Ezekiel Elliott

It's becoming increasingly clear that the Elliott who thrived with 300-carry workloads earlier in his career is gone, and isn't coming back. The 26-year-old played in all 17 games last year and topped 1,000 rushing yards, albeit barely, for the fourth time in six seasons, but Elliott simply didn't have the same burst he did a few years ago and isn't the same big-play threat. After reeling off 11 carries of 20 or more yards in 2018 in only 15 games, Zeke's managed a total of 10 such gains in 48 games over the last three seasons. The decline can't be pinned on the Cowboys' offensive line either; while the unit isn't quite the juggernaut it once was, Elliott still averaged 2.5 yards per carry before contact, his best mark in that category since that 2018 campaign and a number comparable to Nick Chubb's. At this stage of his career, Elliott's just a volume guy, which means he'll keep producing only so long as Dallas keeps feeding him the ball in high-value spots. Nine of his 12 TDs last season came from inside the five-yard line, and if he loses a bigger share of that work, or simply cedes more touches to Tony Pollard overall, the bottom could fall out on his numbers. That said, Elliott's large contract and reputation all but ensure he'll get a bunch of carries in an above-average offense again.

Last season was almost a perfect storm of things going wrong for Elliott. As expected, he saw fewer carries than in prior years as new coach Mike McCarthy preferred putting the ball in his quarterback’s hands, and the team’s woeful defense didn’t allow for many situations where Elliott was needed to kill the clock in the second half of an easy victory. Injuries along the offensive line reduced the effectiveness of the offense as a whole, and the early loss of Dak Prescott left Elliott with little help in the backfield. The end result was a career low in rushing yards, fewer even than 2017 when he was suspended for six games. On the bright side, Elliott still possesses a well-rounded skill set that allows him to stay on the field in all situations, and there was little evidence that the loss of production was a result of him losing a step or wearing down after years of heavy workloads, as his average of 2.1 yards after contact was right in line with the last two campaigns — it was his average yards before contact that took the big plunge. With Prescott expected back at 100 percent health and the offensive line likely in better shape, Elliott’s overall efficiency should rebound, but his days of routinely seeing 350-plus touches are probably over, especially if backup Tony Pollard continues to flash off the bench.

Elliott played 16 games for the first time last season, a remarkable achievement considering he sat out all preseason in a contract dispute. Once he had a new six-year extension in his pocket, Zeke resumed his role as the focal point of the Dallas offense and barely missed a beat, finding the end zone in six of the first seven games en route to 1,777 scrimmage yards and 14 TDs. Elliott simply does everything well, but it's his ability to handle a huge workload that might be his most impressive attribute. He led the league in red-zone rushes (61) and tied Aaron Jones in TDs from inside the 5 with 10, and only Derrick Henry saw more than Elliott's 301 total carries - the third time in four seasons Elliott has topped 300. The Cowboys head into 2020 facing some significant changes, however. Gone is long-time coach Jason Garrett, and while OC Kellen Moore remains, new head coach Mike McCarthy is likely to favor a more pass-friendly scheme. Perhaps more important, five-time Pro Bowler Travis Frederick retired, leaving Joe Looney as the starting center. Elliott posted strong numbers in 2018 when Frederick missed the entire season, but the combination of uncertainty in front of him and a potential loss of some touches to backup Tony Pollard could prevent Zeke from producing at an elite level again.

Elliott emerged as a truly complete back last season. In addition to earning his second rushing crown in three years and improving his YPC from 4.1 in 2017 to 4.7 in 2018, Elliott exploded as a receiver with more receptions than the previous two years combined. His 2,001 scrimmage yards ranked second only to Saquon Barkley, who had 2,028. Despite all that production, Elliott fell short in the touchdown department --- thanks to a career-low six rushing TDs, he needed three receiving scores to match in 15 games what he totaled for touchdowns in 10 games the previous year. The difference was at the goal line where he converted just two of 11 attempts inside the 5-yard line (18.2 percent after 33.3 and 50 percent the previous two years). The goal-line struggles may have been partially caused by playing without stud center Travis Frederick all season, but Elliott also ranked 33rd among qualified rushers with a broken tackle percentage of 7.6. Still, Elliott displayed elite vision and patience, and once he found space he remained extremely dangerous, leading the NFL in runs of 10-plus (41) and 15-plus yards (25). That skill also allows him to avoid some of the bigger hits one might expect from a high-volume running back, though his workload is a long-term concern --- 381 touches paced the league by a margin of 29 over Barkley. Tight end Jason Witten returns this year and could take a few of Elliott's targets, but with Frederick potentially back as well, the running game will remain front and center, and Elliott the engine of the team's offense. His holdout from training camp could throw a wrench in that plan, but the Cowboys won't be too worried unless his absence stretches beyond the preseason.

