Former Patriot Shares Bold Take On Newcomer Ezekiel Elliott

A former Patriot believes Ezekiel Elliott still is among the higher tiers of NFL running backs.

Many of the same phrases were used to describe Elliott when he signed a free-agent deal with New England. "Past his prime," or "not the player he used to be" and "not much left in the tank" were among the sentiments shared about Elliott, who joined the Patriots after seven seasons with the Dallas Cowboys.

You won't catch Sony Michel speaking that way about the three-time Pro Bowl selection, though. That's because the ex-Patriot doesn't believe Elliott has experienced much decline.

"Zeke, he's one of the top backs in the league right now -- still, to this day," Michel told host Kay Adams on FanDuel TV's "Up & Adams" show. "I have this argument all the time: He's still probably a top-seven running back. You know, a lot of people give him a lot of flak for what happened the past couple years. 'He's not the same Zeke.' This dude's going still for a 1,000 yards and he's still not the same? He probably dropped off 200 yards and people were saying he fell off or he's not the same. He's the same Zeke. Now, he's probably hungrier than ever on a different team, fresh start."

Michel's take probably is a stretch. Yes, only four players had more rushing touchdowns than Elliott last season, but the 28-year-old ranked 22nd in 2022 rushing yards. The former Cowboys standout also only logged 17 catches for 92 yards in his final Dallas season.

That said, the Patriots don't really need Elliott to be one of the NFL's preeminent backs. New England already boasts a bonafide RB1 in Rhamondre Stevenson, who only should benefit from Elliott taking a little bit off his plate. An effective backfield also should make life easier for Mac Jones and his pass-catchers.

So, Elliott might no longer be an elite running back. But that doesn't mean he can't be a great fit in Foxboro.