ezekiel elliott

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones doesn’t rule out re-signing Ezekiel Elliott after draft concludes

The Dallas Cowboys picked up a running back in this year’s NFL Draft. But might they also regain the services of Ezekiel Elliott? Owner Jerry Jones is leaving that option wide open.

Jones told reporters Saturday afternoon that there’s a possibility that Zeke may be with the team this fall.

“The ship hasn’t sailed there,” Jones said. “We haven’t made a decision at all. As far as our interest in Zeke, nothing we did today changes that. I haven’t ruled out Zeke.”

Dallas released Elliott earlier this spring for financial reasons. The Cowboys could no longer afford his contract. But there always was a possibility of renegotiating the deal. Meanwhile, Elliott has yet to sign with a new team.

The Cowboys selected Kansas State All-American Deuce Vaughn in Saturday’s sixth round. It was a touching moment for the team. Vaughn’s dad, Chris, is Dallas’ assistant director of college scouting. Chris made the call to Deuce to let him know he’d be a Cowboy. Then he wiped back tears as the rest of the folks in the Dallas war room stood up and cheered.

Dallas selected Ezekiel Elliott with the fourth pick of the 2016 draft. And he made an immediate impact, leading the NFL in rushing in 2016 and 2018. Jones gave Elliott a huge contract in 2019. Because of that contract, the running back was set to make $16 million this fall.

Meanwhile, the Cowboys kept Tony Pollard and also added Ronald Jones. Malik Davis and Rico Dowdle also are on the roster. And the Cowboys may add some running backs by signing some undrafted free agents.

But will Jones make a move for Ezekiel Elliott? Zeke rushed for 8,262 yards in his Cowboys career. That placed him third in team history behind Hall of Famers Emmitt Smith and Tony Dorsett.

However, Jones also recognizes that Elliott’s production has declined. It’s probably because of injuries. He played with a partially-torn PCL two years ago. And he missed two games last fall because of knee issues. He suffered through career lows last fall in both yards (876) and carries (231). He fell behind Pollard on the depth chart.

There aren’t a ton of options for Ezekiel Elliott. He could look to the Bengals if Cincy releases Joe Mixon. Or maybe he talks to the Chargers or Broncos. And possibly Jerry Jones signs him and he never moves.