Pay for our running backs, or beef up the O-line

[DuncanIso]

It's not that black and white or an either or scenario with RB and OL. Pollard was our best offensive player last year so you need to sign Pollard but you pay for him by cutting Zeke. Then you address the OL at the same time. RG is a legend. RT if healthy is good. Tyler will be your LT or possibly LG depending on what you do. Preference it LT but really you are worried about the best team not where you play Tyler. So you have 2 spots to address. Biadasz was the better of the two so I'd focus on LG knowing that I have in my back pocket the ability to play Tyler there if I find a LT instead. You can sign or draft someone. If draft I bring back McGovern as a backup or just in case option if the rookie doesn't work out. If we keep Tyron it gets interesting as to what we do but you aren't paying $14M a year for a swing tackle so don't even put that in the equation. If he is back it is at a much cheaper contract or he is starting somewhere. AS far as depth goes we seemed to have a few guys that don't belong on an NFL field as backups last year but this will likely be addressed after the starters are set or with a cheap FA

His leg is wrecked.

 

[Jarntt]

His leg is wrecked.

Thanks for the update, Dr Duncan...

 

[RonnieT24]

Since the Cowboys decided they no longer want to be a power running team the divorce from Zeke was inevitable. If in fact it does happen this year it will be three years too late. They should never have signed him to that contract and then tried to become a Mountain West offense. None of that is Zeke's fault so I will never join the camp that's mad at him for it. Nor am I mad at him for holding out to get his money. The Cowboys had clearly shown they were going to screw him over.. run him into the ground on the rookie contract, then franchise him and then spit him out like they did Murray. Why anyone would fault a guy for NOT allowing that to happen is a complete mystery to me. But whatever..

The answer will always be make the line great first and pretty much everything else takes care of itself. The truth of the matter is that you can get good running backs all up and down the draft. The question is and always will be can you get a special running back up and down the draft. My answer will always be not very often. Zeke was special. He was a different kinda cat who could put the team on his back for long stretches. The Cowboys wasted his best years behind a moron head coach and an OC who had no clue how to use a back like him. Again .. not his fault. Now that Zeke has gotten older he's not a 20 carry/5 catch a game back anymore. His body won't take it.. Pollard has never been that kind of back so the Cowboys either need to figure out how to maximize both of them in their respective roles or replace them with younger, cheaper options. If it was me I'd re-sign them both with deals that make sense and allow the new OC and OL coach to replace Moore's brain dead running schemes.

The younger cheaper backs option only works if the rest of the offense clicks at a ridiculously high level. Who among us is sold that that will be the case going forward? More specifically when you get into playoff football where DCs and defenses are top drawer, what will you be able to lean on to move the ball no matter what defense you are facing? The Cowboys need at least one more playmaker on offense. Either that becomes Tolbert, Turpin or some draft pick.. or yes.. even OBJ, they need another playmaker to make the defense pay when they double Lamb and they send enough heat that the back, whoever it is, can't leak out and present a threat to the defense.

 

[conner01]

Pollards leg is wrecked.

He’s limping around right now.

He’s never going to be what he was…which is a C gap RB with speed.

I haven’t seen any reason to think he can’t fully recover myself. If you’ve seen something stating his career is over please share

 

[conner01]

Yes if your plan is to use Zeke as the replacement, serious question TP will need 20 touches a game to get the production you will need to offset the money. Since he has been getting increased touches has he been able to stay Healthy? Look at McCaffrey do you see his Contract vs Production when set against other rushing teams in the league as a value?

I’d move on from zeke
I think what Zeke brings at this point in his career can be mostly replaced by a RB you could get in the middle rounds of the draft
I think pollard needs 20 or more touches though not all as a runner. I’d use him more in the passing game myself. Get him the ball in space and let him make plays. 10-12 runs and the same in the passing game

 

[CowboyRoy]

Pollards leg is wrecked.

He’s limping around right now.

He’s never going to be what he was…which is a C gap RB with speed.

Pollard before the injury was one of the best RB's in the NFL and weapons in the NFL. Sadly he rotted on the bench here in Dallas for 3.5 years. He has low mileage, but I wouldnt pay big money for him going forward. Time to completely revamp the RB room.

 

[CowboyRoy]

I thought the OL was on the Immunity Program......just blame Zeke has been the cry.

When you have two backs running behind the same line and one averages over 5 ypc and the other 3.8 ypc its an easy analysis.

 

[Cmac]

When you have two backs running behind the same line and one averages over 5 ypc and the other 3.8 ypc its an easy analysis.

