Take it from former New England Patriots running back James White: head coach Bill Belichick is a big fan of Ezekiel Elliott.

White feels Elliott will become a huge asset in New England's running game. He also revealed Belichick has also been a fan of Elliott since the latter's days with the Dallas Cowboys, per SiriusXM NFL Radio.

“Having Zeke in that backfield, obviously, he's a proven veteran. He may not have the 1,500, 1,600 rushing yards like he was having his first few years in the league with that Dallas offensive line, but he can be a very productive back. (He) had almost 900 yards last year, 12 touchdowns..he's great in the red zone so I'm sure we'll use him in the running game there. And he's great on third down and picking up blitzes so I think he'll have a huge impact when it comes to that,” White said.

“I know he's a big fan of Zeke. Whenever we would compete against those guys, he would always talk 'em up so to have him on his roster, I think he's loving that,” White concluded.

The Patriots agreed to terms with Ezekiel Elliott on a one-year deal worth up to $6 million on Monday. Elliott will bolster a New England offense whose 106.6 rushing yards per game ranked 24th in the league last year. He will split carries with third-year running back Rhamondre Stevenson this season.

The Elliott-Stevenson combination gives Belichick plenty of options in the New England backfield. Stevenson's impressive pass-catching abilities complement Elliott's style of running perfectly. Plus, they will play behind one of the best offensive lines in the NFL in 2023. With those in mind, there's plenty of reason to believe the Patriots' running game will improve drastically with Ezekiel Elliott in the fold.