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Ezekiel Elliott joins the New England Patriots: what will he bring to the offense?

Ezekiel Elliott joins the New England Patriots: what will he bring to the offense?DAZN
The New England Patriots have bolstered their running back room ahead of the new season.

The New England Patriots have added a huge name to their offense in the form of former Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott. 

Since being drafted fourth overall in 2016, Elliott has been one of the most productive in his position, but a poor season in 2022 saw him lose his number one running back spot to Troy Pollard and as a result was released by the franchise earlier this year. 

Now the 28-year-old looks to revive his career at one of the most successful franchises in recent history, albeit on a one-year deal. 

But what benefits will Elliott bring to a struggling Patriots offense, DAZN explains. 

Reduce the workload for Rhamondre Stevenson

The 2022 season was a breakout one for Rhamondre Stevenson.

On the ground alone, he rushed for 1,040 yards, but he also made a team-high 69 interceptions for 421 yards and scored six touchdowns. 

It is clear that Stevenson will be a key offensive weapon for the Patriots in the upcoming season, but they cannot rely on the 25-year-old to frequently get the team out of trouble when in possesion.

This is when Ezekiel Elliott could be a worthwhile solution. He will not be named as the number one running back for the Patriots, but Elliot has the experience to take an offense to the next level while also giving Stevenson much needed rest. 

Elliott gives the Patriots a short-yardage threat

One area where Rhamondre Stevenson struggled last season was in short yardage situations, while Ezekiel Elliott thrived. 

As per The Athletic's Chad Graff, Elliot ranked fifth in the percentage of his carries that went for zero or negative yards, while Stevenson was 25th. When it came to third-down conversions, Elliott was ranked seventh among running-backs and moved the chains on 67% of his carries, Stevenson once again was much further back in 28th. 

Eliott's his ability to make inroads in short-yardage situations maybe a near perfect combination with Stevenson in the running game, and could prove the difference when in the opposition's redzone. 

Elliott can be an effective pass protector

It's not just the running game where Ezekiel Elliott can help out the Patriots, he has also shown to be a useful player when it comes to pass protection. 

After a promising rookie season, quarterback Mac Jones struggled in 2022 and even saw him benched for a period and replaced by backup Bailey Zappe. 

Now with new offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien, there is a lot of expectation on Jones' shoulders as he links up with his former college coach, but he cannot be successul if he is not protected by his lineman which has been a frequent problem in New England. 

Elliott may just add that little bit of extra protection Jones needs. The 3-time Pro Bowler had a 97.8% success rate as a pass protector in 2022 according to Pro Football Focus which ranked fourth amongst the league's qualifying running backs. 

If Elliott is able to produce similar numbers with Jones under centre, then the Patriots quarterback will be more confident when looking for receivers downfield. 

Elliot brings much needed experience

After being drafted by the Cowboys seven years ago, Ezekiel Elliott brings a wealth of experience to the table. 

Over seven seasons and 109 regular and postseason games, Elliott has touched the ball 2,300 times for 11,056 yards and 82 touchdowns. 

This considerably more than the entire Patriots running back consisting of Rhamondre Stevenson, Ty Montgomery, Pierre Strong Jr., Kevin Harris, J.J. Taylor and C.J. Marble who as a collective have just 973 NFL carries and receptions. 

If Elliott is able to achieve success at the franchise, there is no doubt he will be a great mentor to the younger members of the running back room. 

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