CowboyRoy.....you'll be here "fa'eva" trying to convince me that that the OL is not an issue and Zeke is the sole problem.

 

[CowboyRoy]

CowboyRoy.....you'll be here "fa'eva" trying to convince me that that the OL is not an issue and Zeke is the sole problem.

The Oline was average at best. That has been my stance all year long.

You will never convince ME that Zeke is a quality back.

But again, when one back averages over 5 ypc and the other under 4 its easy to see who the bad RB is and who the good one is.

Zeke is done as a quality back in the NFL. Until you figure that one out, Im not sure your suited to be in any conversation involving RB's or Oline.

Im a huge proponent of paying the Oline, not the back as they are the more important ingredient to an offense and to the run game.

 

[Cmac]

The Oline was average at best. That has been my stance all year long.

You will never convince ME that Zeke is a quality back.

But again, when one back averages over 5 ypc and the other under 4 its easy to see who the bad RB is and who the good one is.

Zeke is done as a quality back in the NFL. Until you figure that one out, Im not sure your suited to be in any conversation involving RB's or Oline.

Im a huge proponent of paying the Oline, not the back as they are the more important ingredient to an offense and to the run game.

CowboyRoy.....hope you're not bored today. If you want to continue your campaign about Zeke.....it's ok. I'm good.

 

[CowboyRoy]

CowboyRoy.....hope you're not bored today. If you want to continue your campaign about Zeke.....it's ok. I'm good.

There are 4 guys left that still cant admit they were dead wrong about Zeke and Pollard. Like with Garrett, until they do I will continue to hound Zeke and hound them until the glorious day they are kicked to the curb. And even a little further after that as well.

 

[GMO415]

Let both RBs walk. OL and draft two RBs.

 

[CowboyRoy]

Let both Pollard and Zeke walk. I like them both but we can easily save fortunes there.

RB's are not usually as good after their first contract. Dings and dents take their toll.

Put the money anywhere else. I'd love to see a decent DT (1 tech) arrive.

You like Zeke? Why?

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

DT WR OT S LB then maybe RB.

This idiocy about investing more than a modest contract or a day 3 pick like Pollard was needs to stop. It's what got us into this Zeke mess in the first place.

 

[TheCoolFan]

No more investing high draft picks or big contracts to RBs. If Dak is supposed to be the guy who can win a Super Bowl, he needs to be a QB that can win without a star RB...just like all of the other SB-winning QBs. Spend your money on weapons for the passing game. And if Dak's not that guy then they better prepare to replace him eventually.

Isiah Pacheco, Cam Akers, Leonard Fournette (as a cheap FA pickup for Tampa) - the last 3 starting RBs of the Super Bowl winning teams.

 

[Cmac]

There are 4 guys left that still cant admit they were dead wrong about Zeke and Pollard. Like with Garrett, until they do I will continue to hound Zeke and hound them until the glorious day they are kicked to the curb. And even a little further after that as well.

.....isn't that stalking, some type of unnatural obsession? Do continue......we're making progress today. Let it out.

 

[KJJ]

The back matters we found that out after we moved on from DeMarco Murray and replaced him with Darren McFadden and Joseph Randle. Many of the fans on the board and even the Joneses didn’t think the back mattered as long as we had a road grading OL. The fans and the Joneses were wrong! We need to keep Pollard because the draft doesn’t guarantee anything.

 

[KJJ]

We all know that a good o line will get you places to go to Disney the next day! With that said, do we pay Zeke and Pollard, or do we go cheap and save that money for the o line?

I believe we can draft one, get a vet, and still use Davis. We don't need a stud back there, but we need this o line to be on point to take us to the next level. Please give your thoughts

Everyone said we didn’t need a stud RB after the 2014 season and they were wrong! This is why we drafted Zeke in the top five in 2016. Our OL isn’t near what it was years ago and the back matters. Not easy finding a back that can do what Pollard does. He’s a playmaker and the best one we have. We can’t keep moving on from our best players and expect to compete with Philly. Zeke is expendable and Pollard isn’t.

 

[Chrissyboy]

You like Zeke? Why?

Solid blocking and protecting the QB. Tough and powerful at the point of attack near the LOS. No longer has the impact he had during his 1st contract. Pulled a masterstroke with his agent when he held Jerry to ransom.

I get your point.

 

[Doomsday]

I would pay a guard before spending $11m to franchise a part-time RB coming off an injury.

You have to go cheap at some positions in today's NFL because of the CAP and RB is a prime candidate for it.