In need of another weapon offensively, the New England Patriots dipped into free agency last week. They came away with veteran running back Ezekiel Elliott, who had been designated as a post-June 1st release by the Dallas Cowboys earlier this offseason. While he was eligible to sign months ago, his market took a while to materialize.
Like many other veteran running backs around the league, Elliott didn’t receive much interest earlier in the offseason. He had to bide his time before the Patriots came calling, as they hosted him for a visit near the end of July.
Despite not being with the Patriots very long, as it has only been a week, Elliott is already making an impact. Quarterback Mac Jones commented that Elliott is “bringing the juice to practice” as he has upped the intensity according to Karen Guregian of MassLive Sports.
On top of that, Mark Daniels, also of MassLive, shared that Jones added Elliott is a great leader. He has been showcasing that during his time at training camp. Jones also said that he doesn’t seem much of a drop-off between the running backs on the team.
It will be interesting to see what kind of role Elliott has with the Patriots. They were intent on adding a running back to the mix, as New England was connected to Dalvin Cook before he signed with the New York Jets.
Where Elliott could factor in as a short-yardage and goal-line back. He has scored 22 rushing touchdowns the last two seasons, but he has seen his yards per rush average decrease each season he has been a pro.
It is hard to imagine the Patriots scaling back Rhamondre Stevenson’s role in the offense. Stevenson proved last season that he is more than capable of handling a lead-back role and is the much more explosive option.
Elliott is joining the Patriots backfield as a complement to Stevenson, not to eat into his touches. The second-year back is too important to the game plan as a strong early-down runner with elite skills in the passing game as a blocker and receiver as well.
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