Why Ezekiel Elliott Signing Makes Total Sense For Patriots

The Patriots addressed one of their most glaring roster deficiencies Monday by agreeing to terms with a former All-Pro.

Ezekiel Elliott reportedly is coming to New England weeks after his much-publicized free agent visit, giving the Patriots a much-needed veteran running mate for Rhamondre Stevenson.

NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero were the first to report the running back’s signing, with Elliott confirming it shortly thereafter.

Is Elliott the same supreme talent he was in his prime, when he rushed for more than 5,400 yards, caught nearly 200 passes and scored nearly 50 touchdowns over his first four seasons? Nope. But he’s miles better than what the Patriots were working with at the position.

Before this signing, their depth chart behind Stevenson featured two untested second-year pros (Kevin Harris and Pierre Strong), a career practice squadder (J.J. Taylor), an oft-injured hybrid receiver (Ty Montgomery) and a USFL alum (C.J. Marable, who just signed on Saturday). And two of those guys (Strong and Montgomery) are nursing injuries.

In last Thursday’s preseason opener against the Houston Texans, the trio of Harris, Strong and Taylor managed just 35 yards on 18 carries. Yes, the Patriots’ blocking in that game was atrocious. But quarterback Malik Cunningham nearly matched that total by himself on a single drive, rushing five times for 34 yards.

The Patriots did not have a reliable backup for Stevenson in 2022, and it burned them. Stevenson was forced to play more snaps than any Patriots running back in more than a decade, and that monumental workload wore him down, sapping his effectiveness down the stretch and contributing to a string of costly late-season errors.

While a Year 2 leap from Strong and/or Harris remains possible, carrying this supporting cast into the season would have been far too risky. And the Patriots seemingly knew that, based on how they managed Stevenson’s reps in training camp and contacted nearly every available free agent back.

Enter Elliott, who has all the making of a classic Bill Belichick buy-low.

The 28-year-old is coming off his worst season as a pro, setting career lows in yards per carry (3.8) and receptions (17) after being leapfrogged on the Dallas Cowboys’ depth chart by Tony Pollard. He remained effective in short-yardage situations, however, punching in seven 1-yard touchdowns and scoring 12 overall. Only Detroit’s Jamaal Williams scored on more carries from the 1-yard line than Elliott. Elliott also always has been regarded as one of the NFL’s top pass-blocking backs — a coveted skill in New England.

Elliott also was a 1,000-yard rusher as recently as 2021. He added 47 receptions that season after catching 52 in 2020, 54 in ’19 and 77 in ’18. Even with his recent role reduction and various injuries over the years, he’s logged at least 230 carries in all seven of his NFL seasons to date. He’s protected the ball, too, fumbling just once on 532 touches over the past two seasons.

So, what will Elliott bring to the Patriots? An experienced, well-rounded back who can both spell Stevenson on early downs and contribute in the passing game. And won’t cost much, with his one-year deal reportedly maxing out at $6 million.

Elliott isn’t a superstar at this stage of his career. But he’s exactly what New England needed.