Elliott believes his disappointing 2017 campaign has led to an improvement in his focus and intensity heading into the upcoming season, David Moore of The Dallas Morning News reports. "The chip on my shoulder is just not having a full year last year and not performing the way I believe I could have," Elliott said.
Elliott's touch volume made him a first-rate fantasy asset when he played last year, but a six-game suspension and underwhelming mark of 4.1 yards per carry put a major stain on his season. He won't have to play with the weight of a possible suspension hanging over him this time around, and preseason concerns about the health of the Dallas offensive line have mostly cleared up. The team will be playing without standout center Travis Frederick (illness) indefinitely, but it seems the other four starters should be fine for Sunday's opener in Carolina. Elliott is expected to handle his typically huge workload on the ground in 2018, with the possibility of more pass-catching responsibilities in an offense that no longer has tight end Jason Witten and wideout Dez Bryant gobbling up targets.