Patriots
“You set one in for the opposite and there’s no drop-off.”
Rely Dante Scarnecchia among the many rising quantity of soccer personnel and gamers who consider that Ezekiel Elliott will achieve his new dwelling in Foxborough.
Throughout his weekly look on WEEI’s “Gresh and Fauria” present, the previous longtime Patriots offensive-line coach believes that Elliott’s skillset as a short-yardage weapon, pass-catching risk and succesful blocker ought to additional bolster New England’s offense.
Specifically, Scarnecchia thinks that Elliott and New England’s prime operating again Rhamondre Stevenson will each profit from sharing reps in Invoice O’Brien’s offense.
“I believe each these guys, Rhamondre and Ezekiel Elliott, have confirmed that they’ll play within the Nationwide Soccer League,” Scarnecchia stated, as transcribed by WEEI.com’s Mike Kadlick. “I do know that Rhamondre is an actual risk out of the again area and I additionally know that so is [Elliott]. The extra that you would be able to have guys which have the flexibility to try this, to run with velocity … and energy and finesse when it’s required, and are capable of catch the ball, I believe it simply offers you a two-headed monster.”
“You set one in for the opposite and there’s no drop-off. Should you’ve received that potential that’s a reasonably good factor. I believe we’re all anxious to see by which course that goes, see what Ezekiel is like at this level in his profession, the opposite man we all know, three years within the league and is on the upswing.”
Regardless that Stevenson will seemingly sit atop New England’s depth chart, the Patriots have already thrown regular reps at Elliott throughout his first two practices with New England.
After solely participating in non-contact drills on Wednesday throughout New England’s first joint-practice session in opposition to the Packers, MassLive.com’s Mark Daniels had Elliott down for 14 snaps throughout 11-on-11 drills on Thursday in Inexperienced Bay. Elliott ran in for 2 touchdowns throughout a aggressive apply, and in addition reeled in a catch from Mac Jones.
“Two guys that may actually make issues exhausting for the protection,” Scarnecchia stated of each Stevenson and Elliott. “And I at all times consider this, and I consider this with all my coronary heart: good backs make the lineman higher. As a result of they’ll discover the holes, particularly these backs which have nice imaginative and prescient, they’ll discover what’s there… you often do fairly effectively with guys like that.”
As for the state of New England’s offensive line, Scarnecchia isn’t hitting the panic button at this stage of the preseason. Regardless of final Thursday’s lackluster exhibiting in opposition to the Texans’ cross rush, Scarnecchia believes that it’s robust to gauge the play of a unit that’s nonetheless lacking quite a few anticipated starters.
“I don’t know the way a lot they’re battling their greatest guys on the market,” Scarnecchia stated. “All of us noticed what occurred the opposite night time. Look — I’m all for enjoying these younger guys as a lot as you’ll be able to and accelerating the rising course of with these guys as a result of one or two of these guys might find yourself taking part in this yr, you by no means know. … “I’d hope that right here within the second preseason recreation and particularly this week once they’re practising in opposition to Inexperienced Bay they usually’re not having to dam [Josh] Uche they usually’re not having to dam [Matt] Judon and people guys and unexpectedly it might get just a little bit higher.
“Or it might nonetheless be a wrestle, I don’t know. However I’d hope that they, presently, and definitely by subsequent week, that issues can be quite a bit higher and extra the best way that they might need them to be.”
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