Ezekiel Elliott Suspension Would Hurt Cowboys Super Bowl Hopes

A late-night incident in a bar, speeding tickets, allegations of domestic violence, and other run-ins with the law have put the future of Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott in jeopardy.

Reports indicate Elliott could be suspended for a game or two soon, but, despite an updated report that the Dallas PD is suspending an investigation into a bar incident that allegedly involved Elliott, the possibility of a longer suspension looms large over Big D.

According to BookMaker.eu, should Elliott be suspended four games or more, the Cowboys' odds to win the Super Bowl would drop from +970 to +1100.

If he were suspended for the regular-season opener against the Giants on Sunday Night Football, the spread on that game would move from Cowboys -5 to -4.5.

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At BookMaker.eu, Elliott is worth a half-point or less in value to the odds, depending on the opponent.

While the public perception is that Dallas would be impacted greatly by the loss of Elliott, the drop-off in efficiency wouldn't be too great, according to oddsmakers.

The Cowboys' real MVP is its elite offensive line. That group can make a lot of running backs look good.

Hall of Fame running back Jerome Bettis said on the "Rich Eisen Show" that Elliott's off-the-field issues stem from a lack of a veteran presence in the Cowboys' locker room.

"Here's part of the problem. That team, in terms of the core players, they're young guys," Bettis said. "You don't have any of those guys able to pull him back and say 'Listen, you can't do this, you can't do that, listen to me when I say these kind of things.'"

Should Elliott be suspended, former Washington Redskins running back Alfred Morris would be the next man up. Morris averaged 3.5 yards per carry last season and only touched the ball 72 times.