GREEN BAY, Wisc. — The Patriots got their first look at Ezekiel Elliott in a navy blue No. 15 practice jersey Wednesday and are already excited about what the three-time Pro Bowl selection can bring to their offense.
Elliott’s whirlwind 24-hour span of flying from Dallas to New England, signing his one-year contract, traveling to Green Bay with the rest of his teammates and going over the basics of the offense ended with him participating in walk-through drills in his first official day as a Patriots running back.
“Zeke’s awesome so far,” quarterback Mac Jones said Wednesday. “Already was in there getting some reps, so that was pretty cool to see fresh off a plane trying to come out here and compete. But yeah, he seems like a great fit. Really want to just take him under our wing. He’s a guy who’s played a lot of football in the NFL. So, just trying to learn from him too.”
The Patriots worked individually as a team on Clark Hinkle Field under the backdrop of Lambeau field before joining the Packers at Ray Nitschke Field for joint practices. Elliott took handoffs from Jones and Bailey Zappe and caught passes from Jones before sitting out the rest of practice as fellow running backs Rhamondre Stevenson, Kevin Harris and J.J. Taylor handled the full-contact workload.
Jones’ primary concern was making sure Elliott looked the part of his new team.
“He just got here. He was just in his pajamas,” Jones said laughing. “Really just trying to get him some Patriots gear and make sure he’s good to go. He knows football. It’s just the terminology is a little bit different. I’m not worried about him. I think most importantly, the line is doing a really good job in the running game right now. I know he sees that. He’s excited.
“Him and ‘Mondre are going to be a great 1-2 punch. And then the other guys too. You can’t forget about the other guys in our room. So, it’s going to be good.”
The Patriots initially hosted Elliott on a visit late last month after they had also shown interest in free-agent running backs Leonard Fournette and Darrell Henderson.
The team’s backfield already needed a dependable veteran to complement Stevenson before backup Pierre Strong started missing practice time last week. Stevenson carried the load for the Patriots as Damien Harris, who signed with the Buffalo Bills as a free agent this offseason, dealt with injuries. Stevenson’s workload was being managed early in practice to make sure he could stay fresh through the season. Adding Elliott will help that, as well.
“Yeah, it’s good to have Zeke,” head coach Bill Belichick said. “We had a good visit with him, and I look forward to working with him.”
Elliott carried the ball 231 times for 876 yards with 12 touchdowns for the Cowboys last season before getting released for contractual reasons in March. It was the first season of Elliott’s career that he averaged less than 4 yards per carry. He also caught 17 passes for 92 yards.
Belichick made sure Elliott was prepared to handle some practice time Wednesday.
“I spent time with him last night and on the trip, on terminology and plays and protections, things like that,” Belichick said. “We’ll work him in there when he’s ready and we’ll see how that goes.”
Stevenson, who carried the ball 210 times for 1,040 yards with five touchdowns last season, got to know Elliott in 2021 when they were under the same agency.
The Patriots starting running back had been mum on Elliott before the signing became official. Now he said he feels Elliott will help the team “tremendously” and that their games will complement each other “very well.”
“The way he runs the ball, his determination, his relentlessness,” Stevenson said when asked what he admires about Elliott. “He’s just going to give it all he’s got.”
The Patriots’ offensive line has been banged up during training camp with left tackle Trent Brown, left guard Cole Strange, center David Andrews and right guard Mike Onwenu, who remains on the physically unable to perform list, missing time. Brown and Andrews are back, but Strange, Onwenu and swing tackle Calvin Anderson — on the non-football illness list — remain out.
The Patriots’ remaining blockers have had trouble protecting Jones. They also struggled in their preseason opener last Thursday against the Houston Texans. The combination of Stevenson and Elliott could take pressure off of Jones and the passing game.
“I think he’s a great add to the team,” Brown said. “Another veteran presence in the running back room. Another good running back to add on with Rhamondre. I think we can do some special things with those guys and that group.”
The Patriots haven’t really had a running back by committee like Stevenson and Elliott. They typically have a big early-down runner who contributes little in the passing game and a smaller third-down back in the mold of James White or Kevin Faulk. Stevenson and Elliott are backs who can handle an early-down workload, catch passes out of the backfield and perhaps most importantly, pick up a blitz.
Though Elliott’s addition could cause the Patriots to run the ball more heavily, his versatility, along with Stevenson’s, should also make the offense less predictable than they would have been with a designated pass-catching back.