Madison, Wisconsin — Ezekiel Elliott, the new running back for the Patriots, hasn’t practiced in over seven months. He has missed three weeks of training camp and, like any player in a similar circumstance, he needs to recover in order for the football season to begin on September 10.
This is the reason the three-time Pro Bowl selection was thrown into full-team competitive drills on Thursday during the Patriots and Packers’ joint practices in Green Bay.
Together with Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe, Elliott was carried six times in all against the Packers defense. In about a dozen snaps, he also managed to catch a screen from Jones.
Elliott’s engagement was a big improvement over his involvement on Wednesday, when the former running back for the Cowboys took part in an early walk-through session of practice on Clarke Hinkle Field while the Patriots and Packers were apart. Elliott remained on the sidelines as the teams reunited on Ray Nitschke Field on Wednesday.
Elliott saw a much improved role Thursday, even though he wasn’t exactly a full participant.
The ability of the Patriots’ new running back to pick up the playbook quickly doesn’t worry them. Despite some different terminology, he should have no trouble picking up the offense because he is thought to have a high football IQ.
Elliott has only been with the team for a little over three days, but overall, the relationship is seen “very” favorably. Elliott’s demonstration of leadership on the practice field on Thursday, energizing teammates and strengthening the offensive line, pleased the team.
During a two-minute drill late in practice, the 6-foot-2-inch, 228-pound ball carrier was among a group of teammates celebrating a touchdown catch by rookie wide receiver Kayshon Boutte.
The organization is clearly of one mind.
“I think Zeke is a huge football fan. Outside linebacker Matthew Judon declared, “I firmly believe that,” on Thursday following practice. As of right now, Ohio State is visible. He is going to inject excitement and vitality into the game.
“He will accept it. He will embrace the Krafts, the system, and our current way of doing things. It simply indicates that he loves his team when he shows a little bit of excitement for his second day and for someone he doesn’t really know in Boutte.
Elliott is a big back who can catch out of the backfield, carry between the tackles, and pick up blitzes, much like starting running back Rhamondre Stevenson. Both of them are three-down backs, and since Elliott has only recently joined the Patriots, it is anticipated that they will be utilized in comparable circumstances.
It still makes sense for Stevenson, a third-year pro, to be the starting back because he has been the more effective ball carrier over the previous two seasons. Elliott, 28, has demonstrated his ability to contribute, so it is hoped that his presence on the field won’t significantly reduce output and allow Stevenson to get some rest.
Elliott’s contract has a lot of incentives, just like many of the contracts the Patriots signed in the offseason. Elliott can make an additional $3 million depending on playing time and yards from scrimmage in addition to the $3 million in base pay. 50% of offensive snaps and 975 yards from scrimmage are the starting point for the incentives, which reach a maximum of 70% of snaps and 1,475 yards from scrimmage. Since they’re all classified as unlikely to be earned, Elliott will only deduct less than $3 million from his total compensation.
Elliott was the kind of back the Patriots needed for a number of reasons. They signed James Robinson to appear to be Damien Harris’ replacement after losing veteran running back Damien Harris to the Buffalo Bills in free agency. Following Montgomery’s injury earlier this summer, the Patriots used 2022 draft picks Pierre Strong and Kevin Harris as Stevenson’s backups during the first three weeks of training camp. Robinson was cut in June. The team even went so far as to assign Stevenson to a separate field early in camp to work on conditioning while the other players practiced in order to control his workload.
In the end, the Patriots require a player who can provide depth in the event of an injury while also keeping Stevenson fresh. Although Strong and Harris have been around for more than a year, they may not know exactly what to expect out of the second-year pros, but they know what they have in Elliott. In the Patriots’ opening preseason game, neither Strong nor Harris made an impression, and Strong hasn’t practiced since. However, not all of the blame can be laid at the feet of the young running backs because the Patriots’ injured offensive line wasn’t exactly making space in that game against the Houston Texans.
Now enter Elliott, who will never again produce at the level he did in 2016 as a rookie, averaging 5.1 yards per carry and more than 100 yards gained through the air per game. However, because of his diverse skill set, he can still provide some unpredictability even when faced with difficult yardage.
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