Cowboys news: Ezekiel Elliott sheds weight, will Cowboys pony up the money?

Report: Ezekiel Elliott has weight down to the low 220s –Charean Williams- ProFootballTalk
Ezekiel Elliott is waiting on a check because there is no doubt he'll be lean and mean for 2019.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reports Thursday that Elliott’s weight is in the low 220s, the lowest Elliott has weighed since his rookie year.

Elliott posted video on April 23 of him stepping on a scale, and his weight was 230. His pre-draft weight was 225 in 2016, and the Cowboys listed him at 228 last season.

Elliott remains in Cabo working out on his own as the Cowboys break training camp in California and fly to Hawaii for Saturday’s preseason game against the Rams.

Ezekiel Elliott is apparently shedding some serious weight in Mexico during his holdout - John Breech-CBSSports.com
Don't be surprised if the Cowboys running back comes back from Cabo hungrier than ever before after dropping nearly 10 pounds.

If Elliott is now down into the low 220s, that means he’s lost 6-to-9 pounds since April.

The fact that Zeke’s weight is now down that low probably won’t come as a shock to Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. Just this week, Jones had said that he expected Elliottto stay in “great shape” during his time away from the team.

”Zeke has the ability to just completely hit the ground running, if I may use that,” Jones said. “He has that, and we expect that. He says it, and I believe him, that he’s in great shape. So I don’t think that’ll be an issue when he does come back.”

Zeke Holdout: Remember, Owners Agreed to Renegotiating Contracts -Jess Haynie- Inside The Star
The rules allow for contract renegotiation, and Zeke is trying to take advantage of that.

Under the CBA, NFL players are allowed to renegotiate their rookie contracts after three years. This does not change if the player was a 1st-round pick, like Elliott, who had an extra year added to his contract through the team option.

Dallas took advantage of that option, another provision determined by the CBA, to put a fifth year on Zeke’s contract. Even though it increases his salary to over $9 million in 2020, that will still be well below market value ($13-$15M) for one of the league’s top running backs.

But Elliott has every right under the same CBA to seek a new deal after his third season. He is simply utilizing an opportunity that Jerry Jones and the other 31 owners approved.

Nobody faults an NFL team when they cut an under-performing player in the middle of his contract. The guaranteed money gets paid out and everything happens according to the allowances of the CBA. It’s just part of the business of football.

Why should a player out-performing his contract not get the same rights?

Cowboys' connection to Cabo: A look inside Ezekiel Elliott's unique relationship with RB coach Gary Brown-Calvin Watkins- SportsDay
Gary Brown has been one of the best kept coaching secrets in the NFL. His special relationship with Ezekiel Elliott has led to two rushing titles. Brown hopes to get his guy back on the field as soon as he can.

But the business of the NFL took over this summer as Elliott decided to holdout, seeking a new contract with two-years remaining on his rookie deal. Brown doesn’t discuss the contract because he knows after playing eight years in the NFL for three teams, a player’s money is his business. You just don’t go there unless somebody asks your opinion.

”Whenever we get on the phone, we’re on the phone,” Brown said. “He knows I’m busy and I know he’s busy. So whenever we link up it’s always a good conversation. It’s always positive. He knows I’m here for him if he needs me.”

After the Cowboys’ preseason opener in San Francisco, Elliott reached out to Brown to talk shop. Elliott wanted to know how the other running backs felt after the game. He wanted to know how Brown felt about the game. Elliott, in Cabo working out until his contract status gets settled, stays in touch with what’s going on through Brown and others.

The Cowboys’ Hopes Lie in the Hands of the NFL’s Youngest Play-caller - Robert Mays- The Ringer
Kellen Moore has just one year of coaching experience under his belt. This season, he’s tasked with getting Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott to justify their looming mega-extensions.

A boyish coordinator in his first year on the job may seem like an odd choice to steer that pricey ship, but some within the organization are already convinced that Moore is the right fit. “He’s brilliant,” says Cowboys quarterbacks coach Jon Kitna. “He can see 22 people at one time on the field and know why certain things are happening. He also has a great understanding of how to attack defenses and understand what they’re going to do.” The Cowboys are on the brink of investing a small fortune in their future. And they’ll rely on the league’s most inexperienced coordinator to stretch that money as far as it can go.

