Bill Belichick plans to slowly ease Ezekiel Elliott into the Patriots

16 August 2023 , 23:59

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Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick looks forward to working with newly acquired running back Ezekiel Elliott.

During a press conference on Wednesday, Belichick explained his optimism for Elliott joining the team. "We had a good visit with him, and I look forward to working with him," Belichick said to the media.

Although Belichick welcomed the running back on board, he also clarified that he isn't quite sure how Elliott will fit into the offense yet. When asked what the 28-year-old could add to their offensive playbook, Belichick said, "Well, we'll see."

The Patriots likely won't expect Elliott to revert to the First-Team All-Pro levels he reached in 2016, which led him to lead the league in yards that season. Instead, the Patriots head coach will more than likely lean on Rhamondre Stevenson, who the team selected in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Belichick is on record saying that he's a big fan of the running back after former Patriots back James White assessed the team's group of runners during a training session in July.

Belichick also noted that he and Elliott spent time reviewing the team's playbook together. More specifically, the different line protections, schemes, and terminology for plays that the team uses, surely different from his time spent with the Dallas Cowboys.

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On Aug. 13, the NFL reported that Elliott signed a one-year deal worth up to $6 million with the Patriots. Pro Football Talk revealed the financial breakdown of his contract:

• £785k ($1 million) base salary
• £473,613 ( $600,000) signing bonus
• £39k ($50,000) per game being on the active roster ( $850,000 should he see out the entire season)
• £236 ($300,000) for getting at least 975 yards from scrimmage.
  
• £236 ($300,000) for getting 1,000 yards from scrimmage.
• £236 ($300,000) for playing 50 percent of offensive snaps.
• £236 ($300,000) each for offensive snaps surpassing 55%, 60%, 65%, and 70% of snaps.
• £1.1 million ($1.5 million) for 1,475 yards from scrimmage.

Ezekiel Elliott, formerly of the Dallas Cowboys

Last season, the Patriots used Stevenson for 66 percent of their offensive snaps. His production counted for 57 percent of the team's total rushing yards, the highest since LeGarrette Blount's 65 percent production in 2016.

While White praised Stevenson, he could also see him and Elliott forming a one-two punch in the backfield.

"Rhamondre Stevenson is going to be the lead guy. But, obviously, Zeke is a proven veteran," White said to Sirius XM NFL Radio. "He may not have the 1,500, 1,600 rushing yards like his first few years in the league with that Dallas offensive line, but he can still be a very productive back. It will be huge to have that one-two punch to spell [Rhamondre] and not have that drop-off."

The Cowboys released Elliott on March 15. The move happened after the running back posted a career-low of 876 rushing yards. The team listed parting ways with Elliott as an effort to cut down their salary cap.

Rory Robinson