Bengals are last Ezekiel Elliott ‘finalist’ not to directly shoot idea down

Two of the three “finalists” have now openly shot down the idea.

When a report went out suggesting the Cincinnati Bengals were one of three destinations Ezekiel Elliott would like to join in free agency, it was hard to tell if the team would actually have an interest.

It became even harder to tell when Bengals head coach Zac Taylor gave a very coach-speak answer when asked about the topic.

But now, two of the three teams have made pretty definitive statements on whether they want to add Elliott to their backfields.

The Philadelphia Eagles were the first to shoot down the idea, saying they were already happy with the roster at that spot.

And Monday, Jets coach Robert Saleh appeared to help his team bow out, per NJ.com’s Andy Vasquez:

That leaves…the Bengals?

There’s a chance the Bengals won’t be as direct yet still won’t have an interest. But as we’ve pointed out plenty of times, Elliott’s skill as a pass-blocker makes him a no-brainer of a replacement for Samaje Perine, who signed with the Denver Broncos.

Seeing as Elliott is apparently down to his final preferred destination, though, this one could drag out until the draft, if not after.

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