Cowboys’ Mike McCarthy on Ezekiel Elliot joining Patriots: ‘A great opportunity, he’ll do great up there’

Ezekiel Elliott is headed to New England. The operating again and the Patriots agreed to a one-year deal this week price up to $6 million, with a base wage of $3 million and $1 million in signing bonuses in addition to incentives. 

Elliott joins the Patriots after spending his complete profession with the Dallas Cowboys, going again to 2016 when the group took him with the No. 4 total select. Zeke used to be launched by means of the Cowboys in March and were on the lookout for his new group since. 

The Patriots and Cowboys are scheduled to play each and every different at AT&T Stadium on Oct. 1 at 4:25 p.m. ET, reuniting Elliott along with his former teammates, coaches and enthusiasts. 

After the news broke that Elliott can be making Gillette Stadium house this season, his former head trainer Mike McCarthy commented on the signing.

“I’m very excited for Zeke, a great opportunity,” McCarthy mentioned, by means of the Dallas Morning News. “He’ll do great up there.”

McCarthy says he’s “not looking forward” to dealing with the 28-year-old in Week 4 and having to prevent a participant he feels shall be a hit this 12 months. The head trainer added that he feels his former offensive big name is a “really good fit” for the New England offense lead by means of quarterback Mac Jones.

McCarthy said “no one felt good about” Elliott’s free up when it first befell and mentioned the group used to be open to the operating again returning to Dallas, however clearly that isn’t how the offseason performed out. 

Elliott joins Rhamondre Stevenson, who is predicted to guide the operating again room this season. Once probably the most absolute best at his place, Elliott has declined just lately, with a career-low 3.8 yards in keeping with raise, 968 yards from scrimmage and 12 touchdowns on the bottom in 15 video games performed.

In overall, he has performed in 103 video games, with 8,262 dashing yards, a median of four.4 yards in keeping with raise, 68 dashing touchdowns, 2,336 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns within the air. 

Stevenson has 343 rushes for 1,646 yards and 10 touchdowns in 29 video games in his profession. Last season, he performed in all 17 video games, with seven begins, 210 rushes for 1,040 yards and 5 touchdowns. He additionally had 69 receptions for 421 yards, an important building up from 2021 when he had 14 receptions for 123 yards.

The Patriots offense struggled considerably final season and the addition of Elliott must assist take some force off Stevenson whilst additionally offering a veteran presence. The Patriots completed twenty fourth in dashing yards with 1,812 and have been additionally within the decrease part for dashing touchdowns and dashing first downs. It used to be transparent their operating sport wanted some assist this 12 months. 

Elliott isn’t the one big-name participant they added this offseason to assist their offensive efforts in 2023. They additionally introduced aboard extensive receiver Juju Smith-Schuster.