DALLAS — One of the landmark dates of the NFL offseason has come and gone, and the Dallas Cowboys once again took part in it. Monday marked the deadline to apply the franchise tag to a player to retain their services, and for the sixth straight year, the Cowboys felt the need to use the tag.
This year, running back Tony Pollard joins defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, quarterback Dak Prescott, and tight end Dalton Schultz in the recently tagged club. Of the three previously tagged, only Schutlz has yet to eventually receive a long-term deal.
By getting franchised, the game-breaking RB will earn $10.1 million in 2023 if a long-term deal isn’t worked out.
Pollard joins fellow RBs Saquon Barkley of the New York Giants, and Josh Jacobs of the Las Vegas Raiders in getting tagged. All three had outstanding seasons but couldn’t work out an extension before the deadline to be tagged or be allowed to test free agency.
For the Cowboys, the decision to tag Pollard couldn’t have been easy. Paying Pollard over $10 million when they’re already paying backfield mate Ezekiel Elliott close to $11 million – and $16.7 against the cap – isn’t smart business. However, with the team likely to ask Elliott to take a pay cut or receive his walking papers, Dallas needed to make sure that they kept one of their key offensive weapons in the fold.
Tagging Pollard ensures that the Cowboys keep an elite RB on the roster, something the organization loves to have, while giving both sides time to work out a longer deal to reduce his cost in 2023. With the team up against the salary cap, freeing up space is paramount to allow the Cowboys to make improvements to a team seeking to get over the hump in the playoffs.
With Dallas using their franchise tag for Pollard, the team chose not to use it on Schultz for a second consecutive year or safety Donovan Wilson. Linebacker Leighton Vander Esch was also a candidate, but the cost associated with tagging his position didn’t make him a valid option. The Cowboys will try to work out deals with all three, but free agency awaits in the coming weeks.
Ultimately, retaining Pollard is a solid use of one of the league’s implementations to help teams avoid losing their star players, as the Cowboys don’t have many explosive players on offense. The speedster out of Memphis has certainly been one of the main threats over the last few seasons.
In 2022, Pollard scored on five plays of 30-yards or more, so it’s understandable why the team wanted to make sure that he didn’t leave for another team. In return for Pollard not being able to make that choice in free agency himself, he will get paid top dollar among his peers at running back.
At 26-years old when the 2023 season begins, Pollard is also still in the prime of his career and coming off his best season. Pollard had his first 1,000-yard season, as well as 12 total scores combined on the ground and through the air. The former fourth round pick has averaged 5.1 yards per carry in his four years, which ranks among the best in the league. The Cowboys clearly wanted to keep that type of production around for at least one more year.
However, there is risk in tagging Pollard at such a high cost. The broken left leg that he suffered in the playoff loss in San Francisco only enhances the gamble. Pollard is expected to return to full health in a few months, but it was a serious injury and there is no way to know for sure how his explosiveness might be impacted.
Also, it is important to keep in mind that the upcoming draft is full of high-level talent who would come at a fraction of the cost, and at a younger age. Using so much of their cap dollars to keep Pollard when they could have adequately replaced him in the draft was a path that Dallas surely mulled over.
Nevertheless, the Cowboys looked at the RB landscape this offseason and have come up with a plan. That strategy included tagging Pollard and keeping a player that they know can make a big impact in their offensive system. Dallas wanted to keep Pollard, and this was the safest way of doing so.
There is still work to be done and decisions to be made at the position, but Tony Pollard is returning for at least one more season. The decision buys the Cowboys time to find his eventual replacement or work out a longer deal.
Either way, the Cowboys are keeping one of their best offensive players for 2023.
Do you think the Cowboys should work out a long-term deal for Tony Pollard? Share your thoughts with Ben on Twitter @BenGrimaldi.