Twitter: Tony Pollard is looking like the gem of this year’s draft

[Praxit]

...I tell you what. With Zeke out and who knows for how long. Pollard is showing more positives signs then negative, that he can give us a running start.

 

[big dog cowboy]

He averaged 4 yards a carry in his first nfl action. Lets pump the brakes.

Emmitt Smith

1st regular season game: 2 carries for 2 yards.

2nd regular season game: 6 carries for 11 yards.

There is a reason you don't read too much into preseason stats. And sometimes regular season stats either.

 

[Redsfan_83]

Sign an Anderson type RB to get the grunt yards and mix in Pollard perhaps this works? Works for almost any other team, so it's worth a shot especially if Zeke just decides to sit. We have to evolve our O and another offensive weapon will allow this to happen

 

[texbumthelife]

I like what I see in the kid, but I'm interested to see how he responds the first time an NFL linebacker puts a solid pop on him.

 

[McKDaddy]

To expect Pollard to be a bellcow would be risky. It'll be a RBBC here as long as Zeke is out.

exactly as it should be. difference being that if all the players can be productive and not an obvious tip to the defense about what is coming, the team can be productive.

 

[G2]

Pollard will most likely be used as a reserve and kick returns. There;s nothing to suggest he can handle 25+ carries a gain. He's never even had more than 40 carries in a season. He had more receiving yards than rushing all 3 college years.
So, those suggesting he can replace Elliott, I'm not seeing it yet. I'll route for him, but he's going to be a Dunbar type of player. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[jday]

There has been a lot of talk here about whether Pollard’s camp performance has given Jerry the upper hand in negotiations with Zeke. None other than Gil Brandt seems to think so. Gil “can’t stop thinking about” how impressive he has looked.



Whether or not you believe that, there’s no doubt that the kid has looked great. I’ve posted some videos below, but the kid is blowing past the first line and breaking some tackles.

Everyone is comparing him to Alvin Kamara, but to me the better comparison is Brian Westbrook.

If the Cowboys hit on this one, I think it’ll surprise everyone. I mean, the kid only had 78 carries his senior year. No one projected him as a back who can run between the tackles. No one except McClay, I guess.

Check out how he ghosts LVE here:



So what does everyone honestly think? Is Pollard a legit 25 carry a game back? Could he be a 1200 yard rusher behind this offensive line?

I believe he can, but you tell me.







https://twitter.com/JohnOwning/status/1158181864521134080?s=20

I think he's a great addition. But I think we are getting ahead of ourselves dubbing him the next bell cow. He wasn't the primary option in Memphis so to think he can do that on the professional level is doing so with little to no proof to back the assertion up.

My guess is, though, if the Zeke situation doesn't resolve itself, the Cowboys coaches will take a committee approach, with the lion-share being split between Pollard and Morris.

 

[Kaiser]

Emmitt Smith

1st regular season game: 2 carries for 2 yards.

Never heard of the guy.

Right after the draft the comments from Will McClay was that Pollard could run between the tackles, which would justify a higher draft position for him than the 4th round.

But the really exciting thing is something McClay said in an interview on The Athletic this morning. THIS element is huge:

Can Pollard play all three downs immediately?

Definitely feels like he can do all of it if he needs to. We saw him as a space player that could probably carry the ball on all three downs, but then for him to come in and pick up protections and do all the things that he’s done — it’s a very difficult deal for a running back to come in the NFL and understand protections and understand coverages and understand defenses, why they do things. And he’s got a unique way of doing that. He can take it from the board, when you’re drawing it up, to the field. He’s just unique in that way. So it’s been really surprising just to see how quickly he’s up to speed on things.

 

[RoboQB]

Yeah and with nearly our whole starting line vs. the Niners backups. Still have high hopes for the kid, but...

Swervin, curvin Richards was hyped in camp too. I think he replaced Emmitt during his hold out in 93.

Derrick Lassic was the hyped up RB that replaced Emmitt for the first two games in '93.

Curvin Richards was the RB who fumbled twice during garbage time in a regular season
finale blowout over Chicago. Coach Johnson cut Richards after the game.

 

[TheBigEasy]

Go check out the latest roster prediction on Bloggingtheboys. They only have 4 draft picks making the team.

Yeah...I can definitely see Joe Jackson being cut especially with Quinn & Gregory being suspended and DLaw still trying to fully recover from surgery. These 'Bloggin'' dudes have been seriously slacking this year. And I've been on the Gifford bandwagon, since his freshman year @ NU, so understand where I'm coming from when I say that Gifford will make this team as long as his ankle hasn't been detached from his leg. He's going to be a solid LB'er in this league for years to come.

