FOXBOROUGH - Who knows how much gas Ezekiel Elliott has left in the tank - the very early returns are good - but one thing is certain: the former Dallas Cowboy is bringing all kinds of life to practice.
“I was kind of at home for a lot of time so I got a lot of energy,” he said today. “I think I missed what? The first 17 practices of camp? So I thought I should definitely come in and be a kind of energizer boost.”
Elliott wasn’t exactly a non-factor in Dallas last season, but you could see the wear and tear slow him down, which makes sense. He’s had almost 1900 carries and another 305 receptions over the first seven years of his career. That’s what you ask of a bellcow running back, but also why their careers tend to end rather abruptly. The Pats believe Elliott has more to give as a supplement to Rhamonde Stevenson and this offense. And Elliott believes it himself.
“I don’t think any outside entity could put more pressure on me than the expectations I have for myself,” he said. “It’s not really to go out there and prove anything to anyone, but to go out there and show what type of player I am.”
Elliott had another eventful practice Wednesday, especially in the red area, catching a touchdown and squeezing through the tackles for a couple more rushing TDs. No surprise there. He had 12 touchdowns in his final season for the Cowboys.
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With his court date rescheduled from August 18th to September 15th, cornerback Jack Jones may have to appear in court between weeks one and two of the regular season.
There’s no question that complicates matters for Jones, who is entering his second NFL season. Today, he admitted that it hasn’t always been easy to concentrate solely on his job.
“At times, it can be difficult,” said Jones, “but I try not to let the outside affect what’s going on on the field, you know what I’m saying? I try to come out here and just focus on football and let the outside be the outside and worry about that outside.”
Jones was arrested at Logan Airport this June. He was allegedly carrying two loaded guns and ammunition that were discovered in his carry-on bag by TSA. There was initial concern that the 25-year-old would face jail time and/or a suspension from the league. As to the former, we don’t have an answer for that and may not for some time. And the latter?
“I don’t really know,” said Jones about communication with the NFL. “Not that I’ve heard so far. Right now, it’s just day to day. That’s all I can say about that.”
In the meantime, Jones says he’s hopeful he’ll be available to start the season. Considering the lack of depth at the corner position, the Pats need a focused Jones not only playing, but doing so at a high level. It’s not a stretch. Jones had his moments as a rookie before an injury and then a discipline issue ended his season.
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To this point, the Patriots haven’t found one individual to do the job that Devin McCourty did for oh so many years. In fact, the coaching staff has taken a look at a number of players to handle the retired safety’s centerfield role, and thus far, I wouldn’t say anyone has looked particularly strong in that role.
Of course, when addressing McCourty’s skillset, you have to include the communication aspect of it. For about a decade, the former first-rounder was responsible for not only getting the secondary where they were supposed to be but, at times, the back 7 or 8. When you consider how much football McCourty played, and all that he saw, it would make sense if the Pats were having some trouble navigating that part of the equation, but Matthew Judon doesn’t believe it’s been a problem.
“Shoot, I be thinking it’s fluid,” smiled Judon. “Our play callers do a great job from the second level to the third level. They communicate it to us up front. So if we get a look and we have a check, I think’s that been getting out fast and communicated. It’s just a different voice, but I think it’s still as sharp as it was with Dev. I think, like you said, that we all thought it was going to slow down or be a little bit complicated because Dev been doing it for so long but I don’t think so. I think it’s as sharp as it’s ever been.”
That’s a critical aspect of what the Pats do defensively, because they are so multiple and have checks for the offense’s checks. If it doesn’t get communicated properly, that can lead to a big play, but so far so good for this group (they say). And when you consider how much experience is back there - be it Adrian Phillips, Jalen Mills, Kyle Dugger or Jabril Peppers - you understand why there’s confidence in getting everyone lined up right. Now the question becomes: can whoever assumes that job also meet the level McCourty gave you week in and week out?