Jerry Jones says he's not worried about Ezekiel Elliott, but he should be

Ezekiel Elliott seems to admire the work Le’Veon Bell did for running backs with a holdout that spanned the entirety of the 2018 season.

Elliott is in the midst of his own holdout now. With hopes of earning a new contract, the Dallas Cowboys running back is skipping training camp. Multiple reports are indicating that the two parties are not close to a deal.

While Elliott has two years left on his rookie contract (including his fifth-year option), owner Jerry Jones insists that he’s ready and capable of getting the deal done. Jones was asked on Thursday whether he’s concerned about negotiations with Elliott.

“When have I not gotten one done?” Jones told the Star-Telegram Thursday. “I don’t worry about that. You just keep plugging.” Jones also indicated that he’s not afraid to let Elliott’s holdout last into the 2019 season.

But by pointing to past deals, Jones seems to indicate that he doesn’t realize how impactful Bell’s hold out could end up being. It changed the calculus for running backs completely.

Typically a holdout isn’t actually a cause for concern. Regardless of whether he gets a new contract, the player will come back — they always do. Except we know that’s not true anymore. Bell didn’t come back, even though everyone anticipated he would cave in negotiations with the Pittsburgh Steelers. If Zeke doesn’t come back, then the Cowboys will have a big have a problem.

It’s clear that Bell’s situation has emboldened running backs to fight back against a league that seems to be devaluing the position. Chargers running back Melvin Gordon is threatening an extended holdout, just like Elliott. Bell’s earning power probably didn’t match what he might have earned, if he’d played on the franchise tag in 2018, stayed healthy and gotten big deal in free agency in 2018. But that’s only if he stayed heathy, which isn’t a fair assumption in the NFL. So Bell’s $52.2 million deal (with $27 million guaranteed at signing) with the Jets is fairly big win over the Steelers, because Bell got financial security and the freedom to sign where he wanted — and, most important, he stuck it to the owners. Even if Elliott and Gordon return to their respective teams at some point in 2019, Bell has given them real leverage before it comes to that point. Because he actually held out through the season, other running backs are more believable when they threaten to do the same. And not every team is equipped to replace their running back like the Steelers managed in 2018 with James Conner stepping up for Bell.

Maybe you think Prescott is the key to the Cowboys offense. Maybe you think Prescott is overrated and Elliott is the key cog in the offense. The bottom line is that, if Elliott is out for the season, the Cowboys have to figure out how to replace one of the NFL’s best running backs, who can run (304 rushes, 1,434 yards, six touchdowns) and catch (77 receptions, 567 yards, three touchdowns) with an insane workload and impressive efficiency.

As the news swirled that Zeke’s contract situation was dire, the Cowboys moved on running back Alfred Morris, perhaps an indicator that they don’t feel prepared to turn over the offense to rookie Tony Pollard, a fourth-round draft choice out of Memphis. But Morris isn’t the answer to replacing Zeke — he averaged 3.9 yards per carry in San Francisco in 2018. Pollard is versatile, but isn’t likely to wow in many or any categories. These backs aren’t like Conner, who might have been a first-round draft choice if it wasn’t for a cancer diagnosis when he was in college at Pittsburgh.

Jones may say he’s not afraid, but he should be. He has two major contracts to complete before he finishes Elliott’s. The Cowboys intend to re-sign both quarterback Dak Prescott and receiver Amari Cooper. Elliot may grow impatient while Dallas works through those negotiations, and when they finish, he may not feel good about having to wait in line. To make things worse, Prescott and Cooper’s deals could eliminate the possibility of signing Elliott. And then the team will put their playoff hopes on the shoulders of Prescott, Cooper and … Michael Gallup and Randall Cobb? It’s not a reassuring snapshot.

Running backs are taking a stand against their diminishing market, and they should not be taken lightly. Zeke has strong leverage.