 

[JoeKing]

Zeke's leverage is just getting weaker with Pollard around. Did Will McClay foresee this dilemma with Zeke and like a chess master countered that move with a move of his own, drafting Pollard? I'd like to think so.

 

[atlantacowboy]

Zeke is spending his training days in Cabo. Anyone remember how he showed up fat in 2017 and managed 4.1 YPC that season? Let him sit and rot on the beach. I'm now a Tony Pollard fan!

 

[Dallasfann]

He averaged 4 yards a carry in his first nfl action. Lets pump the brakes.

Agreed he should of broke one of his 4 attempts for 80 yards. Bust.

 

[AmericanCowboy]

Garrett has no idea how to use different types of running backs.

That why we had Zeke and Rod Smith. Smith in no way complemented Zeke well.

 

[ksadler1]

We're going to see what our wonder boy OC has. You can't use this guy like Zeke. Let's see some innovation that we haven't seen in years.

 

[beware_d-ware]

I'm pumping the brakes on the Pollard camp hype for now, because frankly, receivers are usually the stars of camp. The drills versus LVE and Jaylon that keep getting posted: that's not real defense. There's no safety over the top. There's no disguised looks by the defense. There's no zone coverage. There's no pass rush affecting the quarterback. It's just "1 on 1, me versus you, and I know the route." And while it's good to practice man coverage and beating man coverage, those drills don't translate to real NFL games.

I personally want to see more game action from Pollard, but I understand why the team is keeping him in bubble wrap. Weber didn't show much juice getting 3 YPC against the twos, and Jackson's had the juice but never the vision or nuance to complement it. Pollard's looking like the only viable starting RB we have, and if Zeke were to hold out into the season, he'd probably be in line for 15 carries a game. Now if he were to get hurt - even just a sprain that costs him the opening few weeks - we'd have to change our entire offense, because a Weber/Jackson run heavy gameplan isn't going to work.

 

[CATCH17]

This carry the load thing is overblown too.

Can Todd Gurley even carry the load anymore?

Most of these guys can do it for part of their career and they eventually get so many dings + age that they need to come out of games too.

That's why investing in RB's goes against the grain because you spend a lot of money at the position and they end up sitting on the sideline collecting dusting because they get banged up so easy.

Can Pollard carry the ball 15 to 18 times a game? Probably.

 

[buybuydandavis]

There has been a lot of talk here about whether Pollard’s camp performance has given Jerry the upper hand in negotiations with Zeke. None other than Gil Brandt seems to think so. Gil “can’t stop thinking about” how impressive he has looked.



Whether or not you believe that, there’s no doubt that the kid has looked great. I’ve posted some videos below, but the kid is blowing past the first line and breaking some tackles.

Everyone is comparing him to Alvin Kamara, but to me the better comparison is Brian Westbrook.

If the Cowboys hit on this one, I think it’ll surprise everyone. I mean, the kid only had 78 carries his senior year. No one projected him as a back who can run between the tackles. No one except McClay, I guess.

Check out how he ghosts LVE here:



So what does everyone honestly think? Is Pollard a legit 25 carry a game back? Could he be a 1200 yard rusher behind this offensive line?

I believe he can, but you tell me.







https://twitter.com/JohnOwning/status/1158181864521134080?s=20

I am most amazed by LVE flipping his hips and sticking close. He shouldn't have a chance against Pollard.

As for Pollard, he looks good, but quick guys look good in camp. Maybe Pollard gives us some leverage for a short hold out, but unless you see a guy take hundreds of carries in a season, don't just believe that he can.

 

[buybuydandavis]

This carry the load thing is overblown too.

Can Todd Gurley even carry the load anymore?

Most of these guys can do it for part of their career and they eventually get so many dings + age that they need to come out of games too.

That's why investing in RB's goes against the grain because you spend a lot of money at the position and they end up sitting on the sideline collecting dusting because they get banged up so easy.

Can Pollard carry the ball 15 to 18 times a game? Probably.

The other thing about a bell cow is that you're leaving yourself open to a holdout.

I expect Pollard can go 15-18 a game. For a couple of games. I doubt he can do it a full season. He never did it in college. Surviving the punishment is half the job description for a RB. He's never been tested on that.

On the bright side, if Pollard could actually survive a season of carries, he's got next to zero mileage on him from college.

 

[Jake]

Emmitt Smith

1st regular season game: 2 carries for 2 yards.

2nd regular season game: 6 carries for 11 yards.

There is a reason you don't read too much into preseason stats. And sometimes regular season stats either.

Nothing says "pump the brakes" like whipping out the Emmitt card after one preseason game.