While Elliott's six-game suspension cast a pall over not just his own season but the Cowboys' entire 2017 campaign, he managed to finish in the top 10 for carries, red-zone touches and TDs despite only playing 10 games. He lost a full yard off his rookie-year YPC and only managed seven runs of 15 yards or more, but his workload was unrivaled by anyone besides Le'Veon Bell, with Elliott taking 26.8 touches per game and rushing for 80 or more yards in all but one game. He's one of the few true bellcow backs in the modern NFL, coming off a season in which he was on the field for 85.5 percent of the Cowboys' offensive snaps in the games he played. While not a high-volume pass catcher along the lines of Bell or David Johnson, the third-year back has shown more than enough as a receiver and blocker to continue handling the majority of third downs. He runs with good power and doesn't lack for speed, but his biggest weapons are vision and patience, assets accentuated by the fearsome offensive line in front of him - a line that got reinforced in the draft with second-rounder Connor Williams. Assuming he doesn't run afoul of the commissioner's office again, Elliott heads into 2018 poised to challenge for another rushing title and seemingly a lock for double-digit TDs.

Elliott hit the jackpot in the 2016 draft, landing with a Cowboys squad that was perfectly set up for an every-down back to come in and put up huge numbers behind their dominant offensive line. The 6-0, 225-pound dynamo out of Ohio State more than held up his end of that bargain, teasing a run at Eric Dickerson's 1983 record for rushing yards by a rookie before eventually settling for his first of what could be many rushing crowns. Elliott combined elite vision and plus elusiveness with the burst to break into the second level and the speed to run away from defenders once he got there. Perhaps the most valuable weapon in his arsenal is his uncanny patience, as he demonstrated the ability to wait for plays to develop and his blocks to get set up before attacking the hole. Depressingly for opposition defenses, Elliott may just be scratching the surface of his potential. He wasn't as involved in the passing game as he could have been, something that should change as Dak Prescott develops right alongside him, as Elliott was charged with only one drop last year. The Dallas O-line may take a small step back this season after losing two starters in the offseason, but the real concern surfaced in mid-August when Elliott was handed a six-game suspension. He was granted an injunction and temporary restraining order that allow him to keep playing for the Cowboys while his lawsuit plays out in court, but there is a small chance he could miss time later in the season if the case is wraps up quicker than expected.

Elliott ran through, around and over collegiate defenses the last two years, collecting 41 touchdowns and 4,125 yards from scrimmage. As dominant as Elliott was in the Big 10, he was even better during three career Bowl games: 83 carries, 625 yards, 10 touchdowns, 7.5 a carry. Not too shabby for someone who finished eighth in the Heisman voting as a junior; maybe they should run that election after the season is over. He showed the ability to play on all downs and in all packages, making him an unusually polished running back entering his freshman season in the NFL The Pokes snagged him with the fourth overall pick in May. You can have a long discussion about who should go No. 2 in a rookies-only draft, but Elliott is going to be the obvious No. 1 dynasty league pick everywhere — mostly because of his talent, but it also speaks to an unexciting crop of rookies. With that in mind, the isolation of Elliott is only going to make him more expensive in most pools. Ah, but there's plenty to like. The Cowboys still have the consensus No. 1 offensive line (it graded first in both run and pass blocking last year, per Pro Football Focus), and Dallas has a paper-thin schedule.The window to win is narrow in Dallas, given the age of the key core — and with that, it's unlikely the Cowboys will make Elliott wait to prove much.