5 Patriots Who Should Be Cut Before the Season Ends

4. Ezekiel Elliott

While we're discussing free-agent busts, we need to talk about Ezekiel Elliott.

There's a reason nobody wanted him last offseason, and it's because he's old and washed up for a running back. Even after several years of declining production in Dallas, Elliott still managed to secure a one-year contract from New England late in the offseason to replace Damien Harris in the backfield.

That hasn't worked out as planned, either. After years of benefitting from incredible offenive lines with the Cowboys, Elliott has predictably struggled behind the Patriots' lackluster unit. He's turned 86 carries into 331 yards, averaging just 3.8 yards per attempt (tied for a career-low) and a career-worst 33.1 rushing yards per game.

Elliott only has 2 touchdowns after racking up 12 last year, so he's not finding the end zone consistently, either.

The 28-year-old clearly isn't coming back next season after his contract expires, so what's the point in delaying the inevitable? New England should just cut ties with Elliott now and give his carries to somebody else. Ty Montgomery and JaMycal Hasty probably aren't superior options, but you won't know unless you try.

We've seen enough to know that Elliott's cooked, and he's not going to magically turn back the clock in the second half of the season.