Ezekiel Elliott sent Tony Pollard a message before start of Cowboys training camp

You'd be hard-pressed to find a single person who has said anything that even resembles a negative comment about the relationship between current Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard and former franchise back Ezekiel Elliott. It's a friendship and bond that dates back to roughly when Pollard first joined the Cowboys –or shortly after – and has strengthened over the years.

But heading into the start of training camp for Pollard with the Cowboys this year certainly has a different feel now that his old backfield mate in Elliott is no longer on the roster. But as ESPN's Todd Archer revealed, Elliott made sure his former teammate still felt the love before the team's first practice by sending over a quick message on Wednesday.

"Just telling all the running backs he knows we'll handle business, take care of everything and just good luck," Pollard said. "It means a lot with his situation, not being anywhere, but him still checking on us and making sure we're all right."

While Pollard, who's said to be fully healthy after offseason surgery to repair a high-ankle sprain suffered in the playoffs, has been at camp, he's being eased back into the mix on things for precautionary reasons. It's a smart move, as the new starting running back is expected to see by far the largest workload of his career this coming season.

As for Elliott, he remains a free agent currently and will be a name to monitor as the season draws near and teams have a chance to further evaluate their respective running back positions throughout camp. It'd be a major surprise if the 28-year-old runner doesn't find a new home this season. Many were initially calling for him to re-sign with the Cowboys to bring back the "thunder and lightning" dynamic between himself and Pollard.

While Zeke returning to Dallas is certainly not the most likely outcome, it could make for an interesting topic depending on what players the Cowboys opt to keep and who gets cut this August.