NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that Patriots RB Ezekiel Elliott will get "starter reps" in today's game against the Cowboys. Regardless of whether he technically starts, that means increased work against his old team. Elliott carried 16 times in last week's win over the Jets but still trailed Rhamondre Stevenson (19) in a run-heavy game plan. Don't be surprised if we get another rushing lean against Dallas, which arrives ranked 20th in run-defense DVOA and third-best against the pass. We've moved Elliott up the Week 4 rankings, where he could be a low RB2 or flex option this week. We'll see what this means for Stevenson's role, but we're not knocking New England's top back out of fantasy-starter range.
Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson carried the ball 19 times for 59 yards in Week 3 vs. the Jets. By the contest’s end, Stevenson had just 1 catch on 4 targets for 3 yards. On Sunday, Teammate Ezekiel Elliott had some standalone value with 16 carries for 80 yards. This was a bit of a disappointing outing for Stevenson, though the weather and the fact that the Patriots led the way for most of the game justifies some of why Elliott was so involved. Next up for the duo is a Week 4 matchup vs. the Cowboys.
Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson bounced back in Week 2, recording 15 carries for 50 yards and a TD on the ground vs. the Dolphins. He also added 3 catches on as many targets for 10 yards as a receiver. Fantasy managers are assuredly glad to see this resurgent performance. Still, teammate Ezekiel Elliott is on the field and used an annoying amount of the time. The veteran logged 5 attempts for 13 yards and accounted for 33.3% of the backfield carries. We still like Stevenson in a tough matchup vs. the Jets in Week 3 regardless.
Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson managed just 25 yards on 12 carries against the Eagles Sunday. He made up for that (in PPR leagues, at least) with 6 catches for 64 yards on 6 targets. That marked just 11.1% target share among QB Mac Jones' 54 pass attempts. Elliott actually edged Stevenson with 7 targets, catching 5 for 14 yards. We'll see how the distribution looks in lower-volume games. Stevenson did get a solid 60% share of RB carries, with Ezekiel Elliott taking 7 and Ty Montgomery 1. Stevenson and the Patriots get an upside matchup with the Dolphins in Week 2. If Elliott maintains that kind of receiving share, he could be a standalone fantasy option in deeper leagues. But we'd like to see another game before boosting him to that level.
Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson (illness) is active for today’s game vs. the Eagles. He missed Friday's practice with a stomach bug but should be ready for his usual role today.
Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson (illness) "should play" vs. the Eagles today, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport tweets. Stevenson popped up on Friday's injury report but never seemed in danger of missing this one. He can stay in Week 1 fantasy lineups.
Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson missed Friday's practice with an illness and is listed as questionable for this weekend's game vs. the Eagles. Stevenson is expected to play, according to The Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed. But you'll need to check back Sunday to confirm that he's active. Patriots-Eagles doesn't kick off until 4:25 pm ET, but we should get an update on Stevenson on Sunday morning.
On Tuesday, ESPN's Mike Reiss tweeted that Patriots RB Ezekiel Elliott saw "a notable uptick in work" in practice behind starter Rhamondre Stevenson. Reiss specified that Elliott received increased usage as a pass-catcher out of the backfield. Granted, this is only one report. We don't want to overreact or make any big takeaways here. The former All-Pro saw a career-low 23 targets with the Cowboys last season and likely won't be too much of a threat to Stevenson in that department. That said, we'll keep an eye on future reports should Elliott continue being utilized as a pass-catcher in practice as it could cut into the point scoring ceiling of Stevenson. He fell a smidge in our PPR RB rankings following Zeke's signing, but we still feel confident Stevenson will be the clear RB1 in this offense. Check back for further updates as we get more information.
The Patriots are unsurprisingly happy so far to have RB Ezekiel Elliott on board. (Otherwise, why would they have signed him?) Coaches have praised his football intelligence and communication with new teammates. The most noteworthy comment, though, seems like OC Bill O'Brien telling ESPN's Mike Reiss, "I do think he's a three-down back." Elliott's receiving fell way off last year, from 2.8 receptions per game in 2021 to just 1.1 in 2022. He also saw the second-fewest pass-blocking reps of his career, according to Pro Football Focus, trailing only a 2017 season in which Elliott was suspended for six games. This might be a throwaway comment from O'Brien. We'd be shocked if New England actually treated Elliott like a challenger to Rhamondre Stevenson's pass-game snaps. But we'll also keep watching for specifics on the new old guy's role. There remains plenty of separation between Stevenson and Elliott in our 2023 PPR rankings.
The Patriots are set to sign RB Ezekiel Elliott to a one-year deal worth "up to" $6 million, NFL Network reports. We'll see about the actual details of the contract but doubt the base value is anywhere close to $6 million. Elliott's name is much bigger than his game at this point. The 28-year-old averaged a career-low 3.8 yards per carry last season, ranking 43rd among 48 qualifiers in NFL Next Gen Stats' Rush Yards Over Expected Per Attempt. His usage and production plummeted in the passing game, too. Elliott caught just 17 of 23 targets for 92 yards (5.4 YPC) and 0 TDs. The Patriots have been flirting with free-agent RBs for a while now -- seemingly in large part because depth RBs Pierre Strong and Kevin Harris have failed to emerge. The Elliott signing is more about those guys than lead RB Rhamondre Stevenson. Zeke's arrival adds some risk to Stevenson's 2023 fantasy outlook. But Stevenson was more effective by basically any metric last year -- as a runner and pass-catcher -- and should remain the Patriots' clear backfield leader. Elliott looks more like a Stevenson handcuff than standalone fantasy option. But we'll keep an eye on New England's plans.
