10 Cowboys Entering Their Final Season With Dallas

4. Ezekiel Elliott, RB

A lot of Cowboys supporters were left heartbroken when the team let Ezekiel Elliott walk away last offseason. After all, the three-time Pro Bowl running back ranks third in franchise history when it comes to carries, rushing yards, and TDs on the ground. It isn't surprising that so many people wanted him to finish his career in Big D.

But after one season with the New England Patriots, Elliott is back in town on a one-year contract. With last year's RB1 Tony Pollard out of town, Jerry Jones & Co. clearly hope that a returning Elliott will improve the Cowboys' red-zone presence.

While it's nice to see Elliott back in a Dallas jersey, fans shouldn't let nostalgia cloud reality.

We're talking about a 29-year-old running back who's failed to tally 1,000 scrimmage yards just twice with both of those instances occurring in the last two seasons. He only had three TDs last season and while rejoining the Cowboys offense should help improve that number, it might not have an impact on the career-worst 3.5 yards per carry he averaged.

If Elliott doesn't hit the ground running, he could lose the RB1 job to Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn, or even recent practice squad addition Dalvin Cook. And if that does happen, chances are that Elliott won't be back in 2025.