Training camp buzz confirms what Cowboys fans already knew about Ezekiel Elliott

It's hard to believe that Dallas Cowboys training camp is already a week old. The pads have come on, so Mike McCarthy and Mike Zimmer can now properly evaluate the roster. Whereas the wide receiver and tight end battles are heating up, it's been all quiet on the running back front.

It's no secret the Cowboys have one of the worst running back rooms in the NFL. They chose to reunite with Ezekiel Elliott, who turned 29 last week, despite having the draft and free agency to bring in an impact player.

Rico Dowdle, Royce Freeman, Malik Davis, Deuce Vaughn and Snoop Conner make up the rest of the stable. There is less than a combined 2,500 rushing yards between them, which is why Elliott is the presumptive favorite to open the season as the starter.

Just one week into camp, though, fans' concerns about signing the aging Elliott appear justified. The consensus takeaway thus far in Oxnard is that Dowdle has far and away been the best running back.

Rico Dowdle looks much better than Ezekiel Elliott in Cowboys training camp

While Dowdle showed promise as RB2 last season, this says more about Elliott than it does the Cowboys' leading returning rusher. Dowdle looks the part of a starter, which makes it all the more maddening that Dallas is hell-bent on trotting out Elliott as the lead back.

We all know Jerry Jones wanted Zeke back, but McCarthy was a loud proponent for the two-time rushing champ's return as well. McCarthy even wanted the Cowboys to sign Elliott before the draft so he wouldn't get away, per the Dallas Morning News.

Elliott may have the most experience of the team's RBs, but it's obvious to everyone but Dallas that Zeke is better off as a complementary back at this stage of his career. And yet, executive vice president Stephen Jones is gassing up Dowdle and Royce Freeman as "great complements" to Elliott.

Let's make on thing clear: Neither Dowdle nor Freeman would start for seemingly any other team. We'd argue that Dowdle is a level above Freeman, but the point stands and it was obvious if you tracked Elliott's season with the Patriots last year: Dowdle is currently a superior running back to Elliott and therefore the best rusher on the roster.

Last season, Dowdle topped Elliott in yards per carry and yards after contact per attempt, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). He was also right behind the elder statesman in missed tackles forced and explosive runs despite seeing 95 fewer touches.

It's evident on the first day of pads that Dowdle deserves the lead back. Unfortunately for Dowdle, this story has a predictable and familiar ending.

The latest from Cowboys training camp