Draft Bijan Robison vs. Sign Tony Pollard: Cowboys RB Choice?
The Dallas Cowboys know the risks of paying a running back market-setting money; they did it with Ezekiel Elliott in September of 2019, with the hope that the two-time rushing champion would also help Dallas become a Super Bowl champion.
Unfortunately, that six-year, $90 million contract did not pay off that way for Zeke and the Cowboys.
So, with the contract of Tony Pollard coming up this spring, will the Cowboys make that "mistake" again and give another running back a historic deal, or could they opt to draft a new one?
Pollard, the former fourth-round pick out of Memphis, emerged as a "No. 1 back'' in Dallas, rushing for over 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns on his way to a Pro Bowl berth.
And yet talk of the Cowboys selecting Bijan Robinson in the upcoming NFL Draft is a "thing.''
The Texas Longhorns standout is considered one of the most talented players in this year's draft class, and after back-to-back 1,000 yards rushing seasons in Austin, he could just move up I-35 to Frisco.
A decade ago, we wouldn't be talking about the Cowboys being able to take a back like Robinson with the No. 26 pick. But, with the devaluing of the running back position over recent years - in part a reaction to the Cowboys' "overpay'' on Zeke - it is possible that Bijan will slide.
The new cycle? Maybe it's draft a running back, run him into the ground over the course of his rookie (four- or five-year contract), and then draft a new one, and so on.
That surely applies to thinking about saying goodbye to Zeke. Does it apply to skipping the franchise tag on Pollard and saying goodbye there as well?
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has talked about his long-term approach to roster building, and if he's true to his word? The high price of paying veteran running backs may be erased by the low price of drafting one high.
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