Dallas’ Elliott sees room to improve

Rookie RB had 1,631 yards last year

FRISCO, Texas — Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott had the most rushing yards in the NFL a year ago. His 1,631 yards in 15 games outpaced the next best rusher by more than 300 yards (Chicago’s Jordan Howard with 1,313).

Elliott fell 177 yards shy of Eric Dickerson’s mark for most rushing yards by a rookie (1,808), but there’s no question he became a must-see star in the league.

But, looking back, Elliott isn’t satisfied with his season. To borrow a phrase from a former running back in the organization, Elliott believes he “left some meat on the bone.”

“I think I left a lot of yards on the field,” Elliott said.

In particular, Elliott feels he can become a more elite runner on the second level. Elliott rushed for 10 or more yards on 48 of his league-high 322 carries. Of those 48, 14 went for 20 or more yards.

Elliott’s longest run was a 60-yard score in the third quarter against Cincinnati. He also had touchdown runs of 55 and 32 yards. Elliott would like to have more of those in 2017.

“When you get those one-on-ones, making that guy miss, taking it to the house and just tripping up because you’re trying to do too much,” Elliott said. “Missing holes. Missing reads.

“That’s what’s going to propel you from 1,600 yards to 1,800 yards to 1,900 yards — making sure I make all those plays and continue to not leave any yards on the field.”

Elliott, who turns 22 next month, is making a concerted effort to make sure he doesn’t run into a sophomore slump. He’s been studying film with quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver Dez Bryant this offseason, and has a better understanding of the offense.

“I’m more comfortable in the system now,” Elliott said. “I can kind of expand my knowledge of the game. I can study more defensive fronts. I can study coverages. Instead of just learning my job, I can find out what the guys around me have to do.”

Maybe all of it will lead Elliott to chase another Dickerson mark — his NFL single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards, set in his sophomore season of 1984.

Dickerson is one of only seven players in the 2,000-yard club, with the most recent being Adrian Peterson’s 2,097 yards in 2012.

But Elliott isn’t eyeing any individual records. At least not publicly.

Asked his personal goals, Elliott said simply: “Win ballgames.”

That’s the type of approach that has ingratiated Elliott to his teammates. For a guy who has made headlines for the wrong reasons at different times in his young career, Elliott is all work at The Star.

“The ability to have a great year and then continue to improve, that’s where you separate yourself in this league,” tight end Jason Witten said. “You look at the great players we’ve seen over the last 25 years, their ability to continue to improve and get better as they get older is where they gain separation and they become special.

“There’s a lot of guys who are talented and have good years, especially at that position, but the ones that are able to separate themselves is their ability to improve. He’s got a high IQ as far as football. He’s got great awareness, good feel. He understands, ‘Hey, these are the stuff we can do and how we can do it better and set things up.’ That’s not to minimize what he did — that was really special last year — but his approach has been good.

“His personality is fun and it’s engaging and you want to be around it, but there’s also a side of him that he knows he can play better and will.”

What Elliott does on the field is what matters most for the Cowboys. But his off-field endeavors seem to be just as buzz-worthy.

He created a stir during the first week of organized team activities for being a passenger in a car wreck, and also made headlines in March when he exposed a woman’s breast during a St. Patrick’s Day parade in Dallas.

Elliott is still being investigated by the NFL on domestic violence allegations, too, which were made against him by an ex-girlfriend last summer. But that investigation appears to be coming to a close almost 11 months later — and more than nine months after the Columbus (Ohio) prosecutors declined to pursue legal charges.

A league source confirmed the NFL is nearing its conclusion after the NFL players’ association turned over phone records and other documents to the league earlier this month.

Elliott declined comment on the matter, but is surely waiting to put it behind him.

Once it’s behind him, his sole focus will become getting those extra yards and winning ballgames.