Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott led the NFL in rushing last season despite playing in just 15 games (and only played a few series in one of those games), but he could be in for an even bigger year in 2017.
Used almost exclusively as a runner last year, owner Jerry Jones said the team is planning on using Elliott more in the passing game as a receiver out of the backfield, according to ESPN's Todd Archer.
Fantasy football players take note: After leading the NFL in rushing as a rookie in 2016, Ezekiel Elliott will do even more in 2017, if Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones has his way.
“He really is problematic for defenses in the passing game, and certainly every time we can get him the ball, I feel good about it,” Jones said.
"We have a lot of weapons on offense," Elliott said told reporters earlier in the week, addressing whether he'd be catching more passes. "We got a lot of guys that can catch the football, so I don't know if that's exactly going to happen. But it may."
“I just want to work on being a more dominant, second-level runner,” he said during the Reliant Home Run Derby at Dr Pepper Ballpark Monday. “I think a couple of times last year I could’ve been more elusive when I got to the second level. I just want to focus on altering my runs.”
Dallas wanted to make sure they didn't overwork Elliott in his rookie year, and was obviously most valuable as a runner, racking up 1,631 yards and 15 touchdowns on 322 carries.
Lance Dunbar handled most of the third down duties last year. However, with Dunbar now a member of the Rams, the Cowboys want to utilize Elliott in that role as well.
In 2016, he caught just 32 passes for 363 yards and a touchdown - and never had more than four catches in a game. Expect that to change this fall.
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