Report: Bengals Want to Pair Joe Mixon with New RB amid Ezekiel Elliott, Draft Rumors

The Cincinnati Bengals are reportedly viewed as the most likely landing spot for running back Ezekiel Elliott in free agency by multiple people and teams within the NFL.

During a Saturday morning appearance on SportsCenter, ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler said:

"Talking to people in the running-back market, and some other teams, they believe the Bengals might be the most viable option of those three [Jets, Eagles] because they have Joe Mixon. They could pair a veteran running back with Mixon. They could always draft one. But the feeling around the league is that Cincinnati is certainly looking to add to that position."

After spending the first seven seasons of his career with the Dallas Cowboys, the 27-year-old Elliott was released this month.

While Zeke was a three-time Pro Bowler and one-time first-team All-Pro in Dallas, he seemed to have lost much of the burst and dynamism in recent years that he brought to the table earlier in his career.

Elliott rushed for at least 1,350 yards in three of his first four seasons, but he has reached the 1,000-yard rushing mark only once in the past three seasons, and that was with 1,002 yards in 2021.

Despite rushing for 12 touchdowns last season, Elliott is still coming off the worst statistical season of his career.

With Tony Pollard cutting heavily into his workload, Elliott averaged a career-low 3.8 yards per carry and rushed for a career-low 876 yards. He also set career lows in receptions (17) and receiving yardage (92).

The Cowboys opted to place the franchise tag on Pollard this offseason with him set for unrestricted free agency, so they decided to move on from Elliott to reduce their spending at running back.

Mixon, 26, has been the Bengals' primary running back since they selected him in the second round of the 2017 NFL draft.

He has reached the 1,100-yard rushing mark in three of his six seasons and is a one-time Pro Bowler, but he too is coming off a down year.

In 14 games last season, Mixon rushed for just 814 yards, which was his lowest total in a season in which he started at least eight games. He also averaged only 3.9 yards per carry, marking the third time in his career he averaged below 4.0 yards per tote.

Mixon was effective in the passing game, though, and was the ideal safety valve for quarterback Joe Burrow, setting career highs with 60 catches for 441 yards.

It can be argued that backup Samaje Perine was more explosive than Mixon last season, but the Bengals lost him to the Denver Broncos in free agency.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported this week that the Bengals are one of three teams Elliott is considering in free agency, along with the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Jets.

The Eagles did lose running back Miles Sanders to the Carolina Panthers in free agency, but they signed Rashaad Penny to complement Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott.

Meanwhile, the Jets boast an elite, young running back in Breece Hall, although he is coming off a season-ending knee injury.

The Bengals make the most sense due to their need for running back depth, but with the 28th overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, they could also take a running back such as Alabama's Jahmyr Gibbs or even Texas' Bijan Robinson if he falls further than expected.