Latest On Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys
Following reports that Ezekiel Elliott had been suspended for the first six games of the upcoming season, the Cowboys running back released a statement regarding the punishment (via Twitter):
“I am both surprised and disappointed by the NFL’s decision today, and I strongly disagree with the League’s findings.
“I recognize the distraction and disruption that all of this has caused my family, teammates, the Dallas Cowboys organization as well as my fans — for that I am sincerely sorry.
“I admit that I am far from perfect, but I plan to continue to work very hard, on and off the field, to mature and earn the great opportunity that I have been given.”
We learned last night that Elliott was planning on appealing the suspension.
Let’s take a look at some other notes pertaining to the Cowboys and their star running back…
- According to ProFootballTalk.com’s Charean Williams, TMZ had obtained eight photos showing bruises on Elliott’s former girlfriend. The photos were part of the evidence used by the NFL during their investigation, and the league confirmed that the pictures were nothing new. Experts said the bruises were consistent with abuse, although Elliott claims his ex-girlfriend suffered the injuries at a bar.
- If the suspension ultimately stands, SiriusXM’s Alex Marvez points out (via Twitter) that the Cowboys would owe the NFL $186K “per remittance policy for suspended players.”
- Jerry Jones defended Elliott and questioned the league’s investigation throughout the offseason. Now, as CBSSports.com’s Jason La Canfora writes, the Cowboys owner has some explaining to do. If Jones was actually aware of the extent of the NFL’s evidence and case against Elliott, then the writer believes the owner deserves criticism. On the flip side, if Jones wasn’t aware, his speaking “in such a cavalier fashion without any true indications of what the league was discerning” also isn’t a good look.
- Joe Lockhart, the NFL’s top communications chief, discusses Jones’ consistent dismissal of the investigation. “I don’t think we have a comment, one way or the other, on anything that anyone else in this case, that involved in this case or looked at this case, or commented on this case,” he told La Canfora. “I can say that we believe this investigation was thorough, exhaustive and fair to all parties involved.”
- USA Today’s A.J. Perez writes about Elliott’s options going forward, referring to the former suspensions for Adrian Peterson, Ray Rice, and Tom Brady.
Latest On Ezekiel Elliott Suspension
The Ezekiel Elliott suspension will reside as one of most memorable Friday news-dump sequences in the NFL’s history with this tactic, and the result has Jerry Jones “furious,” according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Cowboys owner and recent Hall of Fame inductee said as recently as late last week the domestic violence issue that now stands to drastically alter Elliott’s season was not an issue. Jones previously categorized the accusations against Elliott as being without merit, and while the running back will appeal the suspension, as of now the Cowboys’ top offensive weapon will be shelved until late October. This stands to give the defending NFC East champions a tougher road to defending that title.
Here’s more on the second-year running back’s suspension.
- An NFL source relayed to Schefter this process took as long as it did because the NFLPA was responsible for a lengthy delay in delivering information requested in mid-December. Schefter reports (Facebook link) the NFL did not receive said information until mid-May.
- Elliott’s ban was based on two components: the accusation of repeated domestic violence in July 2016 and the incident in March involving the running back removing a woman’s top on a parade float, Mark Maske of the Washington Post tweets. The running back’s alleged involvement in a DJ breaking his nose at a club last month was not considered, Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News tweets.
- While the above NFL source accused the NFLPA of delaying this investigation considerably, union executive director DeMaurice Smith wonders independently why this took so long. “I just have a hard time understanding how come an investigation takes a year, results in a 165-page report and takes so long and so many person hours,” Smith said, via Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com. “As a homicide prosecutor and violent crimes prosecutor, I had to try a violent offender or a murderer 100 days after arrest or the person goes free. I know there’s a couple of prosecutors that are working with the league on these personal conduct issues but I gotta tell ya there’s a whole group of prosecutors and law enforcement folks laughing at them going, ‘Why does it take so long?‘”
Ezekiel Elliott To Appeal Suspension
Ezekiel Elliott is not going down without a fight. The Cowboys running back says he will appeal his six-game suspension. 
[RELATED: NFL Hands Elliott Six-Game Ban]
Elliott’s representatives released the following statement on Friday afternoon:
We just learned of the NFL’s decision to suspend Mr. Elliott for six games for allegedly engaging in ‘physical force’ against the accuser. Mr. Elliott and his team of representatives are extremely disappointed with the NFL’s decision.
