NFL Rumors: Ezekiel Elliott to Patriots? League insider divulges thoughts on potential move

Ezekiel Elliot was recently released by the Dallas Cowboys during the 2023 NFL offseason after spending his entire career so far with the franchise. He's officially an unrestricted free agent for the first time ever, so he can sign with any team that offers him a new contract.

While Zeke is expected to have a decent market of interested teams, he remains a free agent more than halfway through the month of June. The mandatory minicamp portion of the offseason is underway as the star running back patiently awaits his next destination.

NFL writer Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports recently outlined why the New England Patriots make sense as a potential destination for Ezekiel Elliot:

"New England has young Rhamondre Stevenson as a potential offensive focal point, but after cutting the injury-riddled James Robinson before he could even make his Patriots debut, they could use proven insurance.

"Elliott may be past his full-time days, but as a pass blocker and short-term rotational piece, he'd fit right into a typically crowded Bill Belichick backfield."

In addition to recently cutting James Robinson, the Patriots also lost Damien Harris during the free agency period. Harris signed a contract to join their AFC East divisional rivals, the Buffalo Bills. This leaves the Patriots uncharacteristically shallow at the running back position.

Bill Belichick often prefers to use a committee approach with his rushing attack. While Rhamondre Stevenson will surely be featured in their offensive gameplan, the Patriots would likely prefer to get a bit deeper at their running back position. This is where Ezekiel Elliot makes sense for them.

Elliot is a bit past his prime at this point in his career, but is still capable of being a positive contributor. He demonstrated that last season with the Cowboys, taking a backseat to Tony Pollard, while still remaining productive. His skillset makes sense for the Patriots, if he's willing to accept a reasonable contract offer.

Can the Patriots afford to sign Ezekiel Elliot?

Ezekiel Elliot

It's unclear at this point how much money Ezekiell Elliot will be seeking for the upcoming 2023 NFL season, but he will surely need to pay cut. He was released by the Cowboys as a cap casualty as he was scheduled to make $16.7 million in guaranteed money.

A much more realistic estimate for Elliot in 2023 is likely in the range of five to 10 million for one or two years. The New England Patriots are currently estimated to have around $13 million in available cap space when they eventually make necessary cuts from their roster, according to Spotrac. If they desire Ezekiel Elliot, they can surely afford to sign him.