With just a few exceptions, running backs fall off the proverbial cliff dramatically after a few years, as was the case with Zeke.
At age 26 he had 7,386 rushing yards, but also already had 1,938 touches - and a corresponding number of hits and tackles.
Over the next/last three years Elliott had only 1,744 rushing yards, and the ypc plummeted to 3.8, 3.5 and 3.1.
The early overuse resulted in no tread left on those tires.
There are plenty of similar examples.
In his 3rd season Jamal Lewis rushed for 2,066 yards in 2003, still 3rd most in NFL history, but with 413 touches was never the same after that.
Terrell Davis ran for 2008 yards at age 26 - and only 1,194 for the entire rest of his career.
Shaun Alexander scored 98 TD from 2001 to 2005, but after winning the MVP in '05 he rushed for only 1,636 more yards and 11 more TD.
This is why I was advocating for the Patriots to use a mid to late round pick in the runup to last year's draft on Isaac Guerendo or Dylan Laube. Laube hasn't shown anything yet, but Guerendo has done well, averaging 5.1 ypc. Rhamondre Stevenson has been used frequently (over 15 touches per game for his career), and has already missed time due to injury. With rare exceptions of a guy like Derrick Henry, RB is a position that teams need to constantly replenish.
