Ezekiel Elliott Rumors: Update On Patriots’ Interest In Free Agent

Ezekiel Elliott did not sign with the Patriots during his much-publicized free agent visit, nor during the two weeks that followed.

But despite that delay, New England hasn’t closed the door on a possible Elliott addition.

Boston Sports Journal’s Mike Giardi and Greg Bedard on Friday reported “there are several teams that remain in the mix” for the former Dallas Cowboys star, “including the Patriots.”

“So what’s taking so long? Money,” Giardi and Bedard wrote. “Shocking, right? Zeke would like more of it. The teams interested in his services would prefer to pay the bare minimum, including one, I’m told, that wants to sign the veteran RB post-Week 1 so the contract is not guaranteed. So now Elliott waits.”

Whether Elliott and the Patriots ultimately can reach an agreement remains to be seen, but New England really could use a player like him to beef up its depth chart behind Rhamondre Stevenson.

Currently, the only established veteran in that group is Ty Montgomery, a receiving-focused hybrid who’s prone to injuries and hasn’t practiced since Day 2 of training camp. Second-year pros Kevin Harris and Pierre Strong and longtime practice squadder J.J. Taylor all are unproven at the NFL level.

Harris, Strong and Taylor combined for just 35 yards on 18 carries in Thursday night’s preseason-opening loss to the Houston Texans, though shoddy offensive line play was a significant factor in that. New England’s leading rusher was rookie quarterback Malik Cunningham, who carried five times for 34 yards and a touchdown on one impressive fourth-quarter drive.

“We’re dealing with some injuries on the offensive line,” head coach Bill Belichick said postgame. “But the guys that were in there got some experience. But, yeah, it’s tough for the backs. It’s tough for the quarterback. Yeah, we didn’t have a lot of space on the offense for the most part.”

Harris and Strong have shown improvement this summer and could make strides in Year 2, but entering the season without a veteran complement to Stevenson would be a risky move. Elliott’s skill set would fit in well, too, since he’s effective in short-yardage situations and is one of the NFL’s better pass-blocking running backs, even if the 28-year-old is well past his All-Pro prime.

An earlier report from The Athletic’s Jeff Howe indicated the Patriots no longer were players for four-time Pro Bowler Dalvin Cook, who also remained unsigned as of Friday.