Skip Bayless Trashes Cowboys 'One-Year Wonder' Ezekiel Elliott
The football underworld hath no fury like Skip Bayless scorned.
Bayless, well-known for going to virtual war for almost any Dallas Cowboys representative (but known to more astute followers as a trollish contrarian who in truth has no particular love for or insight into "his'' Cowboys) is no longer an Ezekiel Elliott supporter now that Zeke's North Texas career has ended after seven seasons.
"I no longer have an emotional attachment to Zeke," the Fox Sports debater emphatically declared on his eponymous podcast. "Want to know the truth about Zeke's Cowboys career? When you really stand back and look at it, the harder I look, the more it comes clear to me that Ezekiel Elliott was pretty much a one-year wonder.
"Seriously, (he was) a one-year wonder in his rookie year. (It) was by far his best year.”
Dallas broke modern NFL draft conventions by drafting Elliott with the fourth overall choice of the 2016 selections. Alongside fellow draftee Dak Prescott, Elliott spearheaded a surprise 13-win campaign for the Cowboys after they lost franchise thrower Tony Romo to a preseason injury. Elliott's league-leading 1,631-yard tally in that season is the third-highest by an NFL rookie behind only Eric Dickerson and George Rogers.
While Elliott still stood as one of the NFL's leading rushers during his Dallas career (leading the league in yardage again in his third year), he indeed never again reached the numerical heights he experienced during his rookie year, which also saw him earn personal-bests in touchdowns (16) and average carry (5.1).
Things reached rock bottom last season, as Elliott became a glorified short-yardage option, picking up only 876 yards on 231 carries, career-lows against a 3.8 average carry. With Tony Pollard enjoying a breakout campaign and Elliott's release affording the Cowboys nearly $11 million in 2023 cap savings, the Cowboys opted to move on. Elliott has since been linked to several NFL teams, most notably AFC contenders in Cincinnati and Los Angeles.
Even though he's vowed to no longer stand by Elliott's side, Bayless admitted that the trials and success of the 2016 season won't be forgotten, even if Dallas fell in an upset during its playoff debut against the Green Bay Packers.
Said Bayless: "Dak was Rookie of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year, but trust me, if you look hard, Zeke deserved that award. Zeke was First Team All-Pro at running back, first team. Zeke led the league in rushing yards in touchdowns.”
Dallas' post-Elliott rushing picture is headlined by Pollard, who's back with the Cowboys on a franchise tag. The Cowboys also signed two-time Super Bowl champion Ronald Jones and also welcome back practice-squad mainstays Malik Davis and Rico Dowdle.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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