Ezekiel Elliott Signing Problem: No 'Remember When' Deal for Cowboys Great

"I'd love to have Cowboys ex Ezekiel Elliott on my team, but NFL teams have to pay him for the player he is now - not who he once was."If you give him a 'Remember When?' deal, you'll be out of a job.'' - Former NFL GM.

FRISCO - For anyone who has insight into or even awareness of the maturation inside The Star of Ezekiel Elliott over the course of the last half-decade?

Yes. You want him as a leader on your team.

But for anyone who observed his natural and normal and expected decline from being a two-time NFL rushing leader?

Yes. You cannot prioritize him as a ball-carrier on your team.

Our view is not unique here, as one former NFL executive is announcing that he would sign the free agent running back Elliott - but with a "but.''

"You can't pay for a player that was once good," Mike Lombardi said via The GM Shuffle podcast, "I would love to have Zeke on my team because I think Zeke's a great leader. He's just not an elite player."

I'd love to have Ezekiel Elliott on my team, but NFL teams have to pay him for the player he is now - not who he once was. If you give him a "Remember When?" deal, you'll be out of a job. #GMShuffle pic.twitter.com/SvuieTqshs

— Michael Lombardi (@mlombardiNFL) March 21, 2023

Continued Lombardi: "I'd love to have Ezekiel Elliott on my team, but NFL teams have to pay him for the player he is now - not who he once was.

"If (as a GM) you give him a 'Remember When?' deal, you'll be out of a job.''

The Cowboys cut Elliott this offseason after his lengthy NFL tour as an above-the-marquee name. But despite the fact that he rushed for over 1,000 yards in four of those seasons and made $70 million along the way, the market - which is suddenly paying a number of running backs salaries closer to $2 million APY than the $15 mil APY that Zeke used to make - is drying up.

Ezekiel Elliott knew he would have to take a pay cut in his next gig, and he probably knew it would be a "humbling'' experience. And as the Cowboys move on to Tony Pollard and collection of other backup runners? 

Lombardi's right; "Remember When'' is not good enough.

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Dallas Cowboys?

Follow FishSports on Twitter

Follow Cowboys / Fish on Facebook

Subscribe to the Cowboys Fish Report on YouTube for constant daily Cowboys live-stream podcasts and reports!