Zeke Over Gen Z: Patriots Young RBs Busts?

The New England Patriots finally made their long-awaited addition to the running back position with the signing of former Dallas Cowboy Ezekiel Elliott this week. Although, they won't be getting the same Elliott that captured the league's attention - and two rushing titles - after being selected No. 4 overall by the Cowboys in 2016.

If he's a player in decline - cut by the Cowboys in March and languishing on the open market since - why did the Patriots sign him? Why didn't they simply "promote from within," which for years has been a Bill Belichick tenet?

Answer: Because second-year running backs Kevin Harris and Pierre Strong Jr. clearly aren't ready.

The Patriots obviously felt that they needed veteran help despite having options in-house to back up Rhamondre Stevenson. While the former Oklahoma Sooner is coming off a breakout year where he rushed for over 1,000 yards and supplanted Damien Harris as the lead back at the age of 25, the Patriots don't want to pile on so many carries that see him suffer a similar fate as Elliott.

Despite Harris and Strong - both 2022 mid-round draft picks - and veterans Ty Montgomery and J.J. Taylor, the Pats felt they needed more.

Montgomery, 30, signed with New England last offseason, hoping to give them a third-down back who could've complemented then-starting back Harris. He had made a name for himself with his pass-catching abilities before signing with the Patriots, yet injuries prevented him from ever showing them last season. 

Combine Montgomery's age with the ankle injury he suffered early in camp and it's easy to see why the Patriots may not have been completely sold on him being option 1a..

What about Harris and Strong? While both have had their moments at the young ages of 22 and 24, neither managed to produce in the Patriots' preseason-opening loss to the Houston Texans. Harris managed 10 yards on eight carries, while Strong totaled 21 yards on six attempts. While it is still possible that Harris and/or Strong will be consistent contributors, the Patriots felt urgency to add immediate production in an AFC East in which this offseason the Bills signed pass-rusher Leonard Floyd, the Dolphins inked cornerback Jalen Ramsey and the Jets acquired a quarterback named Aaron Rodgers.

Enter, Zeke. While his role will look entirely different from the one Patriots fans were sold on an offseason ago with the signing of Montgomery - Elliott will specialize in short-yardage situations and pass-protection -  it doesn't diminish the impact he could have on the offense.

As the Patriots experienced last season following the injury to Harris, having Stevenson playing between 80-90 percent of snaps per game isn't sustainable. That is where Elliott will come into play.

Elliott may not have elite speed or agility anymore, but he still possesses the power that helped him finish with 12 rushing touchdowns last season. Even after Elliott was supplanted on the depth chart by Tony Pollard, he still showed he could play a productive role in an explosive offense.

After a season where the Patriots struggled mightily at scoring touchdowns in the Red Zone - scoring touchdowns a league-worst 42 percent - Elliott can help the team on two fronts: Keep Stevenson fresh; Punch the ball into the end zone.

This means the Patriots will have some tough decisions to make come the end of the preseason. With the signing of Elliott, they now have five backs, yet will likely only keep three or four.

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