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The Dallas Cowboys and Tony Pollard did not come to an agreement on a long-term deal prior to Monday’s, July 17 deadline, meaning the fifth-year back will play on the franchise tag.
Pollard is set to take over the lead-back role in Dallas following the departure of Ezekiel Elliott. He rushed for a career-high 1,007 yards last season, adding 39 catches for 371 yards and 3 touchdowns. Pollard was named to the Pro Bowl and gave the Cowboys confidence that he could carry the load.
There is some uncertainty with Pollard. He is coming off an ankle injury he suffered in the postseason, although he’s expected to be ready to roll for training camp. Pollard has also never been the full-time starter, so the Cowboys need to evaluate how he settles into a larger workload.
Unlike other running backs around the league — like Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs and New York Giants star Saquon Barkley — Pollard signed his $10 million tender back in March, so he’s locked in for next season.
The sides did not have extensive talks on a long-term deal, per Jane Slater of NFL Network.
“Can confirm multiple reports that Cowboys RB Tony Pollard is expected to play on the 10.1M franchise tag signed back in March. Interestingly enough, when I asked how far apart both sides were….a source tells me there wasn’t an extensive discussion about a long term deal,” Slater tweeted on July 17. “This is also a sign of the running back market in general unfortunately. It’s not as robust as it once was for guys like Todd Gurley, Ezekiel Elliott and Dalvin Cook.”
Tony Pollard Ready for Opportunity With Cowboys
If Pollard churns out another Pro Bowl season, it will make next offseason interesting for the Cowboys. Dallas does not have a reliable running back outside of Pollard on the roster currently. Ronald Jones, second-year back Malik Davis, Rico Dowdle and sixth-round draft pick Deuce Vaughn make up the rest of the running back room.
And Pollard seems comfortable betting on himself, although the running back market seems more uncertain than it has ever been.
“I’m definitely ready for the opportunity,” Pollard told reporters in June. “Having a vet like Zeke here for the years that I was here with him, it was a great learning experience for me to see how you’re supposed to handle things as a vet and the older guy in the room. He did a great job paving the way for me and just showing me how to lead those guys by example.
“We got a great stable of backs here, but it’s a great feeling personally when they look at you as the lead back in the room. I’m just grateful for the opportunity, and I’m ready to make the most of it.”
Jon Machota of The Athletic pointed out that the decision was not all too surprising and the Cowboys have other long-term deals they’re thinking about for key players.
“If the Cowboys lose Pollard in free agency, they’d likely address the position in the first few rounds of next year’s draft,” Machota wrote. “Dallas is also being conservative with its future salary cap space as the focus is on getting long-term deals done with key franchise pieces like WR CeeDee Lamb, CB Trevon Diggs, QB Dak Prescott and DE/LB Micah Parsons.”
Ezekiel Elliott Still Potential Option for Cowboys
The idea of bringing back Elliott is still lurking for the Cowboys. Elliott remains a free agent and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has done little to close the door on the idea of bringing him back.
“Ship has not sailed,” Jones told reporters after the draft. “We haven’t made a decision. We’ve obviously drafted a running back, a little different style than Zeke, but it doesn’t change. …For us, as far as our interest in Zeke, nothing we did today changes that.”
Elliott is coming off a year where he rushed for a career-low 876 yards. He did find the end zone a dozen times but he managed just 3.8 yards per carry. There could be a spot for him on the depth chart with the Cowboys but he’ll have to come to terms with a reduced deal and role.
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