Ezekiel Elliott's parting of ways with the Dallas Cowboys is now official.
After years of great service, the time had come for the Cowboys to move on from the two-time rushing champ.
One of Elliott's reasons for not accepting whatever paltry offer Dallas had in mind for him? The Tampa Bay Bucs "will be interested,'' according to a report from Florida.
Meanwhile, in Dallas, the move creates a job opening that can be filled in various ways.
One way is named "Malik Davis.''
The soon-to-be second year running back saw the field at times last season as he filled in for first-teamer Tony Pollard, and he could now be set to feature more prominently in coach Mike McCarthy's offense.
We know what Pollard can do; his $10 million franchise tag number says plenty about what Dallas thinks of him. But Davis? His 161 rushing yards from 38 attempts (4.1 yards per carry) showed promise, and he is now seen as the heir to the backup role.
Davis could see significant game time. Or Dallas could draft another runner; Cowboys Nation is of course in love with Texas' Bijan Robinson.
The "Dine and Dash" duo is no more, but in Davis, there is a more than capable running back who can step in and do a job. While Pollard isn't the bell-cow type of back that Elliott is, his explosiveness between the tackles and outside were crucial features of his game last season.
But Pollard's 193 rushing attempts in 16 games averages out to be just 12 touches per game. That will now almost surely change. Is he up for it? Just four times last season Pollard had 15 carries or more.
Next season, he will likely need to have at least 15 per game, and that is where Davis can come in.
Pollard's explosiveness and burst are best-featured when he's fresh, and Davis should be able to do his part in relieving Pollard while still producing quality yards.
How "fresh,'' meanwhile, is Zeke? Not enough to stay with Dallas. But his old Cowboys position coach (Skip Peete) is in Tampa. Oh, and his old coordinator (Kellen Moore) is with the Chargers. Here's betting Ezekiel Elliott will be running in 2023 with something to prove.
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