The Dallas Cowboys didn’t hesitate to pull the plug and wave goodbye to Ezekiel Elliott as soon as the season ended.
Elliott’s guaranteed money ran out, and there was no incentive to keep him around, given how much Tony Pollard had outplayed him over the past couple of seasons.
However, the Cowboys can’t seem to catch a break, as Pollard suffered a leg injury and hasn’t been able to cut or run at full speed at OTAs yet.
Even so, he recently told Jon Machota of The Athletic that he feels faster than he was before suffering that injury.
Tony Pollard said he’s not only running and cutting at full speed, but he actually feels faster since his leg injury.
“I’m a little bit ahead of schedule. … I’m not really limited at this point, it’s just being smart with it.”
Cowboys OTA observations: https://t.co/IZLu4soOJT
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) June 2, 2023
Pollard was the more efficient runner in the Cowboys’ RB committee, out-gaining Elliott in touches even despite not making anywhere near the money his colleague was making.
The Cowboys placed him under the franchise tag entering the offseason, so he’ll have one full year to prove that he’s worthy of a long-term contract.
Teams have been hesitant to give big paydays or large contracts to running backs over the past couple of years, and they’ve seemingly become more and more expendable every single season.
But the Cowboys need to put an emphasis on the running game if they want to find success in 2023.
Dak Prescott was one of the league’s leaders in interceptions despite missing a big stretch of the season, so putting most of the pressure on his shoulders might not be the wisest choice.
That’s why they desperately need Pollard to be at full strength, as he’ll be a focal point of their offense.
NEXT: Micah Parsons Has A Clear Goal Ahead Of The 2023 Season
