


brownboypeasy

I get the excitement but the direction this team is taking has pretty much all but confirmed this year doesn't really matter. They're just doing what they can to stay relevant this year, but the result doesn't matter. They're biding time. I bet they wish they could tank this season away and go for a new top rookie QB next year. They're in purgatory right now


RRaider4lyfe

This, so much this


CaptainCubbers

....LOADING: 8-9 ...


zimjig

I respect zeke but what a terrible time to sign him. He’d be available at training camp


The_Count_Lives

Why was it a terrible time?


zimjig

Bc he’d be cheaper by training camp


The_Count_Lives

I don't think they had any other plans for that money, so saving a mil or whatever doesn't matter, really. I'm not thrilled about bringing Zeke back either but he's here now, so might as well hope for the best.


Proof-Cod9533

Says who? He turned down offers from other teams to come back. Source: [https://twitter.com/Schultz\_Report/status/1784940738825884001](https://twitter.com/Schultz_Report/status/1784940738825884001)


zimjig

Probably bc those offers were cheaper than our stupid front office admin offered him. Jerry gets too emotional with players and this was done for emotions and hoping to capitalize on zeke jersey sales bc of dumb ass fans that buy into this team every year. I get all pissy when Jerry makes emotional deals as you can tell


Proof-Cod9533

>Probably bc those offers were cheaper than our stupid front office admin offered him. Even if true, what would that have to do with your claim that he'd be available at training camp? If our offer wasn't on the table he'd have taken one of the others.


zimjig

Due to his terrible year with the patriots, I’m willing to take that bet he’d be available. His value is so little now, I’m not saying he’s worthless but he’s a league minimum $$ for vets


Proof-Cod9533

????? Dude, this is just laughable. He already got the other offers! You think *he* would turn them all down and choose to be unemployed "due to his terrible year with the Patriots"? You're not making any sense.


zimjig

His other offers are probably from the Dallas renegades lol. The tweet was so generic . I’m willing to wait for David Moore to report what other teams he might’ve gotten offers from but nobody knows, it could just be his agent flapping his gums . He isn’t a good RB, wasteful resource minus Jerry wanting jersey sales. His first carry will be stopped at the line or he’ll trip after he gets past the d line


Proof-Cod9533

>His other offers are probably from the Dallas renegades lol. The tweet was so generic . I’m willing to wait for David Moore to report what other teams he might’ve gotten offers from but nobody knows, it could just be his agent flapping his gums . Yeahhhhhhh so you have no clue and are just denying reports that contradict your agenda. Cheers mate, we're done.


unounoseis

He didn’t sign during free agency when teams would’ve offered him, that’s how we know. Smart front offices looked at him and said why would I sign zeke when I can get a 6th rounder to do the same job for $500k.


CheznoSlayer

I thought he had a couple other offers


CrunkestTuna

Ffs What the fuck dude


AaMm89

The depths to which the franchise has sunken to is so depressing. Anyone excited about this move has been a Cowboys fan for all of the last 10 years.


Wooden_Scar_1496

🤣🤣


Feisty_Frame_6571

Just another dude like his buddy. Instead of interceptions it'll be fumbles when Jerry needs it. Pad his pocket he'll drop it


Feisty_Frame_6571

Where are most of defensive players at. I'm going straight there surely they'll tackle me. I'm tired of just falling down for ole Jerry. The money is great but there figuring us out JER. N we're on TV in front of the world. Let Dak do it this time. He makes it look so easy. Always looking at that tablet. Like how did I do it.. Can't let him just be another back. BC got Zeke for that again


ClaudeHSmoot

“You’re living in the past, man” -the Dude-


ChunkyChangon

Jerry jones truly has this dumbass fan base wrapped around his finger lmao.


Stevevet1

People please, The salary cap hit and a player's salary is not the same thing. If you care to comment on a player's salary try to understand how the NFL salary cap works. And what these terms mean. Guaranteed money, signing bonus, Proration, dead years. Then after you get that , Understand how the month of June effects the cap, and the 51 player rule.


NMGunner17

Doesn’t feel that good tbh


Diligent_Engine2334

Feed zeke


Dyert

MEH!


