Stephen A. Smith Scouts: Tony Pollard vs. Dalvin Cook for Cowboys?
Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook has been told he's being cut and is going to be available via free agency, and the Dallas Cowboys are among the teams with perceived interest in the veteran.
Currently, the Cowboys running back room leader is Pro Bowler Tony Pollard. But as usual, ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith has opinions regarding Pollard and Cook that he cannot help but share.
“Tony Pollard is not an every-down back. You don’t have a workhorse that you can give the ball to on a regular basis. He’s too small for that,” Smith said.
However, when it came to Cook, the analyst was much more complimentary, “This is a bad brother right here. This is an elite running back in the National Football League,” Smith said.
What is amusing about Smith's "expertise'' is that ... well, he doesn't actually know what he's talking about.
For all the talk of size, Pollard is 6-0 and 209 pounds ... meaning he is actually a bigger running back than the 5-10, 210-pound Cook! (Sidebar: That doesn't mean Pollard runs with a bullish style, but at the same time, one of Cook's great attributes is elusiveness ... as is the case with Pollard.
Yes, Cook is a more proven commodity as a lead rusher. He’s a four-time Pro Bowler and is fourth in total rushing yards since he entered the league in 2017 with 5,993. At 27, he’s far from washed, with four straight seasons rushing over 1,100 yards.
Last year Cook had over 1,400 yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns, but in a sense, he’s still not Pollard.
Looking at the stats, Pollard averaged over a yard more than Cook per touch, proving himself to be (statistically) the better receiver and more efficient runner of the two last season. If allowed to tout a heavier workload in 2023, there’s reason to believe Pollard would also assert himself as an even more elite running back ... despite Smith’s opinions.
Additionally, while the now-departed Ezekiel Elliott was the official "starter'' last year - and this will shock Stephen A. - Pollard totaled 232 touches in the regular season, almost right alongside Zeke at 248.
Oh ... And in the playoff win at Tampa? Elliott carried 13 times for 27 yards and caught one pass for nine yards. Pollard carried 15 times for 77 yards and caught three passes for 12 yards.
So who was really the "lead back'' in Dallas over the course of the 2022 season?
While it would be nice to have a two-headed monster in the backfield, the obvious argument is that running back isn’t a position of need, and Cook would be more of a luxury signing. A good signing at the right signing - but not a signing necessitated by what Stephen A. Smith wrongly views as Pollard's inadequacies.
You can follow Isaiah DeAnda Delgado on Twitter and Instagram @IsaiahDDelgado.
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