Dallas Cowboys star Ezekiel Elliott has spoken out about his unhappiness with some of the recent criticism of his game.
The three-time Pro Bowler told detractors to "put some RESPECT on my name" in a series of tweets:
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler recently wrote an article in which more than 50 NFL executives, coaches, scouts and players ranked their top 10 running backs.
Elliott came in at No. 3 behind Saquon Barkley of the New York Giants and Christian McCaffrey of the Carolina Panthers.
One offensive coach told Fowler he didn't consider Elliott among the top 10 at the position: "Very few breakout runs, doesn't look as strong anymore. Feels like he's about 60 to 70 percent of what he was."
Fowler noted that Elliott's four runs of at least 20 yards on a total of 301 attempts (one every 75.25 attempts) last season was "by far the worst among the top five" running backs.
Some of Elliott's decreased explosiveness could be attributed to a prolonged holdout last offseason. The 24-year-old didn't report to the Cowboys until signing a six-year extension on Sept. 4, four days before the season opener against the New York Giants.
Elliott led the NFL in rushing yards per game in each of his first three seasons and total rushing yards in 2016 and 2018. He was still productive last year with 1,777 yards from scrimmage and 14 total touchdowns on 355 touches.
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