Ex-Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott reportedly narrows list to Eagles, Jets, Bengals: Where does he fit in?

Former Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott has narrowed the list of teams he's considering signing with to the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Jets and Cincinnati Bengals, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports.

Elliott is reportedly aiming to make a decision on his destination by the end of next week. The report didn't detail the listed teams' interest in Elliott.

A seven-season veteran with the Cowboys, Elliott was perhaps the highest-profile player in Dallas during his tenure. He earned three Pro Bowl berths and twice led the NFL in rushing — once as a rookie in his 2016 All-Pro season and again in 2018.

The Cowboys released Ellliott on March 15 as he approached the fifth year of a six-year, $90 million contract. His release coincided with a steady decline in his production, the emergence of Cowboys running back Tony Pollard and the continued devaluation of running backs across the NFL. Elliott's $15 million annual salary wasn't in line with the salaries of top-tier NFL running backs, much less those on the decline.

Elliott, 27, remained the starter in Dallas last season, but his production lagged behind Pollard's. Elliott posted 968 yards from scrimmage while averaging 3.8 yards per carry, both career lows. He remains a durable back who has played fewer than 15 games in just one season, and he was tied for fifth in the NFL with 12 rushing touchdowns in 2022.

He projects as a time-share candidate or a backup at his next stop. How would he fit at his preferred destinations?

Elliott's potential role with Eagles

Elliott wearing an Eagles uniform would be a jarring sight for those in Philadelphia and Dallas. Eagles fans have long loathed the former Cowboy, and Cowboys fans surely aren't excited at the prospect of Elliott visiting Dallas as a member of the NFC East rivals.

But on the football front, Elliott projects as a good fit in Philly. The Eagles signed former Seattle Seahawks running back Rashaad Penny last week. He'll take over lead back duties from Miles Sanders, who signed with the Carolina Panthers after leading Eagles running backs in rushing for four straight seasons, including a 1,269-yard campaign in 2022.

Penny is one of the league's most dangerous backs when healthy. He has averaged 6.3 and 6.1 yards per carry the past two seasons, with his 6.3-yard rate in 2021 leading the NFL. But his durability is his biggest downside. Since Seattle drafted him in the first round in 2018, Penny has played in more than 10 games just once. He played in five games last season and three in 2020.

Elliott's durability has obvious appeal for a team leaning on Penny. The Eagles also employ backups Boston Scott and Kenneth Gainwell in the backfield. Each tallied fewer than 250 rushing yards last season.

Is there a role for Elliott with the Jets?

Elliott's fit with the Jets is less clear. Second-round pick Breece Hall was a leader in the Rookie of the Year race last season before he tore an ACL in October. He averaged 5.8 yards per carry while tallying 681 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns in seven games prior to his injury. He projects as the clear leader of New York's backfield in 2023.

Second-year back Michael Carter was a reliable if less effective back in Hall's absence while tallying 690 yards from scrimmage and averaging 3.5 yards per carry in 16 games. Both players expressed their feelings on Twitter after Schefter's Elliott report. But they apparently thought better of their social media activity, as both promptly deleted the below tweets.

How the Jets build their backfield, of course, is up to Jets management — not Carter and Hall. If the Jets believe Elliott is a better backup option than Carter, then they'll presumably attempt to sign the former Cowboys running back. The Jets also feature second-year back Zonovan Knight, who tallied 400 yards and a touchdown from scrimmage in 2022. Quarterback, meanwhile, remains the biggest question in the Jets backfield.

Bengals need a backup to Joe Mixon

The Bengals have a clear lead back in Joe Mixon, who has started 13 or more games in four of the past five seasons, including a Pro Bowl 2021 campaign of 1,519 yards from scrimmage and 16 touchdowns. The Bengals lost backup Samaje Perine to the Denver Broncos, creating a void in the backfield.

Like Elliott, Mixon has NFL mileage at 26 years old, with six seasons in the league. His yards-per-carry rate dipped to 3.9 last season after he averaged 4.1 in 2021. But he remained one of the league's most productive backs, with 1,255 yards from scrimmage and nine total touchdowns.

Mixon clearly can't carry the load alone and would benefit at this point in his career from a durable backfield mate. The Bengals might be the best fit for Elliott.