Our offices have been engaged in this matter since last July and have worked hand in hand with the Columbus Prosecutor’s office as well as the NFL with their respective investigations. Accordingly, we are fully aware of the full body of evidence that exists in connection with this matter.
The NFL’s findings are replete with factual inaccuracies and erroneous conclusions and it ‘cherry picks’ so called evidence to support its conclusion while ignoring other critical evidence.
For example, both the Columbus Prosecutor’s office as well as the NFL investigators expressly concluded and conveyed to our office (and others) that the accuser was lying about an alleged July 22, 2016 incident whereby she accused Mr. Elliott of pulling her out of her car and assaulting her. An allegation that was ultimately undermined by her own friend’s affidavit which stated that no such assault occurred. The affidavit also outlined the accuser’s plan to orchestrate a story to police to in order to corroborate her false allegation of assault. In addition, the NFL’s own medical experts concluded that many of her injuries predated the week in question and likely occurred during a period of time when Mr. Elliott was not in contact with the accuser. During the upcoming weeks and through the appeal a slew of additional credible and controverting evidence will come to light.
Elliott’s battle may not stop at the league office. The running back is willing to take his appeal through the legal system, if necessary, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter) hears.
If Elliott does not have the suspension overturned or reduced, he will be out of action until the team’s Week 8 tilt against the Redskins on October 29th.
Ezekiel Elliott Gets Six Game Suspension
The NFL has brought the hammer down on Ezekiel Elliott. The Cowboys running back is being suspended for six games, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Elliott is expected to appeal the decision and he has three business days to do so. The NFL has since confirmed the ban and NFL.com has obtained a copy of the league’s letter to Elliott detailing the decision.
If the appeal is unsuccessful, Elliott will be out of action through Week 7 since the Cowboys have a Week 6 bye. Elliott therefore would not make his regular season debut until Week 8 against the Redskins on October 29th.
On Friday morning, Schefter cautioned that the personal conduct policy could enable the NFL to suspend Elliott for up to six games. It’s a shocking outcome considering the previous belief that Elliott would only be suspended for one or two games, if suspended at all. All throughout the process, Elliott has maintained his innocence and owner Jerry Jones has insisted that no physical violence took place. The league, apparently, does not agree with that assessment.
“I have reviewed everything, and there is absolutely nothing — not one thing — that had anything to do with domestic violence,” Jones said recently.
Meanwhile, NFL investigators determined that Elliott did use physical force against girlfriend Tiffany Thompson. Although there was “conflicting testimonial evidence” with regards to what transpired, the photographs of her injuries left no doubt about whether Elliott struck her, the league says.
If the suspension is upheld, Elliott will lose out on $8.15MM+ in salary guarantees from the 2017 through 2019 seasons. Elliott will also have to repay the Cowboys a portion of his signing bonus, on top of missing out on six game checks. For Elliott, that means giving up nearly $240K per missed game, which comes out to approximately $1.44MM.
Latest On Ezekiel Elliott
UPDATE: Elliott has indeed been suspended for six games.
We’re inching closer to a ruling on Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott. When the verdict comes in, the Cowboys might not be very happy with the outcome. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) notes that under the terms of NFL personal conduct policy, Elliott could be facing potential six-game suspension for allegations of physical violence. 
[RELATED: Elliott Ruling Could Come Down On Friday]
Several national NFL reporters noted the possibility of a six-game ban on Friday morning and that could indicate a much lengthier suspension than initially anticipated. This could also be an effort by the league office to brace fans for a middle-of-the-road outcome in which Elliott gets, say, a three-game suspension. We won’t know anything for sure until official word comes from 345 Park Avenue, but the Friday morning rumblings are not promising for the Cowboys.
Needless to say, a suspension of any length would put the Cowboys’ offense at a severe disadvantage. Elliott, 22, ran for a league-leading 1,631 yards off of 322 carries last year with 15 touchdowns. He supplemented that incredible stat line with 32 catches for 363 yards and one score.
Alfred Smith Could Be Trade Candidate
- Alfred Morris played ahead of Rod Smith during the Cowboys‘ Hall of Game exhibition last week despite having seen fewer carries than Smith during training camp, leading Todd Archer of ESPN.com to wonder if Dallas was showcasing Morris for a potential trade. Reports in March indicated the Cowboys were likely to shop Morris, who is behind Ezekiel Elliott, Darren McFadden, and Smith on the backfield depth chart, but his salary ($1.2MM) could prove a hindrance. Plus, with Elliott likely to serve a league-mandated suspension, Morris’ presence on the roster could become all the more important. In his first season in Dallas, Morris managed 69 carries for 243 yards and two touchdowns.
