Most of us probably weren’t too surprised when we woke up this morning and saw that the Dallas Cowboys and Ezekiel Elliott had agreed to an extension, ending his holdout just a few days before the start of the season. With the Cowboys handing out deals left and right and Zeke rumored to have flown back to Dallas on Tuesday in preparation of signing a deal, none of it is surprising that they finally worked something out. But what was shocking was not only the amount that they gave Zeke but the length of the deal. The Cowboys signed Elliott to a 6 year $90 million dollar extension. Shocking numbers for a running back , right? Even more so that it’s an extension on the two years he already has under contract. So the Cowboys have locked up Ezekiel Elliott for the next 8 yrs. 8 yrs under contract is only something you hear about in hockey or baseball, I’m not sure I’ve ever heard of such in the NFL, especially for a running back. All in all it’s an absurd $103 million over 8 yrs. Still I can’t get over the fact that this contract is for 8 years. Do you know how much has changed in the league in 8 years, other than the New England Patriots still being dominate? Especially when you take a look at the running backs.

In 2011, your top 5 leading rushers were Maurice Jones-Drew, Ray Rice, Michael Turner, Lesean McCoy and Arian Foster. Let me continue the list for you, 6-10: Frank Gore, Marshawn Lynch, Willis McGahee, Steven Jackson and Ryan Matthews. Of this list, only 2 remain in the league and thats the timeless Frank Gore who is still playing at 36 and Lesean McCoy who just got cut by the Buffalo Bills but could be given another chance to revive his career via Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs. And while those two are still playing, it’s not at the near the elite level you’d expect for $15 million a year. While Frank Gore has been near 1,000 yds every season but last year, he’s scored 7 total touchdowns in the last 3 seasons combined. While McCoy had a great 2016 season, he has seen his touchdown totals halved in both seasons since down to just 3 TDs last year, where he also only accumulated 514 rushing yds in 14 games. So while there is the chance that Zeke could still be around the league after 30, it’s incredibly not likely to be as a top back. Then you consider that him still being in the league around that time is still very slim. Of the the top 30 rushers in the league that year, 11 players were Zeke’s age or younger and McCoy is the lone player from that group that is still in the league. Running backs over the age of 30 are rare and the Cowboys seem to be betting that they not only have a RB over the age of 30 but that he will be a serviceable one. So much for Jerry Jones not caving in. I’m not sure how you could have possibly worked out a worst deal considering you had months to hammer something out. But in the end I’m not complaining, and as somebody who hates the Cowboys, if anything I’m laughing.

Thanny

Boy Are The Cowboys Dumb