FOXBORO, Mass. — On his first day with his new team, Ezekiel Elliott walked around the New England Patriots’ meeting room in a Green Bay hotel and introduced himself to people.
But for many of his new teammates, Elliott was a man who needed little introduction. Cornerback Christian Gonzalez, the team’s 21-year-old first-round pick, said he grew up in Texas as a fan of Elliott’s. Adrian Phillips enjoyed their matchups against each other.
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So maybe it wasn’t exactly like a new kid at school introducing himself to classmates in the cafeteria.
“More like a new student but everyone knows him already,” Phillips said with a laugh.
Perhaps because of that, it hasn’t taken long for Elliott to acquaint himself with his new setting. After the Patriots signed Elliott to a one-year deal, the running back has quickly taken on a sizable role. As the Patriots wrapped up practice for the week Wednesday afternoon, they did so with Elliott as a key part of the offense. He has quickly become a key player for the unit — and a vocal one.
During joint practices with the Packers, Elliott was arguably the Patriots player most willing to trade verbal jabs with defenders. And at practices outside Gillette Stadium, he’s often the one encouraging the offense.
“I’ve been home for a long time, so I’ve got a lot of energy,” Elliott said with a smile. “I think I missed the first 17 practices of camp. So I thought I definitely should come in and be a little energizer boost. The transition has been good. I’ve been getting along with the team. I love the coaches. I love this atmosphere. I love this program. Just having fun.”
Zeke is finally in Foxboro.
1-on-1 with @EzekielElliott. pic.twitter.com/XxKyWVH9b2
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) August 23, 2023
The offseason didn’t go quite as planned for Elliott. The Dallas Cowboys, the only team he’d played for and the one that drafted him No. 4 overall in 2016, cut the running back in late March.
Amid a dampened market for running backs and with few suitors following the draft, Elliott waited until last week before signing. He said the Patriots were intriguing for a few reasons. He said he liked his interactions with Mac Jones during a visit before signing. He said he thought he was a good fit. And he liked the offense, which he called balanced.
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“I think you look at my play style and the culture of this team, I think it’s a good match,” Elliott said.
And what about Bill Belichick?
“He’s a great coach,” Elliott said. “He’s a funny guy. He demands excellence of this team and knows how to get it out of you.”
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What Ezekiel Elliott means to the Patriots and how his addition will help the offense
Elliott’s first impression has been positive. The initial plan was to integrate him slowly into the complex offense. But it didn’t take long for Elliott to pick up the playbook and take an active role.
He took multiple handoffs from Jones during Wednesday’s practice and is in the mix in the team’s passing game, too.
“He looks good,” Phillips said. “You can tell that he’s a guy who’s hungry — that’s kind of his thing, right? You can tell that he’s a guy who is motivated and wants to prove that he’s still Zeke. I think he is, and it’s going to be fun to have him. He’s a guy that just wants to learn what the culture is here. He hasn’t tried to step on anyone’s toes. He’s not that type of player.”
Elliott, at 28 years old, may no longer be the running back who led the league in rushing as a rookie with the Cowboys. But the Patriots signed him because they believe he can form a very good tandem with Rhamondre Stevenson.
Elliott is still an efficient short-yardage back and is very good in pass protection. Those are two areas in which Stevenson has struggled. And, if nothing else, giving snaps to Elliott in those situations should help keep Stevenson healthy.
It’s certainly easy to envision Stevenson getting the bulk of the snaps during a drive until the Patriots get inside the 10-yard line, then turning to Elliott to get the ball into the end zone.
The Patriots were the league’s worst red zone team last season and one of the worst at picking up third-and-shorts. Now, they hope, Elliott can solve those problems as he co-exists with Stevenson.
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“It’s great working with Rhamondre,” Elliott said. “Me and Rhamondre have the same agents. We’ve known each other for a while. He’s a back that has a similar running style as me. We’ll be able to complement each other very well.”
(Photo: Benny Sieu / USA Today)
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