Patriots officially announce Ezekiel Elliott signing ahead of joint practice sessions with Packers
BOSTON -- Not that there was any doubt, but the Patriots officially announced the Ezekiel Elliott signing on Wednesday morning.
News of the agreement first broke in the late afternoon on Monday, with Elliott more or less confirming the reports via his social media channels in the hours that followed. The Patriots then cleared roster spots on Tuesday by releasing a pair of players and announcing the addition of just one player, thus clearing the lane for Elliott to join the 90-man roster.
The signing comes just in time for the Patriots to begin joint practice sessions with the Packers in Green Bay, as the two teams gear up for a preseason game on Saturday night.
Elliott took the field for practice on Wednesday, though Bill Belichick did not say how involved he'll be as he takes his first football action of the summer.
"Glad we have him and we started spending time with him last night and on the trip to [learn] terminology, plays and protection, things like that," Belichick said. "We'll work him in when he's ready and we'll see how it goes."
Elliott, 28, rushed for 876 yards last season, the lowest yardage total of his seven-year career, though he did score 12 touchdowns on the ground. He also set career lows in receptions (17), receiving yards (92) and receiving touchdowns (0). The No. 4 overall pick by the Cowboys in the 2016 draft, Elliott was released by the Cowboys this offseason, as he was due to count for almost $17 million against the salary cap.
In New England, Elliott joins third-year back Rhamondre Stevenson atop the Patriots' depth chart at running back, likely ahead of second-year backs Kevin Harris and Pierre Strong. Ty Montgomery, who suffered an injury earlier in camp, figures to be in that mix too, if healthy.
