Getty Ezekiel Elliott, former Cowboys RB
Well, he is here. After weeks (er, months, actually) of speculation about the Patriots signing former Cowboys star running back Ezekiel Elliott, reports have Elliott and the team agreeing to a one-year contract worth as much as $6 million.
Despite his status as a three-time Pro Bowl rusher and a two-time yardage champ, reaction about the addition of Elliott among the NFL’s observer class were muted, at best. Surprising, given Elliott’s resume, even with the struggles he had last seaosn.
The most notable Elliott comparison is to Corey Dillon, the former Bengals star who came to New England in 2004, when he was 29 years old and entering his eighth season after three Pro Bowl years in Cincinnati. Elliott, too, is entering his eighth season and is just one year younger, 28. Both Elliott and Dillon were coming off disappointing and injured-pocked seasons when the patriots signed them.
Dillon ran for 1,635 yards and helped the Patriots to the 2004 Super Bowl championship.
That’s probably not going to repeat itself, said analyst Kyle Brandt on NFL Network’s Good Morning Football.
“It lends itself to one of those Bill Belichick reclamation projects, where you take someone at the end of their career and turn them into a star,” Brandt said. “Corey Dillon, at the same point in his career, had 1,600 yards. I hope that happens. The Zeke thing is fun, because he’s very famous, and it’s Belichick and just seeing his face behind that logo is really strange.
“But you turn on the Cowboys games and there hasn’t been a lot. His yards per carry is very low. There just hasn’t been a lot of juice and he goes behind a very good offensive line and a very good offense. I don’t think this is going to light up the sky in New England. I’m not reordering my playoff predictions because they got Ezekiel Elliott in 2023. I think he’s a really good short-yardage back, I think he is good in blitz pickup.”
McCourty: ‘It’s Exciting’
Former Patriot Jason McCourty was a bit more enthused. Yes, Elliott’s yards-per-carry have been moving downward since he averaged 4.5 yards in 2019 (he dropped all the way to 3.8 last year), but unlike Dillon, Elliott will not be the Patriots’ primary back. That job belongs to Rhamondre Stevenson, who tallied 1,040 yards last year (on 5.0 yards per carry) and added 69 catches for 421 yards.
But even McCourty pointed out that the running game is not the big issue in New England.
“It’s exciting. You were waiting to see the Patriots to do something,” McCourt said. “Ezekiel Elliott, Rhamondre Stevenson, that is a really good backfield tandem. I think the questions marks in New England are more, what are they going to do in the passing game with Mac Jones and things of that nature?”
Dak Prescott Shouts Out Old Friend
Back in Dallas, the Elliott signing was bittersweet for best friend and Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, who wished his now ex-teammate well on Instagram.
“Happy for you 15!” Prescott wrote.
Elliott wore 21 while in Dallas, but will go back to wearing 15—the number he wore as he became a Buckeye legend for the 2014 Ohio State team—with the Pats. Elliott, notably, also had his long hair cut off as he preps for his new gig in Foxborough.
One other notable reaction comes from longtime Cowboys fan and Fox Sports commentator Skip Bayless, who wrote on Twitter, I hope Zeke has found a new home. But I will not fear him when the Patriots play at JerryWorld on (Oct. 1).”
Yes, not long into the 2023 season, Elliott will have his chance to exact some revenge in Dallas—the Patriots visit the Cowboys in Week 4.