Cowboys' 'Lemonade' Tony Pollard: NFL's Best RB?
When the Dallas Cowboys applied the franchise tag to running back Tony Pollard this offseason, they indicated their faith in him to be the next featured guy behind quarterback Dak Prescott.
Pollard will undoubtedly be the guy for the Cowboys this season, with an increased workload coming his way. The question then becomes, though, just how good can Pollard be?
Well, according to a ranking done by ESPN, NFL executives, coaches and scouts believe he is a top-10 running back in the league - coming in at No. 9 overall.
"I call him a 'lemonade' player -- he turns lemons into lemonade, makes something out of nothing," a veteran NFL offensive coach said. "It doesn't have to be perfect for him to make plays."
Go back in time to 2021 and you will see the first glimpses of how special Pollard could be. Appearing in 15 games for the Cowboys that year without making a start, he rushed for 719 yards and a pair of touchdowns while adding 39 receptions for 337 receiving yards.
One year later and the versatile playmaker fully showed he was ready to lead the way in the backfield for Dallas. Putting together a breakout season in 2022, he rushed for a career-high 1,007 yards and nine touchdowns. He also once again was crucial in the passing attack, recording 39 receptions for 371 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
It is hard to deny the potential Pollard has flashed the last two seasons for Dallas, with a third straight productive season likely vaulting him up these rankings.
"I like the player, but I need to see him do it another year before I place him in the top 10," another veteran NFL coach said. "Need to see more."
Putting their full faith in Pollard to be the top dog in the backfield makes sense for the Cowboys, especially after his continued improvement - though we will learn more about the relationship pending the Monday deadline to give the tagged player a new deal. If he can take another step forward in 2023, then they may very well have found their next franchise running back.
You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98
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