Tony Pollard named 'most important factor' offensively for the Cowboys
When it comes to the offense for the Dallas Cowboys they have a plethora of guys that they can rely on. Of course, Dak Prescott plays the most important position, and he does it well. But with wide receivers CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, and Michael Gallup, plus a talented tight end room, Dallas isn't hurting […]
When it comes to the offense for the Dallas Cowboys they have a plethora of guys that they can rely on.
Of course, Dak Prescott plays the most important position, and he does it well. But with wide receivers CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, and Michael Gallup, plus a talented tight end room, Dallas isn't hurting for guys they can turn to.
NFL analyst Dianna Russini has another guy in mind when it comes to who moves the needle.
She made an appearance on ESPN's morning show "Get Up" on Thursday, and she deemed running back Tony Pollard as the most important factor in Dallas offensively.
"I actually think Tony Pollard is the most important factor on this offense," Russini said. "We gotta see how he recovers, right? If he's gonna be healthy. But there were moments. After I had several conversations with different defensive coordinators that faced the Dallas Cowboys last season, it was always about Pollard's ability.
"I had one coach even say to me 'He looked like Christian McCaffrey at times' That's how good he was playing, and when he was rolling, this Cowboys' team was rolling. So he's really become one of the integral parts of this offense."
Pollard led the Cowboys in rushing yards with 1,007 and racked up his best total as far as receiving yards with 371 in 2022. He scored 75 percent of his touchdowns from 10 yards or more which was the second-highest percentage for any running back over the last decade who had 10 more scores.
So it was no surprise that the Cowboys decided to cut their high financial ties to Ezekiel Elliott and push their chips to the middle of the table on Pollard. Dallas placed the franchise tag on him for $10.1 million for 2023, but he's willing to get a long-term deal done sooner than later.
Pollard is a nuclear weapon that can explode for a touchdown at any given moment for the Cowboys and that's quite the luxury for them to have.
Top rival gives Cowboys RB Tony Pollard ultimate props
Game recognizes game.
Feature image via Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
