One of the biggest discussions over the past month has been the deterioration of the running back market in the NFL. Running backs have long been the position where the best Pop Warner and high school athletes have played, but as it stands now it’s one of the least valued positions when it comes to the professional ranks. Save for the footballers who actually touch the ball with their feet, no other position has less players making more than $10 million on average.
That landscape played a role in the Dallas Cowboys releasing star running back Ezekiel Elliott over the spring. Originally signed to a six-year extension on top of two remaining years, Elliott’s guaranteed money ran through the 2022 season so it wasn’t a surprise. What has been a bit of a shocker is that a back with clear leadership traits, a team-first attitude and an insatiable nose for the end zone has not latched on with another club yet. With training camps starting up this week and teams getting a close look at their current stables, the market is starting to pick up. Elliott is included in that mix as he’s expected to visit with the New England Patriots this weekend according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.
The Patriots’ backfield is currently spearheaded by Rhamondre Stevenson, a 2021 fourth-round pick. Stevenson ran for 1,010 yards last season on 210 carries and has scored five rushing touchdowns in each of his two seasons. He’s a big back, weighing in at 227 pounds and standing 6-foot tall. He’s backed up by Pierre Strong, a 2022 fourth rounder who stands 5-foot-11 and weighs 205 pounds.
Strong has just 10 career carries, so there isn’t much experience in the Patriots’ backfield. That clearly isn’t the case with Elliott. Elliott ranks No. 20 all-time in the league for yards from scrimmage over the first seven years of a career, with 10,598. The names above him are a who’s who in terms of NFL running backs.
Elliott’s 80 touchdowns scored rank him 12th among the category.
In other words, his next team is certainly going to have someone who has been there, done that. If that happens to be the Patriots, Elliott would return home to Dallas on October 1, when the two teams meet at AT&T Stadium.
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