Past His Prime? Ezekiel Elliott Addition Isn’t Moving Needle For Patriots

Ezekiel Elliott has turned heads throughout much of his football career.

Elliott was a First Team All-Pro as a rookie and finished as the NFL’s rushing champion in two of his first three seasons. Playing for the Dallas Cowboys, Elliott was arguably the biggest star at the position, commanding a big-money contract extension that running backs might never see again.

But the newest Patriots running back now fails to move the needle like he used to. Oddsmakers depicted as much Monday after New England reportedly agreed to a one-year deal with Elliott that is worth up to $6 million with a $3 million base salary.

Elliott, a three-time Pro Bowler who was third in NFL MVP voting in 2016, did not alter New England’s prices in the slightest.

FanDuel Sportsbook still has the Patriots -325 to miss the playoffs with a win total set at over/under 7.5. And New England remains 8-1 to win the AFC East, the fourth-longest price in the division, 40-1 to win the conference and a notable 60-1 to claim the organization’s seventh Super Bowl title.

All of those numbers are either the same or worse than they were in mid-July.

So, while adding Elliott was a much-needed move for the Patriots’ offense given the lack of proven depth behind starter Rhamondre Stevenson, it essentially was something oddsmakers scoffed at. Perhaps some Patriots fans feel the same way.