Ezekiel Elliott is absolutely right, put respect on his name

The straw that stirs the drink for the Dallas Cowboys is tired of the disrespect on his name and frankly, he’s absolutely right

This is going to be a short and simple post. There is no need for window dressing or pomp and circumstance. Period, point-blank, Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott is the best at his position. If you do not agree, you’re wrong. That’s it. Done and done.

Whether it was the lack of appreciation from the Dallas Cowboys fan base last season or this collection of opinions accumulated by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the shade is real. There are a lot of people out there that do not understand just how good Elliott really is at his position.

One thing that I suppose people have used against Elliott, for whatever particular reason, is the contract he signed last year. After sitting out the entire offseason last year, the Dallas Cowboys and Ezekiel Elliott agreed to an eleventh-hour agreement, paying the star rusher $90 million over six years three days before the start of the 2019 season.

The fact that the organization decided to pony up for their superstar rock toter should only bolster the fact that he is worth every dime. Still, there are those who lose their minds when it comes to paying anyone at his position absurd.

What those who believe that do not understand (because they don’t take the time to actually read the fine print) is that Elliott’s contract is really just a four-year deal worth just over $50 million. Is all of that $50 million guaranteed? Most definitely. Is it deserved? Most definitely.

Technically, Elliott is getting paid the same or less than Christian McCaffery in Carolina as well as Derrick Henry in Tennessee. Without technicality, he’s better than both of them.

Everyone will point to the Swiss Army knife that McCaffery is to the Panthers’ offense. What no one will point out, however, is that he’s really the only weapon they have on that side of the ball.

Since McCaffery’s inception into the NFL three seasons ago, the Panthers have had just one receiver eclipse 1,000 yards. That happened just last season when D.J. Moore posted 1,175 yards. Elliott, meanwhile, has not been the only show in town for Dallas. The ball has been spread around to others such as Dez Bryant, Jason Witten, Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, and Cole Beasley during his tenure as a Cowboy.

As for Henry, he has been in the league for the same amount of time as Elliott. Despite leading the league in rushing yards and touchdowns last season, Henry still has posted 1,572 less rushing yards than Elliott and 1,041 less receiving yards. He’s also accounted for seven fewer touchdowns.

Clearly, putting Henry in Elliott’s stratosphere is just plain ridiculous. That would really leave Saquon Barkley as the lone competitor to Elliott’s deserved throne.

Barkley has had just two seasons accrued in the league but those two seasons have been spectacular. He has accounted for almost 3,500 total yards and 23 total touchdowns to date. Elliott, however, has almost 3,250 yards total and 25 total touchdowns… in four fewer games.

Alvin Kamara is nice. He just has yet to have 1,000 yards rushing. Todd Gurley is great but his durability is a major question mark. Dalvin Cook could be something special if he can ever actually play a full season.

We could on and on but the fact remains a simple one. Ezekiel Elliott is the best running back in the NFL. Others may be close, but at the end of the day, Elliott reigns supreme over the competition. It’s time to put some respect on his name. If you choose not to do so, don’t jump on the bandwagon when puts up another 1,800 total yards and 13 touchdowns in 2020.