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The Dallas Cowboys have a lot of offensive firepower, so getting all of their weapons on the field at the same time can be tough.
When wide receiver Michael Gallup fully recovers from his surgery, the team will trot out a 1-2 receiver combo of CeeDee Lamb and Gallup, one that just about any NFL team would want to have. Throw in tight end Dalton Schultz and new WR additions James Washington and Jalen Tolbert, and it’s clear QB Dak Prescott has options.
But does he need another pass-catcher? Media and fans observing the Cowboys have speculated that Dallas could add another receiver this offseason, with Heavy exploring the possibilities for trades. Instead, the Cowboys could be moving a player out of the backfield.
In June 2’s OTAs, backup running back Tony Pollard lined up behind Lamb at the slot, per Sports Illustrated’s Bri Amaranthus.
“No Deebo Samuel in Dallas, no problem? Notable from Cowboys OTAs… Tony Pollard practicing as slot wide receiver for Dak Prescott (behind CeeDee Lamb),” Amaranthus Tweeted on June 2.
It’s an exciting prospect, but is it really a position change or just practice? The reactions differ from to fan to fan, but it seems like the entire Cowboys following is excited for what it could mean for Pollard.
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Cowboys World Reacts
With starting RB Ezekiel Elliott being the highest paid ball-carrier in the NFL, Dallas has no choice but to limit Pollard’s rushing touches. Zeke has an impressive resume that’s earned him his massive contract, but it’s still often times frustrating for Cowboys fans to see an explosive player like Pollard not be involved as much on offense.
So the reactions to Pollard’s work in the slot were primarily words of joy, with fans like @DanaCotromano sharing their excitement.
“Hearing Tony Pollard working at WR is music to my ears #CowboysNation #DallasCowboys,” the fan wrote.
@CowboysFan_Talk shared a similar sentiment with a Nicholas Cage reaction GIF.
Conversely, there’s also fans that would like to see it, but don’t believe in the team to follow through with Pollard in the slot, such as @therealdre_jack.
As always in the Cowboys fanbase (and on the internet,) there’s disagreement on the team. But is it really a position change in the first place?
Pollard Is Comfortable in Slot
When looking at Pollard’s Pro-Football Reference page, the stats show a significant jump up in yards per catch in 2021. After 7.1 yards in 2019 and 6.9 in 2020, Pollard averaged 8.1 yards per catch in 2021.
Why? Sharp Football analyst Rich Hribar has the answer. Hribar crunched the numbers and saw that no running back in the NFL had a higher percentage of targets/routes from the slot and out wide than Pollard did in 2021 (41 total routes, 39% of 2021 targets came from those routes.)
So, it’s clear this has been in motion. Dallas knows that Pollard is as sure-handed as he is explosive, and fans started to see it in 2021. However, the Cowboys could definitely ramp things up, as Pollard’s 41 routes was the lowest amount on Hribar’s list.
Pollard could work into a role that the Cowboys were stung by last season: “wide back.” The San Francisco 49ers utilized WR Deebo Samuel extensively in their run game, and the 23-17 win over the Cowboys in the Wild Card round saw Samuel run for 72 yards on 10 carries while catching three passes for 38 yards.
Samuel reached new heights in his “new” role. There’s a future in which Pollard can do the same with Dallas.
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