FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:
1. Rhamondre-Zeke combo: When running back Rhamondre Stevenson was preparing for the 2021 NFL draft, he was working alongside Ezekiel Elliott. The two shared the same Dallas-based athletic trainer, J. Hicks, and a vision for what potentially could be.
“I was hoping to play with him,” Stevenson said, “but we never thought it would actually happen.”
A little more than two years later, it has surprisingly unfolded just like they once talked about. Now, all Stevenson has to do is turn around in the Patriots’ locker room to see Elliott, who has taken up residence in former Patriot Damien Harris’ old corner stall leading into the team’s weight room.