Jason Garrett’s leadership, Cowboys depth to be tested by drama-filled training camp - Michael Strawn-Blogging The Boys
Injuries, suspensions, holdouts and contract concerns have upended a strong offseason for the Cowboys.

The biggest obstacle facing Jason Garrett, however, is keeping his team focused. That’s because the uncertainty and emerging bitterness over unresolved contracts is creating real distractions for the players. I’m sure there are those who will insist players can and should let their agents worry about contracts, but that ignores that these are humans and have the same human concerns that you and I have.

Imagine you’re a player and you’re seeing the team’s best players still waiting on new contracts. Then imagine you see reports of the front office distributing disinformation about the team’s quarterback (doesn’t matter if the report is true - it’s still a topic to players and their agents). Imagine, also, if you’re an agent on the receiving end of Monday’s breathless reports of outrageous contractual demands - what are you telling your client about the negotiating practices of the Cowboys?

Dallas Cowboys Defensive Line Looking Absolutely Stacked -Brian Martin-Inside The Star
Is there a more stacked defensive line in the NFL than the Cowboys? Possibly...then again, maybe not.

Don’t look now, but compared to years past the Dallas Cowboys defensive line is looking as if it is absolutely stacked full of talent. Whether it’s defensive end or defensive tackle, the depth at both positions looks pretty formidable right now. This could possibly be the best DL unit Defensive Coordinator Rod Marinelli has had since joining the Cowboys.

On paper, the Dallas Cowboys current depth along the defensive line seems to be an upgrade over what we saw on the field in the NFC Divisional Round against the Los Angeles Rams. That last impression is the way many of us still view the Cowboys DL and unfortunately they were embarrassingly manhandled in that contest.

Thankfully though that was last year and this is now. The Dallas Cowboys clearly wanted to upgrade their DL and it’s really starting to look as if they’ve done just that.

Former NFL QB says Dak Prescott is 'extremely disrespected,' the NFL’s most underrated QB | SportsDay
Dak Prescott, underrated? You bet, according to one former QB.

Patrick suggested that Prescott should bet on himself and sign a two-year extension with $63 million guaranteed, prove his worth on the field, then sign for a bigger five-year contract when the NFL’s new TV deal kicks in.

Sean Salisbury: “I love your logic, Dan. I love it. I may be in the minority, but I actually think that Dak Prescott is the most underrated quarterback in the NFL. When he came out his year, I had him as the second quarterback in my rankings, he ends up going in the fourth round. The one weakness, for me, with him is, can you carry a team like Rodgers or Brady or those guys that for five or six weeks they are mike Trout? They can carry a team. Can Dak do it? Right now I think that is the big question mark. He’s pretty accurate underneath. Get better at throwing the ball downfield.

Jaylon Smith opens up about his future with the Cowboys, the long-term outlook on his surgically-repaired knee - CBSSports.com
Jaylon Smith may have the brightest long-term future on the roster.

That’s good news for the Cowboys, considering Smith is hot off of a breakout season wherein he had the second-highest tackle tally on the team (121 combined with 82 solo), along with four pass deflections, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and his four sacks were good enough for fourth-best -- behind only DeMarcus Lawrence, Randy Gregory and Tyrone Crawford. His stellar year landed nearly landed him an outright Pro Bowl nod, and although he narrowly missed, even that was an achievement for a player who was told three short years ago he’d never suit up at the NFL level.

Eclipsed only by fellow Cowboys’ phenom Leighton Vander Esch, Smith was outright dominant for the club in 2018, and it’s no surprise a source confirmed to me earlier this summer that the team had approached him to begin preliminary contract talks. Granted, Smith will be a restricted free agent when 2020 rolls around -- by virtue of his redshirt rookie season -- but don’t be surprised if both sides are ready to marry for the longterm. Owner Jerry Jones also recently hinted at a possible extension that might come out of left field, and has nothing to do with Dak Prescott, Amari Cooperor Ezekiel Elliott.