The Dallas Cowboys drafted running back Ezekiel Elliott in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft, and it looks like he'll be getting a whole lot of work fairly quickly. In news that is not exactly stunning, Darren McFadden has hurt himself. McFadden suffered a broken elbow at home, and had surgery that will keep him out “a couple months.” That would put his return likely around the end of training camp, but the timetable is not entirely firm at this point.
The San Francisco 49ers host the Cowboys in Week 4, on October 2. It is highly likely McFadden will be playing by then, but his injury does make the Cowboys backfield a little more interesting. Elliott was going to get plenty of work even with a fully healthy McFadden, but does how much more work will this mean once McFadden’s back? Does Elliott emerge as a workhorse back, and if so, what then happens with McFadden? Our friends at Blogging The Boys have discussed the trade possibilities, but that will be on the backburner for at least a couple months. But for now, Elliott has a big opportunity in front of him.