Cowboys Exec: Ezekiel Elliott to Be Part of RB 'Group by Committee' with Dowdle, More

Ezekiel Elliott has rejoined the Dallas Cowboys after a year-long stint with the New England Patriots. He was RB1 in Dallas for the vast majority of his seven years in town, but now he'll be part of a committee this time around, per Cowboys vice president of player personnel Will McClay.

"I think the running back position this day and age is not that old-school, one-guy as the lead back and the others fill in," McClay said, per Joseph Hoyt of Lone Star Live. "It's a group by committee. What he'll add to that group, we're excited about it."

Right now, that group notably consists of Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn and recently signed free agent Royce Freeman.

Elliott made three Pro Bowls, earned two rushing titles and landed on one All-Pro team during his first stint in Dallas. For his career, Elliott has amassed 11,553 total yards and 85 touchdowns.

He's been a workhorse throughout his entire career and has rarely missed time due to injury. That will certainly make him a valuable piece in the Cowboys' backfield.

On the flip side, Elliott is not as efficient as he once was, rushing for just 3.8 yards per carry in 2022 and 3.5 YPC in 2023. It may not be viable for him to take a complete hold on the backfield given that concern.

But he's versatile (51 catches last season) and certainly helps Dallas replaced the departed Tony Pollard, who left in free agency for the Tennessee Titans.

Elliott is now back in town on a one-year deal worth $2 million guaranteed, and McClay and the Cowboys are happy about it.

"Zeke is a winning, starting running back in the league," McClay said. "So you turn on the tape, you saw him do things, running power gap schemes, running inside and outside zone, helping in pass protection – all those things to show that the ability was still there. Adding him to this roster, it adds a guy that, No. 1, loves football, that wants to win here, that wants to be here, and that adds something to the roster from a leadership standpoint, as well as an ability to play..."

Elliott joins a Cowboys team that went 12-5 last year and won the NFC East but fell to the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Wild Card round. With his return, Elliott also has a legitimate chance to land second on the team's all-time touchdown list. Tony Dorsett had 85 total as a Cowboy, and Elliott is five behind him in Dallas right now.