Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy told reporters Tuesday that he was thrilled for former running back Ezekiel Elliott on signing a reported one-year deal with the Patriots.
Elliott, 28, spent seven seasons in Dallas before the franchise released him during the offseason, electing to rely on Tony Pollard as its featured running back. While McCarthy is not looking forward to coaching against Elliott when the Cowboys and Patriots clash on Oct. 1, he believes his former running back will “do great” in New England’s offensive system.
“Play-style alone, I think he’s [Elliott] a really good fit for how they like to play,” McCarthy said, per ESPN’s Todd Archer.
In Dallas, Elliott rushed for more than 1,000 yards on four separate occasions. However, the three-time Pro Bowler registered a career-low 876 yards while still managing to record 12 touchdowns in 15 games last season.
Elliott finished his Cowboys’s tenure with 8,262 yards on 1,881 carries and 68 touchdowns on the ground while recording 305 catches for 2,336 yards and 12 scores through the air in 103 regular season games.
Prior to Elliott securing a deal with New England, he visited several teams in free agency that included the Patriots in July.