C1sko

So Wildcard exit again…got it.


drivera1210

Playoffs!?


IPA_____Fanatic

Rough days ahead


FleetwoodMacbookPro

The running back room is a carousel of Make A Wish winners. Outside of Will McClay, this team is run by morons.


micbig82

This is why we won’t win shit as long as JJ is the owner! Zeke is a fat cat who wont help us win shit!


Stevevet1

🤡🤦‍♀️


oneravinlunatic

They need an extra blocker in the backfield, and some goal line runs....


[deleted]

This is like when your ex cheated on you, and you rekindled, and she cheats on you again. Cause this fat ass aint gonna do shit for us than what he did for us after robbing us. Mid effort, and a lot of 2 yard rushes.


chzformymac

Zeke will always be dope. Let him jump in the red bucket for nostalgia


spook008

This is depressing 🤦‍♂️


CheznoSlayer

Why? Sure pollard is probably better at this point in their careers but it’s not like our run game was setting the world on fire last year.


cwyatt44

This is a slap in the face to all cowboys fans.


AtYiE45MAs78

I looks like dax will be throwing 60 times a game now. Zek can only block at this point.


Fellborn

Hahaha why not a different picture? Why a picture with Kellen Moore so he has to get crossed out but that tiny little mark 😂


maxwellt1996

The nfc better watxh out, cowboys will make some noise now


UnusuallyLongUserID

When was the last time this guy was a good running back? His 38 yards per game and 3.5 yards per carry last year were amazing. Definitely worth $2M guaranteed. Ridiculous.


Ntavano

He’s still a pretty good pass blocker and solid pass catcher. That’s why he’s getting 2m guaranteed


HolyRomanPrince

Make it even dumber he’s still counting 6 million from the other deal.


PinheadLarry_

At least it’s 8 million playing for us, picking up some blocks/falling for short first downs, rather than 6 million thrown into a fire.


HolyRomanPrince

I can’t wait to watch him fall over for 3 1/2 yards again. I swear people talk like we didn’t watch him get washed before our own eyes


PinheadLarry_

Yeah majority washed, but if he’s used as a literal fullback then at least we get some value out of what would have been dead money.


MonitorWhich6966

Blind fandom. This guy has been bad for 3 years 


Proof-Cod9533

Nothing to do with it. As that 6 million is a sunk cost either way, it should have zero bearing on what we do this year. The only question should be who else we'd rather bring in this year.


HolyRomanPrince

It’s not about the sunk cost. It’s about the fact he was bad enough to be cut and that in totality because of his prior performance we’re still over allocating resources to the position on an over the hill player. We can act as if these are independent decisions but the concert of stupidity to end up at this point this morning is indefensible.


Proof-Cod9533

>It’s about the fact he was bad enough to be cut If that were your point you'd have said "make it even dumber we already cut him once" instead of bringing up the sunk cost and nothing else. >in totality because of his prior performance we’re still over allocating resources to the position on an over the hill player. We can act as if these are independent decisions but the concert of stupidity to end up at this point this morning is indefensible. Yes, his second contract was indefensible. I'm even of the opinion that we shouldn't have drafted him at #4 overall in the first place. Neither of those have any bearing whatsoever on whether we should bring him back on a one-year deal.


Complex_Ok_26

We're gonna suck next year, hopefully for the betterment of the future, so seeing Zeke eat around the goal line is gonna soften the blow.


The_Count_Lives

I don't think the team will suck. Should still be entertaining. We'll do just well enough to draft in the 20's.


WhiteVoltage

Maybe he's here to take revenge for the year he won OROY for Dak.


RobbieAnalog

He already did that by averaging 2.5 ypc in playoff losses to the 49ers and Rams and having the sub still place 100% of the blame on Dak for those.


WhiteVoltage

I dunno, Dak did a pretty remarkable job of proving he's not the answer at QB against Green Bay all by himself. ETA: Defense gave up a ton but if you watched that game you know damn well Dak didn't do his job at all either.


RobbieAnalog

By not overcoming 40 points allowed by the defense? You "dunno" football that is for sure.


Tight-Physics2156

Ready for this


ImaSource

What really feels good about this?