Sports can be a game of strange bedfellows. Just look at Ezekiel Elliott’s flirtation with the Philadelphia Eagles following his release from the division rival Dallas Cowboys earlier this off-season.
Philadelphia joins the Cincinnati Bengals and New York Jets as finalists for the former Pro Bowl running back.
Shortly after star right tackle Lane Johnson signed an extension with Philadelphia to clear some cap space, he joined the recently extended Darius Slay in putting on a full court recruitment of Zeke on social media.
That’s not really subtle, is it?
Elliott, 27, was released by the Cowboys for financial reasons after they placed the franchise tag on fellow running back Tony Pollard. He is also coming off a career worst 2022 season and seems to be on the decline.
Ezekiel Elliott stats (2022): 231 attempts, 876 yards, 3.8 average, 12 touchdowns
This actually represented the second time in three seasons that Elliott failed to cross the 1,000-yard rushing plateau.
Even then, the Philadelphia Eagles’ interest in Zeke could make sense. They lost Pro Bowl running back Miles Sanders to the Carolina Panthers in free agency. The defending NFC Champs replaced him with an injury plagued Rashaad Penny.
While Philadelphia boasts holdovers Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott, adding a potential short yardage stud in Ezekiel Elliott could make sense.
Related: Ideal Ezekiel Elliott landing spots
It’s going to be all about price point. Eagles front office head Howie Roseman had made it clear he believes running backs are a dime a dozen. It’s why he didn’t come close to matching the roughly $5 million Sanders is earning annually on his deal with Carolina.
At this point in his career, Elliott isn’t in line for a lucrative pay day or long term contract. It’s one of the reasons the Philadelphia Eagles could make a ton of sense. Johnson and Slay seem to agree.