Jason Garrett to meet with Ezekiel Elliott Friday, believes in RB, others

ByTODD ARCHER
July 19, 2017, 6:06 PM

— -- FRISCO, Texas -- Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett has yet to speak with Ezekiel Elliott regarding the running back's alleged involvement in an incident at a Dallas bar, but he said he will do so Friday.

Garrett did not want to get into any of the specifics surrounding Elliott at the moment.?Owner and general manager Jerry Jones has spoken with Elliott, as have other members of the organization, according to Garrett.

"We're still gathering information on what that whole situation was," Garrett said. "Zeke's someone we believe very strongly in as a person and as a football player, and we're going to continue to believe in him and try to put a structure around him -- and all of our players -- to help them make great decisions and grow on and off the field."

The recent Elliott story comes after cornerback Nolan Carroll and linebacker Damien Wilson were arrested in connection with off-field transgressions that could lead to potential penalties from the league -- in addition to law enforcement. Carroll was arrested on a DWI charge in May, and Wilson was arrested on two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon on July 4.

"We've had some incidents here in the offseason that we've had to address," Garrett said. "If we didn't believe in the players who were involved in the incidents, they wouldn't be with our team. We believe in them. Doesn't mean they're infallible. People make mistakes. It's our job to respond the right way, hold them accountable, hold themselves accountable. We're still finding out about a couple incidents here the last couple of weeks and once we get that information we'll respond accordingly. But the standards are high here. We believe we have the right kind of guys on our football team. We believe very strongly in the character of our football team but again that doesn't mean people aren't going to make mistakes. It's our job to respond the right way."

Elliott's latest incident comes after the running back received a report from the NFL on its findings from an investigation into a 2016 domestic violence accusation against him. Sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter that Elliott was preparing a response to the league. While the league has denied any decision has been made on whether Elliott will be disciplined, sources told Schefter that Elliott's camp is bracing for a short suspension.

Garrett did not comment when asked about the possibility of being without Elliott even for a short amount of time when the regular season begins.