All has been quiet on the western front… (Oxnard, Cali. Cowboys Camp.) Just how I like it. No rumors, no nonsense, no looming suspensions. (Well except for David Irving because.. It wouldn’t be the off-season without a Cowboys DL getting suspended, par for the course.)
But for one of the most important players on the Dallas Cowboys… Nothing. Last year at this time everything was up in the air. I didn’t know, you didn’t know, Jerry didn’t know… And Zeke didn’t know what was going to happen.
Would be be suspended? Would he play week one? Will this be a distraction to the team? Well the answer to all three of those questions turned out to be yes. Yes he eventually served his six game suspension. Yes he did play week one against the Giants. Which looked like a huge win until we found out the Giants were a dumpster fire. And, 100% yes, the looming suspension/serving of it was a huge distraction for the coaches, the team and Zeke.
This year it’s major issues and distractions at his beloved Ohio State, and the coach he won a National Championship for about to get fired. But I digress.
Nfl.com “Zeke entered training camp last season out of shape. This time around, his coaches are seeing a different player. One that shed the weight, literally and figuratively.”
LFG!! Zeke was known to be out of shape at training camp and at the beginning of the season. Too much drinking? Too much partying? Maybe. It would take him until about week 4, week 5 until he was actually hitting his stride.
…But not this season. This season the abs are poppin’ out. The speed is on point, the power is there… Everything we expect out of the best all around back in the NFL. And, we haven’t even hit preseason game one yet.
In two seasons (minus the six games he missed for suspension last year.) Zeke has run for 2,614 yards on 564 carries, averaging 4.6 yards per carry and crossing the goal line 22 times. 👀 And that was with entering camp out of shape? Imagine what he’s going to do this season!
Nfl.com “He has a clear focus and clear vision on what he wants to do and what he wants to be,” Brown said. “When you look at him physically and see where he has leaned up then you see the way he runs out here. You can tell he is in a different place right now.”
Add a healthy Tyron Smith at LT. Another training camp for La’el Collins at RT. Still have an All-Pro Center in Travis Fredrick and All-Pro Guard in Zack Martin. Then add second round pick Connor Williams at the other Guard… You have another Great Wall of Dallas for Zeke to eat yards behind!
Everyone is worried about the Cowboys passing attack. (Future article preseason) However I am not. I think Hurns and the boys will step up. But, I also believe OC Scott Linehan will get more creative to get the ball in Zeke’s hands more in the pass game.
ESPN.com “I’m ready for whatever they throw at me. Whatever they ask me to do, I’m going to go out there and do it. That’s it,” Elliott said. “All I want to do is go out there and win, so if they need me to do more, I’ll do more. If they need me to do less, I’ll do less. It’s whatever this team needs. Whatever is best for the team.”
That is exactly what I want to hear. And, exactly what every team facing the Cowboys does not. A starving Zeke, who is in the best shape of his career, running behind that line AND he’s more motivated and team oriented than ever. That, is going to be a scary thing.
Do your thing 21… Go eat!
Hey Haters! -Kevin “That Guy”