Cowboys ace Tony Pollard decision but it comes at a high cost
Now that Monday's deadline to extend players under the franchise tag is in the rearview mirror, it's official: Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard will play the 2023 NFL season for $10.1 million and won't be able to negotiate with the team again until 2024. The news comes as no surprise following reports over the […]
Now that Monday's deadline to extend players under the franchise tag is in the rearview mirror, it's official: Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard will play the 2023 NFL season for $10.1 million and won't be able to negotiate with the team again until 2024.
The news comes as no surprise following reports over the weekend indicating no deal would come to place between the two sides. And now we evaluate: Was this the right call from the Cowboys?
I have to say yes but it does come with a high cost. Let's dive into the positive first.
Cowboys were right not to extend Tony Pollard
Two things can be true at the same time:
- Tony Pollard is one of the best running backs in the NFL.
- Paying him big-time money in the current market wouldn't have been smart.
As sad and cold as it is, the league's running back market is in a steady decline. Why should the Cowboys rush to sign Pollard for more than $10 million per year and give him guarantees extending beyond his fifth year in the league when the prices for the position have been going down over time?
Not to mention, running back has been a position that's proven that even the top stars of the league have short-lived careers at the very top. An ankle injury suffered in January doesn't help Pollard's case, either.
And the truth is, it sucks. It does especially since it's a matter of league economics and not player evaluation. The Cowboys running back was recently voted the ninth best by NFL decision-makers via an anonymous poll put together by ESPN. And yet, in that Top 10 list, only three running backs are signed beyond 2023.
In other words, not even the best players at the position (in the eyes of the people running the teams) are commanding new, higher deals.
By being patient, the Cowboys are being smart. This is a decision that couldn't be more understandable from an objective point of view and one that is seemingly approved by the rest of the NFL.
It does come at a cost, though…
Just like every Cowboy sings a sad, sad song, not extending Pollard has its downside and it will impact the team in the immediate future.
An extension would've opened up cap space for the Cowboys in 2023. Adding years to his deal would've allowed the front office to spread out Tony's cap hit, which is tied for the fourth-highest for a running back this year.
Instead, his $10.1 million cap hit is set in stone and there's nothing the team can do to change that.
At a time when the Cowboys could use resources to sign late-offseason free agents or structure things for pending extensions for CeeDee Lamb, Trevon Diggs, and Dak Prescott could've made sense.
But overall, consider this the right call for Dallas.
For more on this topic and the Cowboys, check out my nightly live show A to Z Sports Dallas Primetime below!
Recent Cowboys news shows they might’ve learned their lesson after all
Strategic maneuvering here.
Featured image via Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
