As you probably know by now, I am one of the biggest advocates of the Dallas Cowboys drafting a quarterback at fourth overall. However, I don’t want them to force the pick. I’m a huge Jared Goff fan so I would love that pick, and if the team loves one of the other quarterbacks, I fully trust their judgment if that is what they want at #4.
However, if the pick is not a quarterback, I am starting to love the idea of Ezekiel Elliott.
Yes, a running back in the top five is something that is looked down upon today. Yes, Elliott is not Todd Gurley. But I can’t remember the last time we’ve seen such a well-rounded talent at running back.
Elliott really can do everything you ask a running back to do.
My biggest concern with 2016 and forward is a contingency plan for Tony Romo getting injured. I am quite concerned about Romo’s health and I have serious questions as to how much longer we can expect to see the Tony Romo we know and love.
The Cowboys need to be able to absorb an injury to Tony Romo a little better. They also need to find a way to be a little less Romo-dependent. Other teams had injuries at the quarterback position this season. If the team could have won some games without Tony Romo this could have been a playoff team. If the team could have won some games without Tony Romo he wouldn’t have had to rush back like he did.
How do you absorb a Tony Romo injury? Well, some will say you get another wide receiver to make another quarterback’s life easier. Some will say you draft a quarterback. Others will say you can sign a guy like Robert Griffin III. I’m thinking a little differently.
I look around the league and the great teams have an identity. They have something that they do really well and everything else runs through it. You can have a great defense that wins the field position battle or forces turnovers for scores. You can have a short passing game that moves quickly down the field and results in little pressure on the quarterback. You can have a QB-option attack where you run, QB run, or throw off of it.
The 2014 Cowboys found great success from this exact strategy. They ran the ball and they ran it often. They ran it down your throat. Through this the passing game opened and allowed Tony Romo to play some really surgical football.
This is what I envision with Ezekiel Elliott.
Bring in a talent like this and make everything about your offensive line and elite running back. You run it a ton with him and when you want to counter off of it, there are few better running backs for pass protection. Elliott also has great hands to go out for passes.
This is where I think this is a different story. Not just the running back, but the team. It doesn’t make sense for most teams to use a high pick on a running back. But THIS team with THIS running back is a whole different story. This is the perfect match between player and team that can spell the franchise for years to come.
There is also another side to this story. If you are looking for your quarterback of the future, with this offensive line, Dez Bryant outside and Ezekiel Elliott running, blocking and catching, you give your quarterback everything he needs for success. There would be zero excuses. There would be no easier situation for a quarterback to enter into. You carve the perfect situation for your young quarterback to enter into.
I normally wouldn’t approve of something like this, but THIS team at THIS time with THIS player is just a perfect situation.
In a perfect world you trade down a little, pick up some picks and put yourself in the sweet spot for Elliott, but the board may fall to where Ezekiel Elliott at fourth overall makes a whole lot of sense…
Nick, I agree this would be an amazing pick and makes PERFECT sense for the FO to draft him. Which is why they WON'T.
I will start this now ….Get which ever QB is better for this team and groom him ….say goodbye to Hardy and draft the rest Defense. .we have money we can spend….. get either Miller from the Dolphins or get even better Ivory from the jets and put him with McFadden in the backfield …Ohh Baby !!! and still can go get what ever is left from the draft either DE ..LB ..or CB
Elliott is one.of the most dynamic players in this year's draft. With Romo and Dez hurt, it was clear that the team didn't have playmaker! For two years, Elliott has done nothing BUT make plays. Your points about identity and clock management can't be overstated…it worked to perfection in 2014. The rest of the draft should be about playmakers on the D, but we've already seen how an effective running game benefits that side of the ball, too. Adding a powerful, and extremely fast weapon at running back makes so much sense. No team should operate afraid of what the other teams might think, especially our Cowboys! If they can bluff another team into trading for the 4th pick and still land Elliott later in the round then they benefit from extra picks, but grab Ezekiel Elliott, no matter how high that pick needs to be, and let's get this train a'rollin!!!
The nice thing about targeting Elliot is that you could safely trade back from your #4 spot if you wanted. I don't think he will go in the top 10, so if you could find a trade partner help you trade back to #8 or so, you could probably pick up a few draft picks and still get your guy. And in the off-chance somebody snags Elliot, there are a few other guys in that area of the draft you'd love to have anyway.
I'd be all for it, personally. Take advantage of the devalued RB position to trade back and gather some extra picks and still get a guy who would be a huge benefit to your offense.