Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott admitted last week that the raw speed of the NFL caught him off guard, saying: "The game moves so much faster."
Another handful of practices, though, have helped the No. 4 overall pick settle in, especially on Wednesday, when Elliott took first-team reps while veteran Darren McFadden tended to family issues, per ESPN.com's Todd Archer.
"Everything's been slowing down and becoming a lot easier," Elliott said, "so I'm settling into the offense and everything is going well."
His coaches agree, with assistant Gary Brown saying: "He's making plays but he wants more out of himself and we want more out of him. And we're going to get it. He's moving forward pretty well."
Last year at this time, Dallas had plenty of questions in the backfield. After adding Elliott, though, the position is deep -- maybe too deep. Would former Redskins runner Alfred Morris have signed a free-agent deal with the 'Boys if he knew the team was about to draft the best back in college football?
Morris will battle for snaps with McFadden, but Dallas also has change-of-pace back Lance Dunbar on the roster. While it's a crowded house, the spotlight burns brightest on Elliott.
"You kinda got to embrace expectations but it's not something I pay attention to," Elliott said. "But I know my expectations for myself and honestly they're probably higher than what other people expect for me. I'm going to focus on ball and focus on what's going on in this building and not what's going on outside the building."
