So far, so good for Ezekiel Elliott as the newest member of the New England Patriots.
Patriots starting quarterback Mac Jones has been quite pleased with what he's seen from the team's new running back through one practice.
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Elliott agreed to a one-year contract with the Patriots as a free agent earlier this week, and the move became official Wednesday morning ahead of New England's first of two joint practices with the Packers in Green Bay.
Jones is bullish on Elliott's fit in the offense.
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"Zeke’s awesome so far,” Jones told reporters after practice. "He was already jumping in there, getting some reps, so that was pretty cool to see. Fresh off a plane, trying to come out here and compete. But he seems like a great fit, and we really just want to take him under our wing. He’s a guy who’s played a lot of football in the NFL, so just trying to learn from him, too."
Elliott's addition to the roster gives the Patriots' running back depth chart a good blend of players with speed, power, blitz pick up awareness and pass-catching ability. You could even make the case that it's one of the best running back groups in the league.
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"Him and 'Mondre are going to be a great 1-2 punch," Jones said of Elliott. "And then the other guys, too. You can’t forget about the other guys in our room. It’s going to be good."
Elliott participated in some drills early in practice without a defense on the field. He didn't take part in the 11-on-11 drills when the Patriots offense and Packers defense squared off later in the day.
The Patriots have one more joint practice against the Packers on Thursday before these teams play a preseason game Saturday night at Lambeau Field. New England also has two joint practices and a preseason game against the Titans in Tennessee next week.
It would be wise of the Patriots to give Elliott as many reps as possible during these practices and games to make sure he's fully ready for Week 1 versus the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 10.
Over seven seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, Elliott ran for 4.75 yards per attempt with seven total touchdowns in 12 career games against the Eagles, with Dallas going 9-3 in those games.
