Cowboys RB Tony Pollard Vs. Giants’ Saquon Barkley: NFC East Top RB?
When the Dallas Cowboys chose to move on from seven-year-veteran running back Ezekiel Elliott in March, they sent a clear logistical message.
Veteran back Tony Pollard is expected to sit at the top of the position’s depth chart for 2023.
However, is he among the elite running backs in the NFC East?
With the exception of New York Giants’ star rusher Saquon Barkley, USA Today’s Cowboys Wire believes that Pollard is the top back in the division.
“There are two great backs in the NFC East, and Tony Pollard is one of them,” per the Wire’s rankings. “He is incredible by nearly every metric.”
The Memphis product is often dynamic with the ball in his hands. As such, he has become Dallas’ most impactful dual-threat weapons. Pollard set career-highs in rushing yards last season, logging 1,007 rushing yards on 193 carries and nine touchdowns. He is also well-versed as a receiver, logging 371 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 39 receptions. Utilizing his abilities as a dual-threat added a new dimension to help kick the Cowboys’ offensive output into high gear in 2022.
In addition to his stellar individual stats, Pollard has also been one of the most efficient backs in the league the last two seasons. In his 193 attempts, he averaged 5.2 yards per attempt with 31 explosive runs.
For his efforts, Pollard was given the franchise tag, on which he will earn $10.1 million on a one-year deal in 2023.
However, some continue to question Pollard’s durability as a feature back. In addition to ceding some of his carries to Elliott during his first four pro seasons, he suffered a fractured left fibula in the Cowboys’ divisional-round playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Following his offseason surgery, Pollard continues to rehab, with the expectation of his being ready for the start of the 2023 season.
“The one worry about Pollard is the carry total,” the Wire wrote. “He has never had a 200-attempt season and is coming off a major leg injury. Adding to that, the lack of proven depth behind Pollard is the main reason he and the the Cowboys fall to second on this list.”
Much to the surprise, and delight of Cowboys fans, coach Mike McCarthy recently confirmed that Pollard has participated in the reduced-tempo portions of the offseason's organized team activities OTAs to this point.
Despite the great news surrounding Pollard’s health, Dallas’ running game prowess will also depend on the strength of their reserves.
“Ronald Jones II has won a Super Bowl the last two seasons, but he hasn’t added much production wise,” according to the Wire’s rankings. “Deuce Vaughn is a small stature, sixth-round rookie draft pick, and Malik Davis and Rico Dowdle haven’t had enough playing time to know what they will give over the season.”
Though Jones,, Vaughn, Davis and Dowdle may be ready for the challenge, Pollard will be the focus of each run defense which Dallas is set to play this season.
Accordingly, 2023 looks to be a pivotal year for the Cowboys. The pieces are in place both on offense and defense. While the argument can be made that the arm of quarterback Dak Prescott holds team’s fate, it may ultimately be determined by how far they can travel on the legs of their newly-minted feature running back.
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