Jerry Jones Expects to See More Focused Ezekiel Elliott Without Off-Field Issues

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is expecting big things from running back Ezekiel Elliott now that his seemingly never-ending legal saga with the NFL is a thing of the past.   

"I think that not having to address that mentally and physically, not having to think about not only the interruption of ... the suspension, but just the physical interruption, the physical aspect of that, [will help]" Jones said Wednesday, according to ESPN.com's Todd Archer. 

Elliott, 22, was suspended for six games last season stemming from an alleged domestic violence incident involving his ex-girlfriend in July 2016. Following an investigation, the league determined Elliott breached its personal conduct policy. 

The Cowboys tailback and his representatives repeatedly challenged that ruling at several levels of the federal court system, but their quest to have that decision reversed failed and he was ordered to serve the suspension in its entirety. 

"To not have that on your mind, to not have the ambiguity of not knowing timelines, those kinds of things, there's no doubt in my mind it will make a significant difference in how he can focus ... not only on the next practice but the next game and the entire season," Jones added.

In 10 games a season ago, Elliott tallied 242 carries for 983 yards and seven touchdowns. He also logged 26 receptions for 269 yards and a pair of scores. Dallas went 6-4 with the Ohio State product active. 

The Cowboys, who failed to qualify for the playoffs last season, figure to lean heavily on Elliott to guide the offense following the offseason departures of No. 1 wide receiver Dez Bryant and safety blanket Jason Witten.