Patriots Sign RB Ezekiel Elliott: Impact on Rhamondre, Mac?

The New England Patriots have added both skill and sizzle to their offense by signing ex Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott to a one-year contract.

FOXBORO — It is not often that the New England Patriots combine both practicality and sensational sizzle in their free-agent signings. 

Yet, they did just that on Monday when securing coveted running back Ezekiel Elliott to a reported one-year, $6 million contract. The 28-year old had visited the Pats on a free agent visit in July, but left New England without signing a contract. However, both sides continued to keep in touch, with a Patriots Country source confirming that talks between Elliott and the Pats intensified over the weekend. 

Accordingly, the three-time All Pro is raising the excitement — as well as the expectations — of Patriots Nation. 

Elliott was selected fourth overall by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2016 NFL Draft. During his seven seasons in ‘Big D,’ he was a three-time Pro Bowl and two-time All-Pro selection, while leading the league in rushing yards in 2016 (1,631 yards) and 2018 (1,434 yards). Having played 103 games with the Cowboys, the Ohio State product amassed 8,262 yards on 1,881 carries with 68 touchdowns. He is also ultra-reliable with the ball in his hands, having lost only 11 fumbles during his time in a Cowboys uniform.

In addition to his rushing and ball security, Elliott has proven himself to be a more-than-competent pass catcher and blocker on blitz pick-ups. Throughout his career he has 305 catches for 2,336 yards and 12 touchdowns.

So … the question on all New England minds is: How will this help the Patriots? 

Help for ‘Mondre

With Elliott’s signing, the Patriots have seemingly found an archetypal complement to top option Rhamondre Stevenson. The former Oklahoma Sooner emerged as New England’s feature back in 2022. Stevenson amassed 1,040 yards with five touchdowns, while averaging five yards per carry in the lead role. He also caught 69 passes for 421 yards and one touchdown as a backfield receiver. However, the rigors of a demanding workload clearly took their toll on the second-year rusher, causing his statistical output to dip in the latter stages of the season. 

For those wondering whether Elliott has enough left in the tank to bolster New England’s ground game, the former Buckeye should act quickly to quell those concerns. Last season, he ran for 876 yards and 12 touchdowns on 231 carries, He also recorded 17 receptions for 92 yards and no touchdowns. While those numbers may not stand out among the most impressive on his resume, Elliott’s triple threat abilities to run, block and receive are likely to make him a key component for the Pats running game in 2023. 

Strengthen the Bench

While Elliott and Stevenson appear poised to form a potent rushing tandem, the former’s arrival in New England will have an effect on the other members of the Pats running back depth chart. Hybrid running back/receiver Ty Montgomery has not practiced with the team since suffering a leg injury during the team’s third training camp session. To that point, Montgomery appeared to be settling into an offensive option on third-down, as well as a backfield receiver. He was also the logical choice as their third Z-receiver option [off the line of scrimmage] on select packages. Though Elliott is almost certain to make his primary contributions in the ground game, his sure-handed skill set should allow him to take on similar duties when receiving out of the backfield. 

Still, Elliott’s presence should afford New England the luxury of developing their duo of second-year backs, Kevin Harris and Pierre Strong, Jr. Despite some offseason buzz, the trio of Harris, Strong and veteran J.J. Taylor failed to produce any production during the team’s 20-9 preseason loss to the Houston Texans last Thursday. New England's backs rushed 20 times for only 44 yards.

With Elliott, the Pats not only have a runner capable of carrying the offensive load, they also have a leader by example for their younger prospects. Strong has the potential to be a significant contributor in their backfield. He is the type of runner who can move with ease between-the-tackles, while demonstrating great patience in finding his seam. Once he does so, he has an above average burst through the hole and the speed necessary to break away. Harris, measuring in at 5-10, 221 pounds, is the type of straightforward power runner that can provide some short-yardage production. 

Make Life Easier for Mac

Lastly, Elliott’s decision to join the Patriots will help to facilitate the Patriots passing game, assumed to be led by quarterback Mac Jones. In fact, it is almost certain that the topic was discussed when the pair recently shared dinner at a Boston restaurant. Under new offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien, New England has noticeably returned to a timing-based scheme, predicated on vertical routes and completions from quick, accurate throws. While the Patricia-led regime attempted to incorporate more zone reads into their repertoire, Jones is at his best when leading his receivers under the defense, releasing the ball quickly and delivering it accurately — as well as using the run to facilitate play-action passes.

Throughout training camp, Jones has looked especially sharp during his red zone work with the Pats starting offense. Rather than settling for check downs, he is using the short game to his advantage, while taking chances downfield when the opportunity presents itself. Not only has Jones taken the initiative to make improvements to his game, he has also been given greater authority at the line of scrimmage to utilize both the short pass and the run as potential weapons. 

During his time with Dallas, Elliott remained one of the top red zone / goal-line options. Last season, he led the NFL in red zone rushing attempts with 59. 31 of those 59 came inside the ten-yard line, and 12 of them came inside the five-yard line. He had 11 touchdowns inside the 20. Unsurprisingly, he also led the NFL with 162 rushing yards in the red zone. 

In the final analysis, viewing Elliott as the savior of New England’s hope to contend for a playoff spot in 2023 is somewhat unfair, and perhaps unrealistic. However, his abilities on the football field, along with his veteran knowledge provided the team with a dimension they did not have just 24 hours prior to his signing. As such, New England’s offense may now be ready to come to life … with a bit more ‘Eze’ than originally expected. 

At present, Elliott is expected to join his new Patriots teammates in traveling to Wisconsin on Tuesday for joint practices with the Packers on Aug. 16 and Aug. 17. Their preseason game against Green Bay will take place at Lambeau Field on Aug. 19, 8 p.m. ET. 

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Follow Mike D’Abate on Twitter @mdabateNFL and Listen/Subscribe to his daily podcast: Locked On Patriots

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