Jones’ ‘Zeke who?’ quip doesn’t thrill Elliott’s camp.
FRISCO — Cowboys owner Jerry Jones found time to joke about Ezekiel Elliott’s holdout following the Cowboys’ win over the Rams Saturday night.
The running back’s camp apparently was not amused.
“I didn’t think it was funny and neither did Zeke — we actually thought it was disrespectful,” Elliott’s agent Rocky Arceneaux told ESPN’s Chris Mortensen.
In a follow up comment to The Dallas Morning News, Frank Salzano, another of Elliott’s agents said, “You see Rocky’s comment? We all feel the same way.”
Running back Tony Pollard got the start again Saturday night in Elliott’s absence, and he produced. Pollard finished with 42 yards and one touchdown rushing on five carries in the Cowboys’ 14-10 win over the Los Angeles Rams.
When Jones was asked if Pollard is his best negotiator for Elliott, Jones quipped: “Who? Now Zeke who?”
After reporters started laughing, a smiling Jones motioned at a television camera and said in a message to Elliott, “We’re having some fun, not at your expense.”
Not having Elliott has given Pollard a chance to show the Cowboys he can become a viable option in the offense. The Cowboys want to use Elliott and Pollard together to create problems for defenses.
As Elliott’s holdout continues, the Cowboys have the option to fine him under the CBA for missing training camp, at a maximum of $40,000 per day, the running total hit $1 million on Monday. Elliott has missed 25 days of training camp.
The Cowboys have offered Elliott a contract that would make him the second-highest paid player at his position. It would place him behind the Los Angeles Rams’ Todd Gurley in terms of guaranteed money ($45 million).
Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said back in February that Gurley’s contract set the standard for Elliott. But after the Jets signed Le’Veon Bell to a four-year, $52.5 million deal with $35 million in guarantees, the salary structure for Elliott changed in the eyes of the Cowboys.
It’s believed Elliott wants to be the highest-paid running back in the NFL and his value with the Cowboys has never been higher. As it stands, the sides exchanged serious numbers on July 25, the day before Elliott was supposed to report to training camp.
Jones says Prescott should be highly paid
After two preseason games, Jones continues to believe with strong conviction that quarterback Dak Prescott should be among the highest paid at his position.
“A real question a lot of people questioned is whether Dak was one of those guys that needed to be in the top tier,” Jones said after the Cowboys victory over the Rams on Saturday night.
“I never questioned that. That’s what this showing here is. I don’t think there’s any doubt he’s in the top level of the paid quarterbacks. There is no question in my mind.”
The Cowboys have offered Prescott, who is entering the last year of his rookie contract, a deal that would place him within the top five of the highest paid at quarterback.
Atlanta’s Matt Ryan has the highest total valued contract in the NFL at $150 million among quarterbacks. Carson Wentz of the Eagles, whom Prescott is frequently compared to, has the highest guaranteed salary at $107.8 million. Seattle’s Russell Wilson has the highest average salary of $35 million. Among the top five quarterbacks in the NFL, Ryan has the fifth-highest average salary of $30 million and the Cowboys have at least presented Prescott a contract that would surpass that.
The two sides continue to talk, but nothing is finalized.
“Now how do we make this all fit and what we can do to put the best team around him?” Jones said of Prescott. “That’s what we’re trying to work on.”
In the preseason, Prescott is 9 for 9 for 87 yards with one touchdown and a 106.9 quarterback rating while producing two scoring drives.