Anyone who watches the Cowboys knows who the best running back is. The former No. 4 overall pick is not getting paid that much. Tony Pollard was selected in the fourth round. Cowboys fans were shouting for change prior to the game. Between incoherent cries of "This is our year!" and "We dem boyz!", Pollard's greatness was being said. Pollard wouldn't just shine, he'd thrive. Did he? Pollard broke into the end zone three times for career-high scores. One reception was added for 16 yards. Since the start of the season, Zeke has only had two games with at least one rushing yard. The most recent was more than two years ago. It took Pollard just one game to have a better game than he has had in the past.
It's amazing! Pollard would be the team's starter if anyone in their right mind thought so. The Cowboys are just 1.5 games behind the Eagles in the division. They should put their best foot forward for the rest of the season.
I don't think so.
Jerry Jones doesn't seem to mind keeping the team's lead back, despite Pollard's amazing performance. You could say to yourself that he is the owner. Does he have any power? That is a valid question. It is possible that Mike McCarthy and company will use Pollard more often. Jones still has a lot of say in how the Cowboys are run.
It makes sense that the Cowboys would want to use him at a high rate because they are paying him so much money. Next year, what about that?
Dallas doesn't have an out built in after this season because of four years remaining on Zeke's contract. The dead cap hit would be a tad under $12 million, but that is less than what it would have been if the Cowboys had cut him. In the event of an emergency, this opt-out was created. The Cowboys would love to have a great running back duo behind their quarterback, but they'd rather have an inefficient one than a great one. It isn't worth it.
Is it possible for the Cowboys to take the out and re- negotiate a new contract for him? It's absolutely true! I don't think Zeke would take that very well. If Dallas opts out of the contract, I wouldn't be surprised if he tries to find a role elsewhere, like Le'Veon Bell did last year.
It is possible that the Cowboys don't opt out at all. Pollard has averaged 9.31 yards per carry over the course of his career, but I wouldn't put it past them. People said the same thing about Austin Ekeler several years ago and now look where he is. The athletes are from the National Football League. They know how to stay in shape, and they know how to deal with increased workload.
Pollard is less expensive and more powerful than his backfield counterpart. The lead role should be his. He needs to get that chance next year.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
