VIDEO: Skip Bayless is Out of His Mind if He Thinks Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott Isn't Worth Big Money
By Ryan Giglio
The king of horrendously bad hot takes, Skip Bayless, is back to his old tricks on Monday. On "Undisputed," Bayless argued against the Dallas Cowboys signing running back Ezekiel Elliott to a big extension, citing his belief that quarterback Dak Prescott is the most important piece that drives the team's offense.
"Todd Gurley did not deserve Todd Gurley money. Period. End of story. ... Jerry is saying, 'Zeke ain't worth no $14.4M.' I'm not even sure they think he's worth $13.1M that Le'Veon got. I believe in Zeke, but I don't believe in him to the tune of 4-years, $57M."—@RealSkipBayless pic.twitter.com/q8ZSuYEUzR
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) July 29, 2019
While his argument that a running back is not the most important piece for an effective offense in today's NFL is shared by many, this take simply does not apply to the Cowboys.
Elliott and Prescott have been together since the 2016 season and have made the playoffs in 2016 and 2018. What happened in 2017? Well, Elliott missed six games due to a personal conduct policy suspension, and the offense never really clicked.
The team finished in second place in the NFC East with a 9-7 record. While still a solid year, it's the team's worst record in the past three years. Prescott finished 2017 with a 62.9 completion percentage and 13 interceptions, both career worsts.
Some #NFL teams refuse to accept that an arguably overpriced Todd Gurley contract (which was also paid two years early) is a standard for running back negotiations. That’s a problem for the #Cowboys when it comes to Ezekiel Elliott. https://t.co/FTj6sWVjls
— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) July 28, 2019
Elliott has been one of the best backs in the game after being selected fourth overall in the 2016 NFL Draft. He led the league last year in yards (1,434) and rushing attempts (304) and did the same his rookie season when he recorded 1,631 yards on 322 carries.
While an Elliott holdout is not ideal for a Cowboys team with high expectations heading into the season, his value to the team's offense is clear and there's no reason to believe he isn't worth big money right now.