The Dallas Cowboys have been focused on getting Ezekiel Elliott back with the team before the regular season. According to David Moore in The Dallas Morning News, there is still “significant ground” to be made between Elliott and the Cowboys on a new deal.

The Cowboys All-Pro running back has been absent from the team during training camp and the preseason due to wanting a new extension from the team that drafted him. Up to this point, Elliott seems to be interested in landing a deal that makes him the NFL's highest-paid running back.

On the other hand, Dallas is reluctant to pay Elliott an extension that exceeds Los Angeles Rams RB  Todd Gurley's four-year, $60 million contract that he signed prior to the 2018 season. Elliott still has two years remaining on his rookie deal and is set to make just $3.8 million in 2019 and nearly $9.1 million in 2020.

Since his arrival in 2016, the Ohio State product has been the engine that keeps the Cowboys offense going. In his rookie season in 2016, the two-time Pro-Bowl running back gashed defenses for 1,631 yards and 15 touchdowns.

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Over the past two seasons, Elliott has touched the ball 649 times for 3,253 yards from scrimmage. What's most impressive is that Elliott missed six games in 2017 due to suspension and he still was just 17 yards away from 1,000 on the season.

During Elliott's six-game absence in 2017, Dallas went 3-3 and ended up missing the playoffs because of it. Throughout this preseason, rookie fourth-round pick Tony Pollard has taken first-team reps at running back.

Despite Pollard's impressive preseason, the Cowboys are fixated on getting a deal done with Elliott before the regular season begins. The Cowboys will begin their season against the New York Giants on September 8th.