Dallas Cowboys fans should be excited by the Ezekiel Elliott signs

Running back Ezekiel Elliott was among the disappointments for the Dallas Cowboys last season but his offseason work is looking quite promising. 

In a complicated age for NFL running backs, Dallas Cowboys starter Ezekiel Elliott often comes up at the forefront of the conversation. Questions are often raised about paying running backs substantial contract and, with Elliott among the league’s highest-paid at the position while also dropping off in production of late, he’s often held up as an example of why not to make that decision.

And in a 2020 season to forget for the Cowboys as a whole, Elliott struggled more than he ever has. His 4.0 yards per carry average, 65.3 rushing yards per game and 22.5 receiving yards per game were all career lows. Of course, there were reasons for that, including a litany of injuries along the offensive line in addition to Dak Prescott being out for the year.

Still just 25 years old, though, there is growing buzz about Elliott this offseason. He’s been among the most impressive players throughout offseason workouts and practices and seems to be trending in a decisively positive direction. What that could mean for him should be getting Cowboys fans buzzing as well.

Ezekiel Elliott can deliver the Dallas Cowboys a big bounce-back 2021 season.

When asked about his starting running back, Prescott was effusive in his praise of Elliott, noting what was obvious from looking at the former No. 4 overall pick in practice: He’s in tremendous shape and looks noticeably slimmer.

And when you see him in drills, albeit without pads, he looks much shiftier and quicker than he did last season amid his on-field struggles:

Now, OTAs and offseason workouts are often when we see NFL players get hyped up only for things to crash back to Earth once the season actually gets underway.

In the case of Elliott, though, there is enough reason to believe that a big bounce-back year is coming. Not only does his fitness level indicate a renewed sense of focus heading into the 2021 season but he’ll also have the aid of a potent passing offense behind him with Prescott returning to the field.

On top of that, the offensive line appears to be healthy, especially as Tyron Smith and La’el Collins get back on the field and Connor Williams has shown out in the offseason thus far as well. That’s the stars aligning for Zeke to get back to the form of being a 1,300-yard (at minimum) rusher for this offense.

There are flaws on the Cowboys roster, to be sure, especially as the defense remains a question mark. Having said that, there should be few concerns about what the offense is capable of. And if Elliott keeps doing what he’s already done in the offseason, the hype about how much Dallas can put on the scoreboard should rightfully continue to grow.