Cowboys New Offense 'Goes Through Tony Pollard,' Says Exec; Dallas' Most Important Player?
The Dallas Cowboys parted ways with Ezekiel Elliott and placed the franchise tag on Tony Pollard this offseason. With the pair somewhat switching roles this past season as Pollard was preferred to Elliott, the former Memphis standout now has the keys to the offense.
And...
One NFL executive thinks Pollard is more crucial to the Dallas offense than any other player.
"Pollard makes the offense go; we saw that in the playoffs," the unnamed executive told Mike Sando of the Athletic.
Pollard had an excellent year for the Cowboys as he hit career highs in rushing yards (1007), touchdowns (9), and yards per game (62.9) which culminated in the first Pro Bowl nod of his career.
With Elliott, not the once dominant back of previous seasons as he had career lows in rushing yards (876), rushing attempts (231), yards per attempt (3.8), and yards per game (58.9). It was clear that a changing of the guard was taking place.
The "Dine and Dash" duo worked well for Kellen Moore's offense, as Elliott was the bruiser who picked up short yards, while Pollard was the explosive back who picked up yards at will.
Now, with the dynamic changing as Pollard is the lead back for Mike McCarthy's offense after signing his franchise tag and Elliott no longer in Frisco, fans will see if he can carry the offensive load.
It is worth noting that just five times last season Pollard totaled 15 or more carries in a game. We expect that to change next season, and that is where some trepidation comes from fans who think Pollard might not be as explosive as his carries will no doubt go up.
(There is also the issue of Dallas maybe drafting a running back like Bijan Robinson, which obviously could change everything.)
Against the San Francisco 49ers, Cowboy Nation saw how the offense looked without Pollard in the lineup. He is coming off his nasty ankle injury and fibula break, so while there are skeptics regarding his 2023 availability, the Cowboys feel confident he'll be ready to go.
If that is true, one other thing is for certain: the Cowboys offense, according to an NFL executive, goes through No. 20.
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