Jason McCourty Had These Questions After Patriots Added Ezekiel Elliott

The Patriots and one of their biggest rivals both made a high-profile addition this week, and Jason McCourty is eager to see the ripple effect around the NFL.

New England and the New York Jets improved their backfields with big names heading into Week 2 of the preseason. The Patriots brought in Ezekiel Elliott to back up Rhamondre Stevenson, while Gang Green added Dalvin Cook to complement Breece Hall.

Both AFC East teams needed running back help, so the signings themselves weren’t all that fascinating. But the same can’t be said for the potential impact on the position’s market.

“I look at the signings of Dalvin Cook, Ezekiel Elliott and it’s like, ‘All right, what does it mean for the other running backs?'” McCourty said on NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football.” “Josh Jacobs still isn’t in training camp. Jonathan Taylor still isn’t really taking part in training camp. Do those two guys look at this and say, ‘These two guys are off the market. They signed for X amount of dollars. We might as well go take what’s there?’ Or do they look at it where it’s just like, ‘Wow, two really good players are now off the market. It’s getting kind of slim for our teams if they decide to move on from us. Who are they going to sign?’ Maybe they look at it as more leverage. I’m intrigued by that storyline of the running back market.”

It should be noted that Cook and Elliott are very different cases from Jacobs and Taylor. The former tandem’s best years probably are behind them as they inch closer to 30 years of age. The latter pair, meanwhile, are in or nearing the prime of their careers and rank among the best backs in the league.

If anything, Jacobs and Taylor should look at Cook and Elliott as cautionary tales. Once upper-echelon players themselves, the former Viking and ex-Cowboy quickly pivoted into backs who need to prove they have enough left in the tank.