Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott on his signing: 'I believe I'm the best'

Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott on his signing: 'I believe I'm the best'

FRISCO - Why was it important to Ezekiel Elliott to hold out in order to get the richest contract for a running back in NFL history?

"Because,'' Zeke said on Wednesday in his first post-signing interview with the media at large, "I believe I'm the best.''

The Cowboys believe the same. 

"He has been arguably our best player,'' team owner Jerry Jones told CNBC after news of Elliott's new contract broke. "He's an incremental part to our success, and we're glad to have him on the team.''

The deal is billed as a six-year, $90 million ($50 million guaranteed) contract. It tacks on two years, so the on-paper (and in-the-headline) total is eight years and $103 million.

That is a win for Zeke because it's the richest running back contract in NFL history. It is a win for Dallas because the APY is about $12.8 million, below Elliott's target of $14 mil APY, which is what Todd Gurley makes for the Rams.

During the holdout, with Elliott spending much of his time in Cabo, he receives volumes of calls and texts from teammates, worked to stay in football shape and, he said, ate lots of "chicken Caesar salads.''

He plans on playing in Sunday's opener against the Giants. He plans on giving Dallas its $103 million worth.

Is that too much? Too little? What about some of the Cowboys' tough talk during negotiations?

“It’s just negotiations,” Zeke said. “You’ve got to get through it. We’re good.” 

I even asked him if Jerry's infamous “Zeke Who” comment was taken personally? Elliott said no.

So, no hard feelings. Just some hard numbers. But ... First understand that Dallas' cap management means this deal does not block the next one (for instance, with QB Dak Prescott.) And ultimately? If the Cowboys contend for a Super Bowl, it'll be a moot point. Jones thinks it already is.

"Anybody, when talking about that kind of money, we're all overpaid, if you really wanted to look at it that way," Jones said. "For what he has done, how he's worked, utilized his skills, then he's in the market place of where we are in pro sports and pro football."