Skip Bayless explains his stance on bringing Ezekiel Elliott back to Dallas

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The running back has spent the past season with the New England Patriots and seems interested in moving back to his former home.

Since Tony Pollard’s departure from the Dallas Cowboys, the running back position has been more hampered than ever.

When he signed a three-year contract with the Tennessee Titans, there were names like Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley on the table, but the franchise didn’t go after either one of them.

At the moment, Dallas can count on Rico Dowdle and Malik Davis in its backfield. However, there is some speculation that former Cowboy Ezekiel Elliott could return to the roster.

Before joining the Patriots, Elliott had been waived by Dallas for injuries and underproduction on offense. Now, he becomes a possible target to come back to the team that drafted him in 2016.

Should the veteran get back to America’s Team, it will be on very different terms – and, of course, at a much lower contract value.

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Good or bad idea to bring Zeke back to the Cowboys

On Monday’s edition of the Undisputed show, Skip Bayless and Keyshawn Johnson debated whether or not Elliott’s return to the Cowboys would be a good move. Unsurprisingly, the two shared very opposing views.

“It’s a great idea. They need to address the running back position”, said Keyshawn.

“He’s familiar with the system. He’s familiar with the team, the organization, they know who he is. You’re not saying he’s coming in to be Zeke from his rookie season. What you want from him is you want some leadership, you want to be able to draft a young running back and have a one, two nice punch.”

The former New York Jets wide receiver believes it’s time for the Cowboys to reorganize the offense with someone who already knows how things flow within the organization and the facilities.

“Some of those clips that were being shown in the New England Patriots uniform, he was pretty Zeke to me. It was a nice big short yardage red zone puncher. He understands the game. Why not?”

“If you’re telling me that you’re gonna bring in a veteran player that understands the culture in the locker room and the things that he needs to be for a team that’s lacking that, I’m gonna sign him yesterday.”

On the other side, Bayless, a self-confessed Dallas fan, sees the possibility of having Elliott in the squad again as a move that no longer fits the team.

“I won’t say this is a bad idea. It’s just a sad idea to me, because this is a blast from the past. That is past, it’s past tense, past time. He’s just not remotely Zeke anymore.”

“They’re gonna take a running back in the second round and he will be the starting running back and supposedly they’re gonna keep Rico Dowdle and Malik Davis from last year.”

And Johnson quickly responded: “They may do that, but got it first and goal from the six yard line and you got Ezekiel Elliott in your backfield, I’m betting you score.”

The running conditions in Dallas

At RB, the Cowboys have plenty of youth. In addition to Rico Dowdle, the backfield unit includes Deuce Vaughn, Hunter Luepke, Malik Davis and Snoop Conner.

Their average age is just 24, not to mention that it’s not a far cry from a potential new Draft pick. What’s more shocking is the fact that the five mentioned combine for zero starts in the NFL and only seven touchdowns, four of them scored by Dowdle in the 2023 season.

The departure of Tony Pollard to the Tennessee Titans has created a chaotic scenario for the franchise’s running corps. If Elliott’s return is made official, he could be a good name to encourage the younger players in their development.

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