Robert Griffin III suggests Cowboys trade Ezekiel Elliott
Despite a great effort on Thursday night, the Dallas Cowboys started their season with a 31-29 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Cowboys threw the ball a lot, as quarterback Dak Prescott threw the ball 58 times in the game. Running back Ezekiel Elliott had just 11 rushing attempts, including only four carries in the first half. Former NFL quarterback and now ESPN broadcaster Robert Griffin III suggests that the Cowboys should trade Elliott.
Griffin suggests trading Elliott to the Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens have lost three running backs to season-ending injuries over the last week. With J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards and Justice Hill all lost for the season, the Ravens have had to scramble to rebuild its running back room. The team has added multiple veterans to the mix over recent days, and Baltimore’s running back room now includes Latavius Murray, Ty’Son Williams, Trenton Cannon, Le’Veon Bell, and Devonta Freeman.
After Elliott saw little usage in the first half on Thursday night, Griffin tweeted that he thought the Cowboys should trade Elliott to Baltimore so that he could get more touches. Elliott is the second-highest paid running back in the NFL in terms of average annual salary.
“They might as well go ahead and trade Ezekiel Elliott to the Ravens,” Griffin tweeted. “He would get more than 4 carries in the first half.
“Just wanna see Zeke get his carries to justify his contract and help other RB’s get paid in the future.”
Elliott is in need of a bounce back season for the Cowboys
Elliott starred at Ohio State, running for 3,961 yards and 43 touchdowns over three seasons. The Cowboys drafted him fourth overall in the 2015 NFL Draft. As a rookie in 2016, Elliott saw 322 carries with 1,631 yards and 15 touchdowns, averaging 108 yards per game. Since that season, Elliott’s average yards per game has decreased each season.
Elliott played in 10 games in 2017, but ran for 983 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 98.3 yards per game. In 2018 and 2019, Elliott ran for 1,434 and 1,357 yards with 95.6 and 84.8 yards per game. Last season, with Dak Prescott out with injury, teams were able to focus in on the run and tried to take Elliott out of the picture. In 15 games, Elliott had the worst statistical season of his Cowboys career with 979 yards, six touchdowns, 65.3 yards per game and six fumbles.
With Prescott returning to the field for the first time since his leg injury and offseason shoulder soreness, nobody would have thought he would throw the ball 58 times. In a high-scoring shootout against the Buccaneers, though, the Cowboys had to turn to what was working on offense, which did not involve handing the ball off to Elliott.