Getty Former Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott.
Ezekiel Elliott has narrowed down his free agency decision to three teams and the Philadelphia Eagles are in the mix for the former Dallas Cowboys running back.
The three teams Elliott is weighing are the Eagles, Cincinnati Bengals and New York Jets, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.
“Cowboys’ RB Ezekiel Elliott has narrowed down his options about where to play to the Eagles, Jets and Bengals, and he would like to make his decision about where to sign by the end of next week,” Schefter tweeted on Thursday.
Schefter went on to point out each team’s case for Elliott. The Eagles previously pulled off a similar move for DeMarco Murray in 2015, although it didn’t pan out tremendously for them. The Jets are trying to stockpile talent to play for Aaron Rodgers, who is pushing for a trade to New York. And the Bengals have quarterback Joe Burrow, who briefly was a teammate of Elliott at Ohio State.
The Cowboys parted ways with Elliott on March 15 in a cap-saving move, bringing an end to his seven-season tenure with the team. He is coming off a year where he rushed for 876 yards and a team-high 12 touchdowns. However, he managed just 3.8 yards per carry, so his value as the lead back is questionable.
Elliott Has Been Quiet About Free Agency Decision
There hasn’t been a lot of noise around Elliott’s free agency decision, although it appears he’s been making some moves behind the scenes as he narrows down his choices.
Elliott has also started to get back into the public eye, with his trainer sharing a clip of him working out, which Elliott put on his own social media. He also tweeted about wanting to wear No. 15 next season, which he wore at Ohio State.
The running back market hasn’t been great this offseason, with Miles Sanders, David Montgomery and Jamaal Williams the only backs to get deals worth double-digit millions and more than two years. Sanders has the leading annual salary, getting $6.25 million per season from the Panthers.
Before being released, Elliott was set to count $16.7 million against the salary cap with a $10.9 million non-guaranteed base salary. By releasing him, the Cowboys saved nearly $11 million against the cap.
Tony Pollard Officially Signs Franchise Tag
In Cowboys running back news, Tony Pollard officially signed his franchise tag with the team on Thursday. It will make him just over $10 million a year. The sides can still agree to a multi-year extension prior to July 17.
Pollard is coming off a Pro Bowl season where he was dynamic both running and catching the ball. Pollard notched 193 carries for 1,007 yards and nine touchdowns. He also had 39 receptions for 371 yards and three touchdowns. His production made the decision to part ways with Elliott a more comfortable one for the Cowboys.
Dallas also inked some insurance in former Chiefs running back Ronald Jones. He was a former second-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but is coming off a tough year in Kansas City. He had just 17 carries last season.