Getty The Eagles could sign ex-Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott after the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Philadelphia Eagles could sign Ezekiel Elliott after all.
According to a report from NFL Network’s James Palmer, while it “doesn’t seem likely” the Eagles will sign the three-time Pro Bowl running back, there is a chance that it could happen after the NFL draft.
When Eagles Could Sign Ezekiel Elliott
“But I do look at Ezekiel Elliott and where teams stand,” says Palmer. “And where he stands is there are a lot of backs to have in this draft and there’s a deep draft for running backs here, specifically in the middle rounds. Now the Eagles don’t have picks in rounds four, five and six. If they miss out on a back, could Ezekiel Elliott land with the Eagles after the draft? That might be what we see after the draft, where Zeke lands somewhere.”
The report comes shortly after head coach Nick Sirianni downplayed the notion of adding Elliott while hyping up his current running backs, Boston Scott and Trey Sermon. However, he did make sure to stress that Elliott is a “heck of a player.”
“He’s a heck of a player,” Sirianni said. “He’s obviously a great, great player who I had the opportunity to watch from our sideline, you know four times in the last two years, and I just think he’s a really outstanding player.”
Siriann’s comments follow a report indicating that Elliott has a wish list of three teams that he hopes to play for — the Eagles, the New York Jets and the Cincinnati Bengals.
Via ESPN’s Adam Schefter:
“Cowboys’ RB Ezekiel Elliott has narrowed down his options about where to play to the Eagles, Jets and Bengals, and he would like to make his decision about where to sign by the end of next week, per sources,” said Schefter on Thursday, March 23.
While Elliott hopes to play for one of these three teams entering the 2023 season, not a single one of them has expressed immediate interest in signing the veteran back. In fact, Jets head coach Robert Saleh essentially dismissed the idea, saying he loves the team’s running back room. Meanwhile, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor also gave a similar answer, saying he likes Cincinnati’s current team.
The 27-year-old Elliott remains a free agent a couple of weeks following his release from the Dallas Cowboys. The former NFL rushing champion is coming off of a career-worst season in which he ran for 876 yards on just 3.8 yards per carry.
Why Eagles Could Consider Signing Ezekiel Elliott
While it’s clear that Elliott is lacking the explosiveness that he possessed earlier in his career, he remains a workhorse back and a short-yardage specialist, having ranked 10th in the league in rushing attempts (231) and fifth in the league in rushing touchdowns (12).
The Eagles have their projected starter in Rashaad Penny after signing him to a bargain deal early in free agency. While Penny is certainly talented — he’s averaged 5.7 yards per carry during his career — he has trouble staying healthy. He’s missed 38 games over the past four seasons due to injury.
If Philadelphia does not find a complementary back in the early rounds of the 2023 NFL Draft, they could look towards signing Elliott as an insurance policy for the oft-injured Penny.