Battle Lines: RB room has a great problem

[plasticman]

If a RB had genuine talent then you would have seen it in college. Both his high school stats and his college stats would have been elite.

He would have been drafted high.

You can't teach the instincts that make a RB elite.

There have been 54 RB's that have rushed for 8000 or more yards in their NFL career. 45 of them were drafted in the 1st or 2nd round. That is 83.3%.

Since the merger in 1070, Priest Holmes is the only RB to rush for over 8000 yards and not be drafted.

Herschel Walker is the only RB on this list that was drafted in the 5th round or below and we know he would have been the first player drafted had it not been for the fact that he had already signed with a team in a competing league.

The bottom line is, it doesn't matter how good or how bad your O-line plays, if your RB isn't a top tier draft pick, then his success has a very short lifespan. I'm afraid Pollard falls into that group.

As far as Malik and Deuce, if you are lucky to get some productivity out of them, don't assume it will continue for a ten year career.

 

[America's Cowboy]

It would be wise to bring Zeke back. The problem is if Zeke is willing to come back for veteran minimum or a team friendly deal?

 

[xwalker]

Pollard himself said the wore down in the game he started for Zeke....just one game...not over an entire season or a career....

Maybe he does ok as his stamina needs to improve, and maybe it will. But until he shows it, there is no depth at RB, no proven depth.

Wear down? Yeah he got injured but who do you compare him to to make your point? Zeke had maybe 2 good years with of being a rb mixed in with allot of blah 2 yard into piles of players while there is gasping holes on both sides type of plays. The guy had very poor vision for most of his career

Pollard said that after his highest yards rushing in a game.

He had multiple other games with more touches and didn't have an issue in those.

 

[DuncanIso]

If a RB had genuine talent then you would have seen it in college. Both his high school stats and his college stats would have been elite.

He would have been drafted high.

You can't teach the instincts that make a RB elite.

There have been 54 RB's that have rushed for 8000 or more yards in their NFL career. 45 of them were drafted in the 1st or 2nd round. That is 83.3%.

Since the merger in 1070, Priest Holmes is the only RB to rush for over 8000 yards and not be drafted.

Herschel Walker is the only RB on this list that was drafted in the 5th round or below and we know he would have been the first player drafted had it not been for the fact that he had already signed with a team in a competing league.

The bottom line is, it doesn't matter how good or how bad your O-line plays, if your RB isn't a top tier draft pick, then his success has a very short lifespan. I'm afraid Pollard falls into that group.

As far as Malik and Deuce, if you are lucky to get some productivity out of them, don't assume it will continue for a ten year career.

Good stuff.

 

[DuncanIso]

It would be wise to bring Zeke back. The problem is if Zeke is willing to come back for veteran minimum or a team friendly deal?

It’s the cap.

Zeke has 11.5 million in dead cap $$$.

 

[America's Cowboy]

It’s the cap.

Zeke has 11.5 million in dead cap $$$.

Yikes! Forget it then.

 

[CCBoy]

10. DALLAS COWBOYS​

This season looks set to finally be the year where we see Tony Pollard in a full-time role with Ezekiel Elliott no longer on the team. Pollard has earned 80.0-plus PFF rushing grades in all four of his seasons in the NFL and has been at 90.0 or better in each of the past two seasons. We’ve even seen him get involved in the passing game in the past two seasons, averaging over 1.40 yards per route run in both seasons.

https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-running-back-unit-rankings-2023

 

[G2]

When I see a bunch of RBs in camp running, I'll feel better. Is Pollard even ready?

 

[CowboyRoy]

Pollard himself said the wore down in the game he started for Zeke....just one game...not over an entire season or a career....

Maybe he does ok as his stamina needs to improve, and maybe it will. But until he shows it, there is no depth at RB, no proven depth.

Is that the game where Pollard ran for 131 yards on 14 carries with 3 TD's and multiple long TD plays?

The week where he won Fedex Ground player of the week. That was basically a drop the mic moment for pollard sealing the game with his 3rd TD, a nice long one.

You have never gotten anything right about our RB's over the last 4 years, why would anything change now?

Zeke sucked so anyone is an improvement. So can we rely on a pro bowl level RB that has averaged 5-6 ypc for the last 4 years?

Maybe we should go back to your overpaid, over the hill hero Zeke that cant even get a job?

Werent you the guy scolding me just a few days ago about bringing up Zeke? "Zeke is gone let it go" was your quote. LOL

Yet you keep bringing him up and talking down about Pollard.

Are you still upset that Pollard made a joke out of Zeke and your opinion of him? Poor guy. Cant get over it eh?

 

[jazzcat22]

Is that the game where Pollard ran for 131 yards on 14 carries with 3 TD's and multiple long TD plays?

