Running back holdouts appear to be the new fad in the NFL, but one may be coming to an end soon.

Yahoo Sports reporter Charles Robinson tweeted Sunday that the Dallas Cowboys are getting close to finishing an agreement to give former Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott a new contract extension. Elliott has yet to report to the Cowboys this summer because he is seeking a new deal.

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The Cowboys are in a pretty unusual situation where they need to re-sign quarterback Dak Prescott and the team’s top rusher, Elliott, and leading receiver, Amari Cooper, within the next couple of years. Typically, that means less of the salary cap pie going to a running back, which is the position viewed as the most replaceable in today’s NFL.

But Elliott is a little bit of a special case. He’s led the league in rushing during two of his three seasons in the league (2016 and 2018), and in 2017, he still led the NFL in rushing yards per game. In 40 career games, Elliott has averaged 101.2 rushing yards per contest.

Prescott isn’t as dynamic of a passer as some of the other young quarterbacks, and with Elliott, the Cowboys can protect their defense and use their strong defensive line to rush the quarterback late in games when they have leads. The team’s fundamental strategy is centered around possessing one of the best backs in the league.

That’s the leverage Elliott may have against the Cowboys. If Dallas and the former Ohio State back are indeed close to a new deal, it will be interesting to see what kind of guaranteed money he receives.