The Facts: If Elliott returns to the Cowboys before the start of the season, owner Jerry Jones expects the running back to be ready to go. If Elliott doesn’t return by the start of the season, Jones is OK with what the Cowboys have at the position behind the star running back. When asked if he was concerned the Cowboys weren’t making significant progress on a new deal for Elliott, Jones, via the team website, said, “No, not really. Not at all.”
Diehards Line:The Cowboys began training camp without Elliott, and they will finish the California portion of their training camp without Elliott. They return home Sunday after playing the Rams in Hawaii on Saturday. Elliott continues training on his own in Cabo, while holding out for a new deal. “Zeke has the ability to just completely hit the ground running, if I may use that,” Jones said. “He has that, and we expect that. He says it, and I believe him, that he’s in great shape. So I don’t think that’ll be an issue when he does come back.” As Profootballtalk.com reminded readers, the Cowboys have Elliott under contract for $3.85 million in 2019 and $9.09 million in 2020 under his fifth-year option. They then could use the franchise tag on him. They repeatedly have said they have made the star running back a “solid” offer, but the Cowboys want to pay Elliott somewhere in the range of what the Jets signed Le'Veon Bell for this offseason, not what the Rams gave Todd Gurley in July 2018. Gurley’s average annual salary is $14.375 million; Bell’s is $13.125 million. Elliott reportedly wants $15 million a season.