Cowboys Franchise Tag Tony Pollard
In a move that should surprise nobody, the Cowboys have decided to place the franchise tag on running back Tony Pollard. The tag will earn Pollard $10.09 million and was first reported by Adam Schefter.
The fourth-round pick has made quite the name for himself tallying over 1,000 yards from scrimmage the last two seasons. He has slowly become the lead back in Dallas and seems to be pushing Ezekiel Elliott out the door with each game.
But this season was truly the breakout season for Pollard. He rushed for over 1,000 yards for the first time in his career to go along with 371 receiving yards and 12 total touchdowns. Many people speculated that his play would earn him a contract come the end of the season — and deservedly so.
It’s clear that he is the main back and gives that offense a spark on the ground that Elliott just can’t give them anymore. Despite all this, the decision to franchise tag Pollard is a move that isn’t shocking. The value of running backs in the current NFL is at an all-time low.
No team wants to shell out big money for a position that has such a clear small shelf life. Pollard is only 25 but for many backs, that’s about as far as your prime will take you. It’s become much more beneficial for teams to continually draft running backs late and avoid having to pay them.
The tag has bought the Cowboys another year with Pollard, but it’s clear that a big decision is going to have to be made come next offseason.
With Elliott and Dak Prescott having such hefty contracts, it may not be possible for the Cowboys to bring Pollard back on the type of deal he would want. The Elliott contract, in particular, is the very reason why the Cowboys may be scared to sign Pollard. Cowboys fans were begging to get Zeke back for the long term and now that very contract may hinder their ability to bring back a key piece of the offense.
It will be interesting to see what Jerry Jones and the Cowboys do. Say what you want about Jerry, and I do not like him. But he seems to be rather good and getting back the players he wants. The question now becomes is it worth it to bring Pollard back?
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