New England Patriots star says what team thinks about Ezekiel Elliott signing
New England Patriots receiver Kendrick Boune believes his team would ‘love to have’ Ezekiel Elliott after the former Dallas Cowboys star visited the AFC East franchise.
Earlier this offseason, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones confirmed Elliott was being released by the franchise with which the former Ohio State stud spent each of his seven NFL seasons so far. Dallas selected Elliott with the fourth overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft and he led the league in rushing yards per game for three successive seasons between 2016 and 2018.
Last season, Elliott endured a down year as he became the second-fiddle behind Tony Pollard in the Dallas rushing attack. He is coming off career lows in rushing attempts, rushing yards and rushing average, although he did manage to score 12 touchdowns this past season.
Ultimately, Elliott’s contract and health played a part in the decision to let him go. In 2019, he signed a six-year contract extension worth £70million ($90m) - but his production has declined since, while a knee injury sidelined him for two games last season. The Pats were interested enough to invite the back for a visit, though.
Pats head coach Bill Belichick refused to comment on Elliott potentially joining the AFC East franchise ahead of the 2023 NFL season when the running back completed his visit with the Patriots ahead of a potential move. New England players are certainly excited about the possibility of adding the 28-year-old.
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“Great player,” receiver Kendrick Bourne said. “We'd love to have him.”
Elliott is one of the best running backs in the Cowboys’ storied history. He has racked up 8,262 rushing yards in his career, which places him third on the all-time list in rushing for the franchise behind a pair of Hall of Famers in Emmitt Smith and Tony Dorsett.
Ezekiel Elliott's production declined after he secured a blockbuster contract from the Dallas Cowboys in 2019 (AP)While he struggled last season compared to his high standards, Elliott still scored 12 touchdowns for the Cowboys while he endeavoured to keep himself in shape. He also showcased his veteran savvy by supporting Pollard and his teammates as the season unfolded.
The Patriots have been in search this offseason of some backfield help to work with third-year star Rhamondre Stevenson. Stevenson, who ran for over 1,000 yards in 2022, is expected to be the lead back in New England but the franchise have been linked with Elliott and free agent Dalvin Cook, who visited the New York Jets over the weekend.
Elliott is a former First- and Second-team All-Pro as well as three-time Pro Bowler. He also led the NFL in rushing yards twice, including his rookie season of 2016.
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