Running back Ezekiel Elliott is returning to the Dallas Cowboys.

Elliott, who turns 29 in July, is set to re-sign with the Cowboys as a free agent after spending last season with the New England Patriots. Elliott is expected to sign a one-year deal, a person familiar with the deliberations confirmed Monday. He met last week with Cowboys officials.

The Cowboys released Elliott last offseason. He signed with the Patriots and ran for a team-leading 642 yards.

That followed seven seasons with the Cowboys in which he rushed for 8,262 yards and 68 touchdowns. He was a two-time NFL rushing champion and was selected to three Pro Bowls.

Elliott joins fellow tailbacks Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn and Royce Freeman on the Cowboys’ roster. Tailback Tony Pollard left the Cowboys via free agency last month to sign a three-year, $24 million contract with the Tennessee Titans.

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The Cowboys did not select a running back during the NFL draft. There had been speculation that they would choose Texas’s Jonathon Brooks, who was widely regarded as the top tailback available. But the Carolina Panthers selected Brooks in Friday’s second round.

The Cowboys did bolster their offensive line considerably by taking Oklahoma tackle Tyler Guyton in Thursday’s opening round and Kansas State guard Cooper Beebe in the third round Friday.

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