HONOLULU _ Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott is away from the team in Cabo San Lucas holding out for a new contract.
But he has apparently gotten in his work while the rest of the Cowboys were in training camp.
Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, Elliott currently weighs in the 220-pound range, the lowest since his rookie year, and he will be ready to go if and when the two sides come to a deal.
Sources have confirmed Schefter's report _ Elliott is fit and explosive.
He is listed at 228 pounds in the Cowboys media guide.
And while the Cowboys will play Saturday's game against the Los Angeles Rams in Hawaii, Elliott is still in Cabo, per a source.
That Elliott is good shape is not a surprise to owner Jerry Jones, who said he never had any concerns about the star running back being ready to go whenever he returns to the team.
"No, not really. Not at all," Jones said. "Zeke has the ability to completely hit the ground running, if I may use that. He has that and we expect that. He says that, and I believe him, that he's in great shape. I don't think that will be an issue when he does come back."
When that might be is another question entirely.
Missing training camp and the preseason is not an issue for Jones or Elliott. It's the start of the regular season that matters and Jones acknowledges there is a possibility he could miss games if contract talks remain at an impasse.
Those contract talks are still moving at a snail's pace, according to a source.
"That is the issue," Jones said. "I don't know of any fan or anybody that's worried about practice or preseason. The issue is, and the only bit of leverage, is can it go into the regular season. And that's when you start creating paying a price, if you're a team. But the players pay prices too in doing that."
