Buccaneers named best fit for former Cowboys running back

After being released by the Dallas Cowboys in March, running back Ezekiel Elliott remains unsigned, and although he's past his prime, he can still contribute to a team's success. 

While Elliott is no longer a workhorse, ESPN's Matt Bowen believes he could extend his career by serving in a complementary role to a younger back

In an article discussing the best fits for the top remaining free agents, Bowen suggested the three-time Pro Bowler join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

Ex-Buccaneer Leonard Fournette was another veteran running back that became a cap casualty this offseason, and Bowen thinks Elliott could be an effective backup for 2022 third-rounder Rachaad White. 

"Elliott is still one of the NFL's top goal-line and short-yardage runners, and he would complement Rachaad White's skill set in the Bucs' backfield," Bowen wrote. "In 2022, Elliott had 12 touchdowns with nine scores on carries inside the 5-yard line.

"Yes, the 27-year-old's speed has declined at this stage of his career, and he's not going to give a team much as a receiver. We can see that on the tape. But as a No. 2 in Tampa, Elliott would bring value to the offense in key game situations."

At this stage of the offseason, there are worse free agents that Tampa Bay could take a flier on than Elliott. With quarterback Tom Brady now retired, Tampa Bay's offense, which attempted the most passes per game last season, will look dramatically different under either Baker Mayfield or Kyle Trask.

New OC Dave Canales will surely implement a run-first approach with White, who rushed for 481 yards as a rookie, as the featured back. Although, since Tampa Bay had the league's worst rushing attack in 2022 (1,308 yards), a cheap addition like Elliott might be beneficial. 

Last season, Elliott rushed for 876 yards on 3.8 yards per carry, both career lows, but as Bowen mentioned, he could be reliable in goal-line and short-yardage situations. If anyone knows how to manage Elliott's workload properly, it's Buccaneers RBs coach Skip Peete, who worked for Dallas in the same role the last three seasons.

However, even though the Buccaneers could offer Elliott the chance to receive a decent-sized workload, they're far from the contender he's aiming to catch on with. 

Upon his release, Elliott crafted a wish list consisting of Philadelphia, Cincinnati and the New York Jets, three teams entering 2023 with Super Bowl aspirations. For comparison, oddsmakers anticipate the Buccaneers will finish last in the unpredictable NFC South, setting their win total at 6.5 games. 

Regardless, it's been nearly three months since Dallas cut ties with the two-time rushing champ, and he's still without a team, so his options are clearly limited. Should an opportunity arise with the Buccaneers, he might not have a choice but to accept it if he wants to continue playing.