Familiar Fate: Like Cowboys Tony Dorsett, Emmitt Smith ... Ezekiel Elliott Sent Packing
Ezekiel Elliott's demise in Dallas may be sad. But it shouldn't be surprising.
By any statistical metric, Zeke is the third-best running back in the history of the Dallas Cowboys. He has more rushing titles than Tony Dorsett (2-0) and a better career yards-per-carry average than Emmitt Smith (4.4-4.2).
But history suggests - and was repeated Wednesday - that when it comes to running backs the prevailing rule isn’t “what did you do for me yesterday” but more so “what can you do for me tomorrow.”
Tony Pollard is a better, more productive runner than Elliott. This season and next. Bottom line: Zeke - like Dorsett and Emmitt before him - involuntarily became an ex-Cowboy before he becomes a "former" NFL player.
Irritated that newcomer Herschel Walker was both cutting his workload and receiving a bigger salary, Dorsett demanded a trade in 1987. At 34, the future Hall of Famer was traded to Denver for a fifth-round draft choice. While Walker amassed 2,000 combined yards and went to the Pro Bowl in 1988, Dorsett played one mediocre season (703 rushing yards) in Denver before suffering a career-ending knee injury in training camp in 1989.
Smith also left the Cowboys at 34 and in the twilight of his career. In 2003 new head coach Bill Parcells desired younger players, so Dallas cut Emmitt to make room for … Troy Hambrick. While Hambrick led a 10-6 playoff team with 942 rushing yards, Smith signed with Arizona and ran for a combined 1,193 yards and 11 touchdowns in his final two seasons of football.
Elliott, 27, still has yards to gain in the NFL. Since 2016 he has 30 100-yard games. Only Tennessee's Derek Henry has more (34). And he ends his Cowboys career with a rushing touchdown in nine consecutive games.
As awkward as it was to watch Dorsett in a Broncos uniform and Smith carrying the ball against the Cowboys, this season it will be similarly surreal to see Zeke playing for the Buccaneers (who are without Leonard Fournette and with former Cowboys' running backs coach Skip Peete) ... or the Chargers (with Austin Ekeler seeking a trade and former Cowboys' offensive coordinator Kellen Moore calling plays).
Dorsett and Smith wound up in Canton.
As of Wednesday, Elliott is in "good" company.
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