FOXBOROUGH - Ezekiel Elliott to the Patriots had been percolating since he visited Foxborough on July 28th, and later went out to dinner with quarterback Mac Jones. After some dickering over the contract, the Pats finally landed the former Cowboys star Tuesday, signing him to a deal that can reportedly earn the running back up to six million dollars this season and includes a one million dollar signing bonus and three million dollars in base salary.
The three-time Pro Bowler is coming off a season in which he lost his starting job to the more explosive Tony Pollard, finishing with a career-low 876 yards on just 3.8 yards per carry. But he still remained a very effective player in the red area, with 12 touchdowns, and his pass protection work has been lauded for a number of years.
BSJ ANALYSIS
The Pats have been kicking the tires on a number of veteran running backs, signing James Robinson in free agency before releasing him just a few months later because his body was slow to respond from a number of injuries suffered in the last year and change. In addition to bringing Elliott in, the Pats also visited with Leonard Fournette and Darrell Henderson.
Elliott comes highly recommended by Cowboys owners Jerry and Stephen Jones, who have long had a good relationship with Bill Belichick. In fact, Belichick spoke with Stephen about the 28-year-old this summer, getting a gauge not just on how much Elliott has left in the tank, but his personality and how he might fit into the Patriots culture.
Elliott should help spell Rhamondre Stevenson, who had 279 touches a season ago, 210 rushing attempts and 69 catches. Internally, the team felt as though Stevenson slowed some at the end of the year because of his usage.
From my report last week:
I spoke with a couple of league scouts about what Elliott is all about at this stage of his career and got what I considered encouraging reports. One, who has patrolled the NFC East for over a decade, said of Elliott, “He’s still got some juice” in his legs and that he “would be a nice piece for a team that thinks it’s got a chance.” When I asked if he’d fit in New England, that same scout said Elliott’s well-rounded game would be “useful” and that, if he had to do so, the former Cowboys star could still be “the guy” for a week or two were something to happen to Rhamondre Stevenson.
The second scout thought Elliott did a nice job transitioning from being the center of attention in Dallas, while also adding, “there is no doubt he will sacrifice his body between the tackles or in blitz pickup.” With the Pats with some uncertainty behind Stevenson, I think this is something we should keep focused on as we get closer and closer to the start of the regular season.