Mike McCarthy describes having Ezekiel Elliott back with Cowboys

When the Dallas Cowboys did not draft a running back, there were some raised eyebrows. Clearly a position of need heading into the offseason, there was no real effort to fix the problem. But Jerry Jones decided to call upon a familiar face to at least bring a veteran into the room with plenty of experience in the NFL — Ezekiel Elliott.

Head coach Mike McCarthy says Dallas will play running back by committee but from the outside, Elliott certainly appears to be the team’s best running back.

More than anything, McCarthy just likes having Elliott back in the locker room. He describes the nine-year player as an “old-school” guy and somebody you like to have on your team.

“He’s an old-school guy,” McCarthy said. “He’ll go up and smack a 60-year-old man in the ass and it hurts. It’s those kinds of things that you just enjoy him — not that I enjoy getting smacked in the ass. But just enjoy his personality and having him back in the building. Things like that.”

Elliott is certainly an old-school player, being a former No. 4 overall pick in the NFL Draft. These days, most general managers will not touch a running back with a 10-foot pole in the first round. Dallas took the risk back in 2016 and the results were great for a while.

During his rookie season, Elliott finished third in MVP voting after leading the league in yards. The 2018 season was just as successful, once again having the most rushing yards in the NFL. Dallas had a back they could call upon, no matter the situation.

Elliott arguably made a bigger impact around his teammates though, being a big presence and one people looked up to. His relationship with quarterback Dak Prescott is well documented and the quarterback could not be more thrilled to have one of his best friends back.

“Obviously, just knowing our history, my experience with him as a brother, but in this case, as a teammate, understanding what he brings to the team, the locker room alone, the culture he sets,” Prescott recently said.

“A guy that does everything the right way, from the locker room to the field. With us having a young team, bringing guys in, people can follow him and watch him.”

Dallas certainly has more questions to answer when it comes to running back. As good as Elliott was at the beginning of his career, numbers have slowly dwindled, and his best days are behind him.

However, having him be a leader during what sets up to be an important season for the Cowboys is almost invaluable.