For a moment during the 2022 NFL season, the Dallas Cowboys appeared to have very little to worry about regarding the running back position.

Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard played like one of the best RB duos in the entire league while the Cowboys kept on winning games even when Dak Prescott missed time due to injury.

Even the fiercest of debates about who should be the No. 1 running back lost relevance because the fact of the matter was they both were killing it. But now that the offseason is here, it's difficult to figure out how things will look line in the future.

On one hand, Elliott's $16.7M cap hit for 2023 is highly unlikely to stand. Zeke's deal is out of guaranteed salary which sets the table for 1) a goodbye between the two parties or 2) a new, reworked contract.

The Cowboys went down a similar path with DeMarcus Lawrence not that long ago. Last year, they reworked his deal to get Lawrence a fully guaranteed contract but with a lesser salary. It was a true win-win situation.

D-Law is more valuable to Dallas than Zeke is if we're being real, but that process could provide an overall framework for what the front office ultimately does with the running back.

Meanwhile, early reports indicate the Cowboys could look at using the franchise tag on Pollard. The 25-year-old back suffered a fractured fibula in the playoffs.

Will they find a way to keep both without committing too much of the salary cap to the same position they've regretted "paying" back in 2019 or not? Well, one insider has a prediction.

NFL writer believes Cowboys will keep both

The Athletic's Mike Jones, who covers the league nationally, put together a "Bold Predictions" article. His piece included one claiming Dallas would find a way to keep both running backs around.

"The Cowboys use the franchise tag on Pollard, who has leapfrogged Elliott as the best back on the roster," writes Jones. "That means the Cowboys retain his services for this year without having to commit long-term as he comes off a leg and ankle injury. Pollard’s salary jumps from $965,000 to roughly $10 million."

Of course, the Cowboys have a long, long list of free agents they need to take care of while accounting for future deals, too. How the running back decisions play out could shape the entire offseason. In 2019, the team got it wrong by giving Elliott a deal that would actually lower the running backs' value across the league.

Getting it right this time will be crucial in 2023.

Featured image via Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports