Tony Pollard - NFL's 3rd-Best RB? - Getting Cowboys Tag? 'Hell Yeah!' Says Ex GM
While the Dallas Cowboys sit at home on Super Bowl Sunday, they face several important offseason decisions. Among those: Whether to franchise tag Tony Pollard.
The NFLPA recently voted Pollard the league's third-best running back. Is there a reason to keep him and pay him that way?
"Hell, yeah!'' said one former NFL GM.
As the Cowboys decide what they're going to do with Pollard, former Super Bowl champion GM Michael Lombardi offered his opinion on GBag Nation LIVE on Radio Row at the Super Bowl.
"He’s too good of a player. What’s it, $10 million to tag him?" Lombardi said. "Hell yeah. You gotta do it - he’s an asset. You can’t let him walk away. That guy tilts the field.''
What about the notion of "Don't pay running backs?''
"Yeah, don’t pay running backs,'' he said. "I agree. Don’t pay a runner. Pay a weapon.''
Pollard was the Cowboys' leading rusher, recording 1,007 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on 193 carries. Ezekiel Elliott ran for 876 yards and 12 touchdowns on 231 carries.
One difference comes in how both impact the passing game.
Pollard is a dynamic receiver out of the backfield as he recorded 371 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 39 receptions, while Elliott only recorded 17 receptions for 92 yards and no touchdowns.
Pollard is also a breakaway threat, which is no longer central to Zeke's game.
Pollard, it can be argued, has shown that he is a game-changing talent, both on the ground and in the passing game. Giving him the $10 million tag in early march (and then working to negotiate a long-term deal) is a primary option. For a Cowboys team looking to get over the hump and win the NFC, one can understand why Lombardi believes keeping a talent like Pollard at The Star is worth the price tag.
You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98
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