Sources - Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys expected to agree to deal - ESPN

FRISCO, Texas — Ezekiel Elliott is expected to agree to a one-year deal Monday with the Dallas Cowboys, sources told ESPN, reuniting him with the franchise that took him with the fourth overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft.

Elliott and his agent, Rocky Arceneaux, met with the Cowboys before last week's draft and eventually ended up at the same restaurant, Dee Lincoln Prime, where the team was holding its scouts dinner before the draft.

«Well, Zeke, as we all know, is one of our favorites,» Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said Thursday. «He's laid it on the line for this franchise. He's the ultimate competitor. I mean, he's a guy that we obviously think a lot of.»

Having lost leading rusher Tony Pollard in free agency to the Tennessee Titans, the Cowboys are looking at going with a committee approach at running back. Dallas re-signed last year's backup, Rico Dowdle, and added veteran Royce Freeman in free agency. The Cowboys also have Deuce Vaughn, a sixth-round pick last year, Malik Davis, and Hunter Luepke on the roster.

Elliott's return calls to mind Herschel Walker's second stint with the Cowboys. Walker was the Cowboys' leading rusher from 1986 to '89 before his famous trade to the Minnesota Vikings that helped Dallas turn into a three-time Super Bowl champion in the 1990s under Jimmy Johnson. He returned to the Cowboys in 1996, seeing action behind Emmitt Smith while being the lead kickoff returner.

The Cowboys did not select a running back in the draft, despite their lack of depth at the position on the current roster. Dallas contemplated selecting a running back in the third round, but opted for linebacker Marist Liufau instead. Without a fourth-round pick, the Cowboys saw 12 running backs go off the