A year after leaving Dallas, Ezekiel Elliott is back like he never left and ready to help the Cowboys win this season. Though he’s still the same guy, a lot has changed at the Star. For starters, he’s no longer the bell cow back of the team and there’s a room of seven other running backs each hoping to be the player that elevates the Cowboys offense this season. Despite the shift in his responsibility, Elliott is excited about his role.
“We’ve got eight backs right now, so plenty of depth,” Elliott said this week at minicamp. “We’ve got a lot of good, young players that bring a lot of good things to the table. I’m excited to get to work with them in camp and help them to continue to develop. [I’ve got] eight years with however many carries, however many reps and however many blitz pickups, just the experience.
“I’ve seen just about everything. I just want to give them a little bit of my experience and any tidbit that can help them with their game.”
The Cowboys running backs could have to wait until the preseason to see how snaps are going to shake out during the regular season but regardless, Elliott is ready to go. Last season for the Patriots, he posted a team-high 184 carries for 642 yards and three scores. It was the fewest carries, yards and touchdowns, that he’s ever had, but he still loved it. Now, he’s back for more with the team that started it all.
“I don’t know exactly what it looks like, but we’ll see,” he said of the running back-by-committee approach Dallas is taking. “I love football, so I’m gonna do anything it takes for me to help this team win — whatever that is.”
Elliott welcomed back to Dallas with open arms
Asked how it’s been having Elliott back in Dallas this week, quarterback Dak Prescott gave an electric answer. He said it’s been the “f***ing best.” The feeling is mutual. The former first-rounder feels no disconnect from the players in the locker room despite his time away.
“I wasn’t at all worried about how I’d feel when I got back,” Elliott said. “I was gone for however long, but I still talked to a lot of guys in the locker room — still hung out with a lot of guys in the locker room — so I just picked up where I left off.”
Though their relationship hasn’t change, Elliott sees the growth Prescott’s had over the last year. The QB led one of the best offenses in the league and finished with yet another 12-5 record. He also became a father and turned 30 this year.
“He’s just grown, all-around, as a leader and a person, and he’s a dad now,” Elliott said of his draft class of 2016 mate. “We’re getting old. I’m really proud of Dak and how far he’s come, and I know he’s got plenty more left in him.”
The connection between Elliott and Prescott can take the team far. How far is the question on every Cowboys fan’s mind as the QB enters the final year of his contract.
