Rumors were swirling that the Dallas Cowboys are going to use the No. 4 pick in Thursday’s NFL Draft to select St. Louis native Ezekiel Elliott. Rated as the top running back in the draft, the former Ohio State star would team with quarterback Tony Romo and receiver Dez Bryant.
Owner Jerry Jones said picking a quarterback or running back that high was “unlikely,” but he did not rule it out. There is also talk that the Cowboys could move down in the draft and take Elliott a few slots later, while picking up additional picks.
Michael Irvin, who teamed with Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith to form the original “triplets,” said on Twitter, “Ezekiel Elliott (and) Dez Bryant. We’ll be on our way to a Super Bowl.” Irvin selected Elliott for the Cowboys in a NFL Network mock draft.
While Elliott would certainly have an immediate impact on the Cowboys’ offense, the team’s defense finished 17th in the NFL and 31st in sacking the quarterback. Edge rusher Randy Gregory and defensive end Demarcus Lawrence will both miss the first four games of the season with drug-related suspensions.
To help bolster the pass rush – for now and in the future – the Cowboys could go with defensive end Joey Bosa, Elliott’s Ohio State teammate
Jason Cole at Bleacher Report quoted an anonymous AFC scout as saying, “Elliott likes to party and the college life. You worry about him missing meetings and staying out all night.”
I think this is gamesmanship. Some team wants Elliott to fall in the draft so it can swoop in and take him – so somebody floats this kind of trash.
By the way, the other reportedly big partyer at Ohio State? Bosa. I don’t put a lot of stock in that either.
All other reports on Elliott are glowing. He’s a responsible, good-natured young man with a strong work ethic. This lifelong Cowboys fan would have no problem with his selection.
Beal needs to bounce back
Bradley Beal’s expected breakout season turned out to be his worst, based on the number of games he played.
His Washington Wizards closed the year 41-41 and failed to reach the NBA Playoffs. Nagging injuries again slowed the former Chaminade Prep and Florida star, and Beal played in just 55 games.
Beal and fellow guard John Wall played together in only 52 games. According to NBA statistics, over the 1,241 minutes they were on the court together the Wizards outscored opponents by a whopping one point every 100 possessions.
“We both should’ve had a better year than we had. We should’ve carried the team a little better than what we did. We both can attest to it,” Beal told CSN MidAtlantic.
“There was no beef (between us) or anything like that. I think sometimes we put a lot of pressure on ourselves and we tried to overdo it especially if one’s not playing and the other one is. Overall, it’s no excuse.”
Beal averaged 17.4 and 2.9 assists per game, but his total of 1,708 minutes played was the lowest of his career – less than his rookie year when he played in 56 games.
Wall averaged 19.9 points and 10.2 assists and was named to the East Conference All-Star team for a third season in a row.
Wall said Beal’s injuries interrupted what could have been a great season.
“If he didn’t get hurt he was on pace to probably be an All-Star also. We would’ve been a better team,” he said.
Beal is a restricted free agent, and former Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks is taking over for the dismissed Randy Wittman. The Wizards will make a big-money play for free-agent Kevin Durant, who adores his former coach.
Whether Beal is a Wizard next year is for now unanswered. The bigger question is: Can he find a way to stay healthy?
Another life knocked out
By the time most boxers reach the age of 26, they have either achieved success or have given up the sweet science.
Occasionally, there is an exception to the rule, and St. Louis’ Michael Williams seemed to be just that one-in-few boxers.
His trainer Harold Petty, one of the area’s best, said Williams had been a dedicated student of the sport for the past 18 months. He had won a fight in August on a first-round knockout and other bouts would be coming his way.
His promising future as a boxer and his life came to an end early last Saturday when an argument with three men led to gun fire. Williams became yet another city murder victim. He was shot while sitting in the backseat of a SUV.
Williams was reportedly killed after leaving a South Jefferson nightclub at about 1 a.m.
Petty told the Post-Dispatch the murder “made me mad.”
“I tell these guys all of the time that you have to account for all of your time. You have to do something constantly. Do not be in the streets. There is nothing out there,” he said.
While that might be sage advice, leaving (or arriving at) a nightclub at 1 a.m. should not be life-threatening. An argument should not lead to cold-blooded murder.
A life and career that is finding its footing should not be snuffed out so callously. Most importantly, Williams’ two young children, a boy and girl, should not be without a father.
