Cowboys' Ezekiel Elliott: Set for larger receiving workload

Cowboys running backs coach Gary Brown expects Elliott to catch more passes this season, Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Elliott easily led the league in carries (322) and rushing yards (1,631) as a rookie, but he only ranked 31st among running backs in targets (40), despite finishing third in yards per target (9.1) among the 50 backs that drew more than 25 looks. While he often stayed on the field for passing downs, the Cowboys simply didn't rely on their backfield much for pass-catching duties, with running backs accounting for only 79 of the team's 483 targets (16.4 percent). That share likely will rise closer to the league average of 18-20 percent, and with Lance Dunbar no longer on the roster, Elliott unquestionably is the Cowboys' best option for passing downs. While still unlikely to match the kind of receiving workloads David Johnson and Le'Veon Bell handle, Elliott should push to finish among the top 10 at his position in both carries and targets.