Recently, “Blogging the Boys” listed Ezekiel Elliot as a player the Cowboys could trade before the start of the season. While this is a hypothetical scenario it should be adamantly stated just how detrimental such a move would be for the Cowboys’ hopes of competing for a title this season.

Ezekiel Elliot is still one of the best running backs in the league. Despite playing through a PCL injury for a majority of the year, he still managed to end the season with 1002 yards (7th in the league) and 10 TDs (tied for 6th).

When healthy there are no running backs on the open market who can match Elliot’s production.

The Cowboys’ ability to win games is also intrinsically tied to their ability to run the ball, especially with Elliot. The Cowboys are 53-35 when Ezekiel Elliot plays and only 5-4 when he doesn’t take the field.

To further the point, since 2016 the Cowboys are 50-18 when they rush for 100 yards or more, which is a 73.5 win percentage.

In comparison when the Cowboys have failed to rush for 100 yards they are a pathetic 8-21 in that same frame of time.

Due to the importance of the Cowboys’ rushing attack to their win probability it would be disastrous for the Cowboys to part with their leading rusher. With Tony Pollard reportedly preparing to take more snaps at receiver and limited options currently on the roster, keeping Elliot will be one of the most vital factors to their chances of making a post season run.