Ezekiel Elliott & Tony Pollard: Both Cowboys RBs 'Locked In'
FRISCO - We have to plead guilty on the matter of having watched Ezekiel Elliott's work at OTAs and minicamp here inside The Star. He looked like a "scatback,'' about as much as he ever has in his NFL career, the Dallas Cowboys' two-time NFL rushing champion darting east and west, demonstrating what Cowboys Nation hopes is a more elusive force as he finished "Underwear Olympics'' carries with habitual sprints to the end zone.
So what are we guilty of? Maybe failing to notice that Zeke sidekick Tony Pollard was doing many of the same things.
“He’s definitely been locked in,” Pollard said in a recent visit with the media in which we once again (guilty!) found ourselves asking Pollard about Elliott almost as much as we asked Pollard about Pollard. “I can tell he took the right steps forward this offseason, getting his body right, getting in shape.''
And then Pollard switched gears in the conversation, ever so slightly, a tiny east-to-west move of his own.
"Me and him,'' Pollard said, "we also worked out together a lot of times during the offseason. We both are locked in this offseason, getting ready.”
Pollard understands the pecking order here and he's not about to issue some public demand for more. Zeke remains a centerpiece of the offense, leaving the coaching staff to continue to find ways to utilize Pollard, who last year was showcased just enough on Sunday's to show he's more than just a "gimmick'' back.
Can he take some of Zeke's carries? Can he play alongside Elliott? Can he maybe actually line up as a wide receiver? Can the last two seasons' trend - Elliott played 84 percent of the team's snaps in 2019 (to Pollard's 18 percent) but last year Elliott was at 69 percent (to Pollard's 32 percent) - continue in a way that helps the football team?
READ MORE: Cowboys OTAs: 3 Reasons Zeke Backup Tony Pollard is At A New Spot
Is there a way to use the two of them (a tandem that Pro Football Focus labels the second-best rushing duo in the NFL) that allows the east-and-west running to cause Dallas to move north in the NFC East standings?
“Our whole goal here is to win it all,” Pollard said. “If you’re not doing that, you’re falling short. That means there’s room for improvement all around.”
Elliott is putting in the work to make that improvement. And Pollard? We've been guilty of being bedazzled by Zeke and therefore failing to notice that Pollard's doing the same.
READ MORE: Dak Prescott: 'Zeke is in the Best Shape of His Life'
