Ezekiel Elliot Making Good Impression On Patriots Staff

New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson anticipates a positive on-field relationship with new veteran recruit Ezekiel Elliot.

Stevenson led the Patriots last season with 210 carries for 1,040 yards and five touchdowns. He says Ezekiel Elliot will compliment him well next season.

“That’s my guy,” Stevenson said. 

“The way he runs the ball, his determination, his relentlessness — he’s going to give you all he’s got. I feel our games are going to complement each other very well.”

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Ezekiel Elliot may be determined, but questions remain over how much the 28-year-old has left in the tank.

Of players with at least 200 rushes last season, Elliot ranked last in yards per rush with 3.8. He also underperformed by 77 rushing yards over the season.

He still hasn’t been fit enough to practice with the Patriots. Nonetheless, his personality, experience and football acumen has made an impression on his new colleagues. Running backs coach Vinnie Sunseri can see Elliot maturing into a leadership role.

“He talks to all the guys in the room — how he sees runs, how he sees protections. He communicates well. He’s had a little bit of a leadership role so far, and we’ll see how that progresses,” he said. “He’s done a lot of these things, he’s done a lot of these runs that we’re going to run.”

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Offensive coordinator Bill O’ Brien echoes the sentiment, and thinks it won’t take Elliot long to get up to speed.

“One thing you see right away is that he’s smart, he’s been in different systems, he understands football. Maybe they called it apples, we call it oranges, but it’s still football, and he gets it. He picks up on it really quick. … I do think he’s a three-down back, and he’s been a really good addition to our football team.”