1 NFL Team Named As A Likely Landing Spot For Ezekiel Elliott
Days ago, the Dallas Cowboys made a key move when they released running back Ezekiel Elliott.
He had been one of their key players over the last seven years, but his production declined in 2022 while Tony Pollard emerged as their new threat in the backfield and made the Pro Bowl.
According to Matt Lombardo, a general manager of another NFL team said that while Elliott’s best days are behind him and he is “not a featured back” anymore, the Buffalo Bills are a team to watch as far as picking him up.
Asked around on Ezekiel Elliott today.
According to a current #NFL GM: “He’s Lost his burst. Still tough, great in pass pro. Instinctive runner but doesn’t have same juice or legs he had in past. Not a featured back.”
Team, agent sources almost unanimously: Watch for #Bills
— Matt Lombardo (@MattLombardoNFL) March 17, 2023
Elliott is just 27, which is an age at which running backs typically still have at least a couple of productive years left, but his key performance indicators were a lot lower in 2022 than they were in the recent past.
Although his 876 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns were very solid numbers, he only managed a lackluster 3.8 yards per rush attempt after putting up 4.2 yards per run in 2021 and 4.5 yards per run in 2019, his last Pro Bowl season.
In Dallas’ divisional round playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers two months ago, Elliott was only able to muster 26 yards on 10 rushing attempts.
Many felt coming into last season that Buffalo had the best all-around team in pro football, but it ranked 15th in rushing touchdowns, and that is likely an area in which reinforcements are needed.
Perhaps Elliott could be a nice complement to Bills RB1 Devin Singletary, as well as quarterback Josh Allen, who is one of the best running QBs in the league.
The Bills have finished first in the AFC East each of the last three years, but they have only one AFC Championship Game appearance to show for it.