The week where he won Fedex Ground player of the week. That was basically a drop the mic moment for pollard sealing the game with his 3rd TD, a nice long one.

You have never gotten anything right about our RB's over the last 4 years, why would anything change now?

Zeke sucked so anyone is an improvement. So can we rely on a pro bowl level RB that has averaged 5-6 ypc for the last 4 years?

Maybe we should go back to your overpaid, over the hill hero Zeke that cant even get a job?

Werent you the guy scolding me just a few days ago about bringing up Zeke? "Zeke is gone let it go" was your quote. LOL

Yet you keep bringing him up and talking down about Pollard.

Are you still upset that Pollard made a joke out of Zeke and your opinion of him? Poor guy. Cant get over it eh?

Once again, I did not read your rant and garbage.

I am sure it is the same old crap you can't let go of.

 

[CowboyRoy]

Once again, I did not read your rant and garbage.

I am sure it is the same old crap you can't let go of.

I dont care if you read it. I just care that everyone else reads it. LOL

But of course you read it. Just got nothing to say back because you know its all true!!!

 

[Jarntt]

Bold Prediction: Given what the Cowboys were using Elliott for — short yardage and red zone offense — it makes his lost production a bit easier to replace, and so I don't believe Dallas' rushing attack will take a major step back in 2023.

Did the writer watch the Cowboys? Yes, maybe Zeke's role should have been short yardage and red zone but he had 40 more carries than Pollard in one less game so it clearly wasn't just that.

Pollard was explosive and electric and borderline dominant at times last year but can he be that coming off the injury and with a huge increase in carries? I am fine with waiting it out to see if someone steps up, but if someone doesn't it is a 100% must to bring another RB in. IMO Pollard can't handle a full load and be the back we want him to be. He should get somewhere around 70% of the touches. I'm not assuming a 6th rounder or UDFA who has never put on NFL shoulder pads or a guy who couldn't even get 100 yards for the season on a Chiefs team that was looking for RBs to share the load last year or our two bottom of the roster guys from last year will be good enough to fill the important #2 role and be one hit from our starting RB. So while I don't want to bring another RB in right now because I want to see what we have in camp and hope our #2 is already on the roster, it is imperative that we do get someone if and when it becomes evident that a solid #2 with the potential to be a short term #1 isn't in camp. There are always RBs available in August via FA or a late round pick trade. While I am fine with the idea of Zeke being brought back as a clear #2 I don't think he is the type you can bring in late in the offseason because I don't trust him to be in football shape if he is not in camp. So if it is Zeke coming back it needs to happen soon. I also have no interest in Cook or anyone like that. Pollard is our #1 and we only need a #2 and you don't spend that kind of money on a #2.

 

[jazzcat22]

I dont care if you read it. I just care that everyone else reads it. LOL

But of course you read it. Just got nothing to say back because you know its all true!!!

No it is not true. And no I did not read because you are not worth my time on that subject.

 

[_sturt_]

https://www.dallascowboys.com/news/battle-lines-rb-room-has-a-great-problem-in-23

It's been made deathly clear by head coach Mike McCarthy that moving on from Ezekiel Elliott has nothing to do with trying to replace one of the best running backs in the history of the storied franchise. To put it plainly, it's about turning to Tony Pollard and the youth at the position and asking them to take a big leap forward in 2023.

There you have it. Now will they gear the offense running plays to Pollard skill set. Something Moore would / could not do.

Are they really counting on a RB that seem to wear down after 15 touches a game, coming off a broken leg and torn ligaments.

I've been among the chief skeptics. It wouldn't be so problematic if it weren't for that darned roster limit. All of them boast something intriguing if not exciting given that we see each present the best version of themselves on the field. But all of them are also hampered by potential if not likely Achilles heels, and that's what's depressing.

 

[Pass2Run]

The addition of Brandin Cooks will greatly help the running game, as well as passing game.

 

[CowboyRoy]

No it is not true. And no I did not read because you are not worth my time on that subject.

BWAAAAAAAA!!!!

You dont read it, yet you keep responding? You arent fooling anyone.

 

[jazzcat22]

BWAAAAAAAA!!!!

You dont read it, yet you keep responding? You arent fooling anyone.

I did not read your long diatribe. Because I did not need to look at it.

But your one line response to mine, yeah, hard to not read.

 

[CowboyRoy]

I did not read your long diatribe. Because I did not need to look at it.

But your one line response to mine, yeah, hard to not read.

You read it all and cant help yourself but try to get in the last word like you always do.

You act like you dont read it because you have no response and you know its all true.

 

[Pass2Run]

If Deuce gets hurt, we have plenty of depth. I think RoJo is number 3 and Malik Davis is in the doghouse.