After signing Devin Singletary as their lead running back to replace Saquon Barkley, there is a belief that the New York Giants would like to add another veteran on a low-cost free agent to pair with Singletary.

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell thinks Ezekiell Elliott would fit that role nicely, naming the Giants as Elliott’s best fit in free agency. Barnwell wrote:

Why he should be signed: Elliott’s skill set as a pass-blocker and interior runner is still valuable for teams in a reserve role. While the 2016 top-five pick has consistently posted miserable numbers running outside over the past few seasons, he still managed to be about league-average on his carries between the tackles last season in terms of rush yards over expectation.

Best fit: New York Giants. General manager Joe Schoen has already signed Devin Singletary to take over as the team’s lead back from Saquon Barkley, but there’s little in the cupboard behind the former Bills and Texans back. Elliott is a more physical interior runner than Singletary and can help fill in as a pass-blocker, which is critical for a team that expects to play Daniel Jones under center in 2024.

Elliott obviously isn’t the star player he was a few years ago for the Dallas Cowboys. He gained 642 yards on 184 carries (3.5 yards per attempt) and caught 51 passes for the New England Patriots in a complementary role last season.

I asked Bernd Buchmasser of SB Nation’s Pats Pulpit, which covers the Patriots, for his thoughts on what the 28-year-old Elliott could still provide a team. Here is what he said:

“Given that he played in an offense that couldn’t pass the ball and couldn’t keep its O-line intact all year, I’d say he fared pretty well. I think he’s not really suited anymore to be the bell cow-type back he was in Dallas, and he initially wasn’t in New England. He only took that role over after Rhamondre Stevenson was lost for the year, which kind of inflated his numbers a bit. But as a rotational RB2 on a limited snap count I think he can still be a positive contributor. He also was quite active as a receiver out of the backfield last year, but that again was a byproduct of the circumstances rather than him suddenly turning into the next Christian McCaffrey or something (there’s a reason the Patriots signed a pass-catching back in free agency rather than retain Elliott).

“All in all, though, I think he still has something left in the tank as a) a rotational early-down and short-yardage back, and b) an experienced locker room leader and mentor for younger players. Whether that’s worth more than, say, a one-year, $2 million deal, I’m not so sure about, though.”

Here is a free agent profile on Elliott from Pats Pulpit.

How would you feel about Elliott joining Singletary in the Giants’ backfield?