Ezekiel Elliott Rumors: Bengals 'Looming Large' in Race to Land Former Cowboys RB

Could former Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott take his talents to Cincinnati this spring?

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Friday on NFL Live that the Bengals "could be looming large" for Elliott, whose preferred destinations include Cincinnati, the New York Jets and the Philadelphia Eagles.

"I'm told [the Bengals] are looking to add a running back—either free agency or the draft—either to pair with Joe Mixon, or if they were to move on from Mixon, they could save nearly $8 million in cap space," Fowler said.

The Cowboys released Elliott on March 15, making him a free agent.

The 27-year-old spent the first seven years of his career in Dallas, posting four seasons of 1,000-plus rushing yards. However, his role with America's Team had declined over the last few seasons with the emergence of Tony Pollard.

In 15 games last season, Elliott rushed for 876 yards and 12 touchdowns, in addition to catching 17 passes for 92 yards.

The three-time Pro Bowler's best season came when he was a rookie in 2016. In 15 games, he rushed for 1,631 yards and 15 touchdowns, in addition to catching 32 passes for 363 yards and one score.

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor addressed the rumors linking Elliott to the franchise on Thursday, and he didn't provide much clarity on the team's potential interest in the veteran.

"There's a lot of great players that are available right now," Taylor said, via WCPO's Mike Dyer. "We like our team where it's at right now, but it's always fun when things get thrown around. Sometimes it's the first you hear of it, but that's just the way life works."

While the Bengals lost Samaje Perine to the Denver Broncos in free agency, Cincinnati still has Mixon, Trayveon Williams and Chris Evans on the roster at the running back position.

Mixon has two years on the $48 million extension he signed with the Bengals in 2020 and is projected to have a $12.8 million cap hit in 2023, which makes him a possible candidate to be cut.

Even if Mixon isn't cut, the Bengals should be able to sign Elliott if they wanted to.

Cincinnati has $17 million in cap space, per OverTheCap. It's unclear what kind of deal Elliott is looking for, but there's no doubt the Bengals would be able to fit him under the salary cap in 2023.