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Ohio State Football: Ezekiel Elliott’s holdout brings criticism

By Shayne Nissen

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 12: Running back Ezekiel Elliott #21 of the Dallas Cowboys celebrates his touchdown with offensive guard Zack Martin #70 in the third quarter against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Divisional Round playoff game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on January 12, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 12: Running back Ezekiel Elliott #21 of the Dallas Cowboys celebrates his touchdown with offensive guard Zack Martin #70 in the third quarter against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Divisional Round playoff game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on January 12, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /
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During his three years in the NFL, former Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott has become the best in the NFL at his position and one of the most controversial.

There has never been a shortage of controversy in former Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliot’s short career.

First, it was domestic violence claims from his ex-girlfriend that got Elliott benched for six games during the 2017 NFL season. Now fast-forward to the 2019 off-season and there is more controversy surrounding Zeke.

While this time it isn’t as serious as the previous situation it still has everyone in the media talking about him. Elliott has decided to holdout and not to report to training camp in order to try to get a big contract from the Cowboys.

Zeke wants, as any normal human being should fair compensation for the work he has put in with the famous Dallas football team during his first three seasons.

As Buckeye fans, we all know how great Zeke is. His 4,048 yards and 28 touchdowns in just three seasons as a pro don’t do him justice.

To put it into proper perspective, the kind of territory Zeke has found himself in in his first three seasons puts him among the all-time greats. He has led the league in rushing in two of his first three seasons. Only five other players in NFL history have been able to do that.

Jim Brown, Eric Dickerson, Earl Campbell, Emmitt Smith, Edgerrin James and now Ezekiel Elliott are the only players to ever accomplish this feat.

So with all of that, it is kind of crazy to me that Jerry Jones could ever come out and say that the Cowboys don’t need the “rushing champion” to win a Superbowl.

Yes, the numbers are against Zeke. The last rushing leader to appear in a Superbowl was in 2005 and the last rushing leader to win a Superbowl was Emmitt Smith in the 90’s.

Anyone who points this out is missing the point entirely. In the two full seasons Zeke has played, the Cowboys have made the playoffs. In the one that he missed six games, they didn’t.

So sure, Dallas could decide not to re-negotiate Zeke’s  contract, but if they did they would have to go into complete rebuilding mode again. Because Zeke, like it or not, is the center of their offense.

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Dak Prescott does not have the ability to carry a team by himself like some of the other quarterbacks in the league. Guys like Tom Brady and Drew Brees can win without running backs, Prescott can’t.

Dak and Zeke, simply put, are better when they are together.

The Cowboys have built a system, and it needs Zeke for it to run properly. Get a few more pieces with a little luck along the way and this is a team that can win a Super Bowl title with the running back at the center of it all.

The moral of the story here is that it all comes down to what direction the Cowboys want to go. Do they want to be mediocre like in 2017, or do they want to be Super Bowl contenders like they were in 2016 and 2018.

dark. Next. KJ Hill set to become Buckeyes' X-Factor in 2019

Seems like a pretty easy decision to me.

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