Getty Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys
The player with the biggest contract isn’t necessarily the best at this position. Sometimes, not always.
Former Eagles great LeSean McCoy felt the need to set the record straight when discussing the best running backs in football right now. The unsigned free agent shared a semi-controversial opinion that the Cowboys’ Ezekiel Elliott takes the crown during an appearance on ESPN’s “First Take” over the weekend.
The fact that Elliott — the second-highest-paid back in football, behind the Panthers’ Christian McCaffrey — plays for the hated Dallas Cowboys shouldn’t factor into the equation. Remember, McCoy spent six seasons in Philly and remains the franchise’s all-time leading rusher with 6,792 career yards.
“Zeke is the best running back,” McCoy told Stephen A. Smith. “It’s so hard to continuously have a great year, over and over again, and be consistent. That’s hard to do. Especially when the defense has time to prepare for you, know about your game, dissect everything about your game. And each year he [Elliott] puts up numbers. There’s a lot of great running backs out there but there’s nobody like Zeke that has always been consistent about taking over that offense when they need him to.”
💯@EzekielElliott https://t.co/RCaernFB1r
— Lesean McCoy (@CutonDime25) July 17, 2020
McCoy defended Elliott’s recent comments about the former first-round pick putting up 1,800 scrimmage yards and 14 touchdowns with no training camp in 2019. For the record, he finished with 1,777 scrimmage yards last season and has accumulated 7,024 scrimmage yards since 2016.
Almost 1800 scrimmage yards and 14 TD’s with no training camp and now im not the same back.
He called those words “big dog talk” and credited the Cowboys Pro Bowl player for speaking his mind. McCoy listed McCaffrey as the second-best back in football followed by the Giants’ Saquon Barkley who he labeled the most “talented” of the bunch.
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Eagles Still Looking for Veteran Running Back?
The Eagles were reportedly in the market for a running back but as training camp approaches, the team still hasn’t inked a veteran ball-carrier. McCoy was the top candidate for the role but the franchise’s all-time leading rusher remains unsigned. He hasn’t been shy about his desire to return to Philadelphia.
“Since I left [Philadelphia, you haven’t seen the (No.) 25 active in green, so you never know,” McCoy told NFL.com in May. “I’m going to keep my options open, though. I could see myself there in Philly. Like I said, that’s home, so you never know.”
Doug Pederson says #Eagles will “continue to look to add depth and talent” at the RB position. Admitted he likes to use a committee approach, with 2 or 3 guys. Mentioned he has faith in Boston Scott, Corey Clement. #FlyEaglesFly
The Eagles are more likely to turn the competition over to in-house candidates like Elijah Holyfield, Corey Clement and Boston Scott, as well as undrafted rookies Michael Warren and Adrian Killins. There is a very outside shot they could sign veteran Theo Riddick or Lamar Miller for depth. One other interesting outside-the-box name to keep an eye on is LeGarrette Blount, a key cog in the Eagles’ improbable Super Bowl run in 2017.
“You know that the running back position for us has been sort of by-committee, it’s been two or three guys each and every week that not only help us in the run game but can also help us on special teams, and that’s also a big part of this,” Eagles coach Doug Pederson told reporters in June. “So I’m looking forward to, again, getting these young guys in the building, getting them on the grass, and [them] showing us what they can do.”
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