Getty Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard celebrates with teammates after a touchdown.
Miles Sanders and Boston Scott are both set to hit free agency as rumors of Kenneth Gainwell being promoted to lead back circulate. The Philadelphia Eagles seem headed in that direction, and Gainwell has flashed enough explosiveness in two seasons to garner confidence. He should be able to thrive with a bigger workload.
But, what options are left on the depth chart to back up Gainwell? Trey Sermon is the only other running back rostered, although Kennedy Brooks signed a futures contract and he’ll get a long look at training camp. The scuttlebutt at the NFL Scouting Combine has the Eagles selecting a rusher in the 2023 NFL draft, possibly late in the first round at pick No. 30 (see: Bijan Robinson). General manager Howie Roseman admitted “you need more than one” in regard to the position, leaving the door open for them to add a difference-maker in free agency.
One randomly unexpected name making the rounds is Tony Pollard of the Dallas Cowboys. The 6-foot, 209-pounder was electric last season en route to 1,007 rushing yards and 371 receiving yards, plus 12 total touchdowns. Pollard is projected to make $9 million per year, per Spotrac. That is roughly $1.8 million more than the market value on Sanders. If the Eagles wanted to grab a slight upgrade and not worry about Gainwell being too green, then Pollard would make a lot of sense.
Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones says RB Tony Pollard (leg) and OT Terence Steele (knee) are expected to be ready for training camp
The move would be doubly devious: steal a top playmaker from a fierce NFC East rival; upgrade what was a position of strength behind the NFL’s most dominant offensive line. Pro Football Network’s Jason Katz weaved a scenario where Pollard lands in Philly, with their salary-cap constraints not being an issue.
“Unless the Eagles are planning on rolling with Kenneth Gainwell as their clear RB1, they will need to add someone who is presumably at least better than Gainwell,” Katz wrote. “Pollard makes all too much sense. His slasher running style and receiving acumen perfectly fit what Nick Sirianni does in Philly. The Eagles are slightly over the cap at the moment, but nothing GM Howie Roseman can’t make work.”
Cowboys Could Slap Franchise Tag on Pollard
Dallas has the option of slapping the franchise tag on a player ahead of the start of free agency on March 15. Pollard would be a candidate to be tagged if the Cowboys wanted to avoid handing out a long-term contract. It could be a test run and buy them some time to get out from under Ezekiel Elliott’s $90 million mega-deal.
Moving parts in Cowboys RB room with hefty Ezekiel Elliott contract, Tony Pollard contract up.
Stephen Jones on Zeke: “He’s making a lot of money, and he knows that.”
Also: “More than likely we’ll use the franchise tag. Not necessarily on Tony, but (likely) we’ll use it.”
There is a potential out in 2023 if they were willing to absorb Elliott’s $11.8 million cap hit. Or, maybe they nicely ask Elliott to restructure his contract. There is no denying he is on the decline and the Cowboys’ front office is sure to bring that to his attention.
“Zeke obviously did an amazing job for us,” Cowboys executive vice-president Stephen Jones told ESPN. “He came in right away and was dominant and helped us win a lot of football games. I don’t second-guess that one, but it is hard for these guys to play 10 years at a real high level.”
Howie Roseman Calling the Shots in Philly
Howie Roseman wasted no time in saying who is running the show when it comes to scouting players and making final decisions. It’s him.
“At the end of the day, it’s my job to outline a vision of what we’re looking for,” Roseman told reporters, “whether it’s at the All-Star games, the combine, free agent process, the draft process. I think the lines of communication have been great. There are a lot of really great, talented guys we have in our front office, and I’m looking forward to working with them.”
Running through the @Eagles free agents and talking next year’s roster with GM Howie Roseman
Roseman prefaced that statement by acknowledging everyone in the organization gets a voice if they want one. He’s open to input across the ranks – “best idea has to win,” he said – and he encourages conversation and communication.
“We have had a lot of communication,” Roseman said, “a lot of conversation about the things that we’re looking for at each certain segment.”