Update: Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the deal carries $3 million in base salary, $1 million in signing bonus, and incentives that can take it to $6 million.
Beat writer Doug Kyed writes that the Pats are “managing” RB Rhamondre Stevenson’s load in training camp. Second-year RB Kevin Harris saw some first-team reps on Monday. Harris is a deep sleeper to monitor, but keep in mind that New England hosted RB Zeke Elliott over the weekend.
Free agent RB Ezekiel Elliott reportedly visited the Patriots on Saturday, per multiple reports. The team hosted fellow free agent RB Leonard Fournette on July 18, and are rumored to be linked to Dalvin Cook as well. HC Bill Belichick and company seem keen on adding veteran depth to this backfield to accompany incumbent starter Rhamondre Stevenson. The more this possibility drifts toward reality, Stevenson looks like a potential fantasy loser just one year after recording career bests in touches (279), total touchdowns (six), and scrimmage yards (1,461). Though Elliott has slowed down in recent years, he's posted at least 230 carries in every season of his career dating back to 2016. How good the former All-Pro will be entering his age-28 season is its own matter. Regardless, we'll be sure to monitor this situation should any sort of deal materialize. See where each of these players appear in our current RB rankings.
Per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the Patriots hosted free agent RB Leonard Fournette for a workout on Wednesday. It's unclear as of this writing whether an impending deal is in place. While it's too soon to overreact to this news, the hypothetical addition of Fournette would make this Pats' backfield a complicated mess. The current depth chart behind RB Rhamondre Stevenson is somewhat barren following the offseason departure of Damien Harris via free agency and the quick cup of coffee James Robinson had with the team before being released in early June. Stevenson stands to lose the most by an addition to the backfield, as he’s the only Patriots RB to lead the team in carries and target share in the same year over the last five seasons. Replicating this feat from 2022 would be considerably more challenging with a player like Fournette in tow and knock him down further in our RB rankings.. We'll be sure to stay on top of this story as any updates come to light.
Chad Graff of The Athletic writes that it was a “rough spring” for the Patriots’ O-line. Graff points out struggles at OT while noting that key RG Mike Onwenu missed spring practices (ankle surgery). We're not altering projections for Mac Jones or Rhamondre Stevenson. But we’ll keep a close eye on this unit as the pads come on at training camp.
The Patriots released RB James Robinson. This was always a distinct possibility considering Robinson had $0 guaranteed money in his contract, although it's a bit surprising that he didn't even make it to training camp. Robinson turns just 25 in August but hasn't been the same player since his 2021 Achilles tear. We'll see where he latches on next, but Robinson isn't worth a roster spot in redraft leagues and has very little dynasty value at this point. His departure leaves RBs Pierre Strong, Kevin Harris, Ty Montgomery, and J.J. Taylor behind starter Rhamondre Stevenson.
Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson is preparing to take on a big workload this season. “Damien [Harriis] is out of here now, so I’m kind of the guy,” Stevenson said. “Just trying to make sure I’m ready for the end of the season this year... Taking care of my body, just trying to be proactive.” Stevenson averaged 12.4 carries and 4.1 catches per game last year -- and that spiked to 14.9 carries and 4.7 catches in nine healthy games with Harris out or limited. With only Pierre Strong, Kevin Harris, James Robinson, and Ty Montgomery behind him on the depth chart, Stevenson could dominate New England's backfield work this season. He sits aggressively high in our RB rankings.
Per Patriots beat writer Mark Daniels, RB Ty Montgomery “looks like the leader” for the team’s third-down back role. The 30-year-old missed nearly all of last year with an injury. Montgomery’s injury history extends well beyond 2022, so he’s far from a lock to cap Rhamondre Stevenson’s upside. Also note: Stevenson proved solid as a pass-catcher in 2022, ranking top-7 among RBs in targets (88), catches (69), and yards (421). We’ll track this storyline throughout training camp.
The Patriots have agreed to a two-year deal with RB James Robinson. According to multiple reports, it's worth "up to" $8 million. We'll be curious to see what the real value of this contract is. That could signal how big a role the team is planning. The Jaguars traded Robinson for just a sixth-round pick last year, and then he touched the ball just 31 times with the Jets. We're not betting on big stuff from him this year. This move might actually be good news for RB Rhamondre Stevenson. We figured New England would bring in at least one new RB, with Damien Harris hitting the open market. If Robinson winds up the biggest addition, then Stevenson will be well set up for RB1 upside. He finished last season 11th among RBs in PPR points per game.
The Patriots hired Bill O'Brien as OC. He returns to the same position he held in 2011, when New England ranked 2nd in total yards and 3rd in points with QB Tom Brady. O'Brien was also on the Patriots' offensive staff from 2007 to 2010, so he has plenty of familiarity with the organization. Since leaving New England after that 2011 campaign, O'Brien spent 2 years as Penn State's HC, 7 years as the Texans' HC and, most recently, the past 2 years as Alabama's OC. If nothing else, the Patriots will have a legitimate offensive mind running the offense in 2023 -- something they didn't have this past season.
NBC Sports' Tom Curran hears that "offensive coaching reassignments" are expected in New England this offseason. In other words, expect a legitimate offensive coordinator to be hired after the Patriots experimented with a combination of Matt Patricia and Joe Judge running the offense this past season. We'll see exactly what the Patriots do to the offensive side of the staff, but it's likely to be good news for QB Mac Jones and the skill-position guys.
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