Ezekiel Elliott got a ton of carries during his first stint with the Dallas Cowboys, particularly early in his career. But now that he’s back with the team after one season with the New England Patriots, it doesn’t sound like his workload will be anywhere near what it was previously.
When asked if he expected Ezekiel Elliott to have the same role he had with the Cowboys previously, head coach Mike McCarthy indicated that the team had decided not to give Elliott the same heavy workload.
“I don’t think that’s fair,” McCarthy said according to Pro Football Talk. “The guy carried the ball more than anybody in the history of football in the first couple years. That’s not going to be his role. We’re running back by committee, but I think he’ll definitely play at the level that he’s played, I know, in my time here. I anticipate that. I don’t see any drop off in the way he moves.”
McCarthy indicated that in the modern NFL, they want to split carries so that the players are as fresh as possible.
“I grew up with the feature running back,” McCarthy said. “They’d all like to carry it like those days and have those touches, but you want those guys fresh at the most important time of the year.”
We’ll have to see how Elliott performs in the role this year.
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