Tony Romo Would Only Return For Cowboys
Tony Romo would only return to the NFL if Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott suffers an injury and Dallas is in need of a quarterback, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link), who labels Romo a “break-the-glass emergency [option]” for the Cowboys.
While Jay Cutler put off a broadcasting career in order to sign with the Dolphins this week, Romo doesn’t sound as willing to return to the league. However, he has vacillated on the subject of complete retirement this offseason. In mid-July, Romo said he was “done” playing football, but just eight days later he left the door open a crack, saying he was only “99.9% done”. It’s a fine distinction, but one that seems to leave a window for a potential comeback, especially given that Romo hasn’t officially filed retirement papers.
The Cowboys no longer hold Romo’s rights after releasing him following his retirement announcement, meaning Romo could technically sign with any club. But he was never mentioned as a possible solution for Miami after Ryan Tannehill‘s knee injury, and other clubs such as the Broncos may be out of luck if Romo only wants to play for Dallas. Kellen Moore and Luke McCown currently represent the backup options behind Prescott, so Romo would clearly offer an improvement if Prescott were to go down during the season.
Unless Romo decides to return to the field, he’ll serve as the No. 1 color commentator for CBS, working alongside Jim Nantz.
Ezekiel Elliott Decision Could Come Friday
Stop us if you’ve heard this before: the decision on Ezekiel Elliott isn’t ready today, but it could be coming soon. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) reports that the ruling could come in as soon as Friday. 
Elliott has been playing the waiting game for roughly one year with the NFL. The league wants to make sure it has covered all of its bases with regards to abuse allegations from last year. Meanwhile, local authorities have passed on pursuing any charges. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has been vocal in his support for the running back and insists that the allegations were without merit.
Of course, in the wake of high-profile controversies involving Ray Rice and Greg Hardy, the league is especially sensitive to domestic violence. The NFL is also not happy about other incidents Elliott has been involved in. Elliott found himself in hot water in March when he exposed a woman’s breast during a St. Patrick’s Day celebration. The youngster was also involved in – or at least near – a barroom brawl in Texas earlier this summer.
With Week 1 getting closer and closer, the Cowboys are certainly hoping to get an answer before the week is out. If a July report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter is any indication, they may not be happy with the result. The sense, Schefter said, was that Elliott would be facing a short suspension. It’s also worth noting that report came in days before the aforementioned brawl.
No Decision On Ezekiel Elliott Yet
- Speaking of running backs, the NFL won’t announce whether it’s going to suspend the Cowboys’ Ezekiel Elliott until at least Thursday, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN. The league has been investigating Elliott for over a year on account of domestic violence allegations and other behavioral issues, and the slow process has frustrated both the reigning first-team All-Pro and the Cowboys.
Cowboys, Zack Martin “Deep In Talks”
An extension for Cowboys guard Zack Martin has seemed like a foregone conclusion for several months, but executive vice president Stephen Jones revealed Tuesday that negotiations between the two sides haven’t been easy. The parties are “deep in talks” at the moment, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, though a deal isn’t imminent (Twitter link).
With Tom Condon serving as his representative, the 26-year-old Martin has the same agent as the highest-paid guard in the league, the Browns’ Kevin Zeitler, who left Cincinnati for Cleveland’s five-year, $60MM offer in free agency. Martin would like to surpass that mark, Rapoport suggests, which explains why Jones believes that contract talks have been tough. While Martin has been an elite guard during his three years in the league, the Cowboys still own his rights for another two seasons. They’re not competing against other teams to keep him, then, whereas the Browns had to outdo various clubs’ offers to secure the 27-year-old Zeitler.
Martin is due to make a relative pittance in 2017 – $1.64MM – and scheduled to rake in $9.34MM next season as a fifth-year option player. That’s a high figure, of course, but it’s a good deal less than the $12MM per year for which he’s aiming. Nevertheless, the expectation is that the Cowboys will lock him up at some point.
Since Dallas chose Martin 16th overall in 2014, the ex-Notre Dame standout has started 48 straight regular-season games. Martin has combined durability with excellence along the way, having earned three Pro Bowl berths in as many years and a pair of first-team All-Pro nods. He finished as Pro Football Focus’ second-best guard last year, beating out the seventh-ranked Zeitler, and a key piece of PFF’s No. 2 overall O-line.