Tony Pollard's market value per Spotrac

[fivetwos]

Wouldnt have to give out 2nd contracts if mid round investments were being made every couple years.
Develop the RB3 before your RB first year contracts expire and you can save serious cap room.
Problem is we never feel the need to do so.

One problem compounded the other at the position for a while now.

 

[dsturgeon]

Would you keep Zeke, or just go with nothing but late round gambles?

I don't know his contract details if we cut/keep him. I think Pollard should get more snaps, but if zeke plays well, and they don't need the savings they get for cutting him for someone else, then sure. They can finish out the deal they made, then try the new strategy.

I thought they should have run zeke into the ground for 5 years and let him go

 

[jterrell]

I don't know his contract details if we cut/keep him. I think Pollard should get more snaps, but if zeke plays well, and they don't need the savings they get for cutting him for someone else, then sure. They can finish out the deal they made, then try the new strategy.

I thought they should have run zeke into the ground for 5 years and let him go

So did they but his agent disagreed and forced them to extend him 2 years early.

 

[dsturgeon]

So did they but his agent disagreed and forced them to extend him 2 years early.

i would have let him sit for 2 years or until he got tired of not getting his paycheck

 

[jterrell]

i would have let him sit for 2 years or until he got tired of not getting his paycheck

Zero winners in that scenario as well.
Team ran him hard and he was a key player on playoff teams.
They paid him a ton but he'll also be off the books dead cash free (technically 1.72M) before he hits 30.

His AAV is 100th highest in the league so it's a ton for a RB but not crazy at all for a key player.

His contract was designed to keep him in Dallas until 2024.
His base drops a lot each of the next 2 years.
Cowboys and Zeke are both invested in him performing at a high level.

Fans pocket watch dudes and cry and lack even a basic understanding of what they are actually being paid.
Zeke signed a 6-year 90M deal that is all talk. The last 2 years and 32M were never being paid.

Dallas got an All Pro and 3 Pro Bowl seasons out of Zeke for 10M a year to this point. 6 years 58M
And he makes ~10M each of the next two seasons.
He is likely done in Dallas after 8 years and 79M.

Dallas has spent a lot worse money on Jaylon Smith, La'el Collins and others in recent years.

I would never draft a RB at 4. But once thye did they were fairly well locked into giving at least one post rookie contract.
And the salary slot at 4 is high enough he was always going to make decent money.

 

[dsturgeon]

Zero winners in that scenario as well.
Team ran him hard and he was a key player on playoff teams.
They paid him a ton but he'll also be off the books dead cash free (technically 1.72M) before he hits 30.

His AAV is 100th highest in the league so it's a ton for a RB but not crazy at all for a key player.

His contract was designed to keep him in Dallas until 2024.
His base drops a lot each of the next 2 years.
Cowboys and Zeke are both invested in him performing at a high level.

Fans pocket watch dudes and cry and lack even a basic understanding of what they are actually being paid.
Zeke signed a 6-year 90M deal that is all talk. The last 2 years and 32M were never being paid.

Dallas got an All Pro and 3 Pro Bowl seasons out of Zeke for 10M a year to this point. 6 years 58M
And he makes ~10M each of the next two seasons.
He is likely done in Dallas after 8 years and 79M.

Dallas has spent a lot worse money on Jaylon Smith, La'el Collins and others in recent years.

I would never draft a RB at 4. But once thye did they were fairly well locked into giving at least one post rookie contract.
And the salary slot at 4 is high enough he was always going to make decent money.

It is an assumption that there would be no winners from that

 

[kskboys]

He can’t be the number one back. He’s not a good enough blocker and although he can make plays between the tackles he’s not consistent in that area. He’s not real effective picking up tough yards to move the chains in short yardage situations. He has too many negative carries. He’s a better version of Felix Jones and Joseph Randle but would struggle as an every down back. However he’s similar to those other backs.

Well said.

I like Pollard, nice player. However, as usual, most fans overvalue their own players. He's a good player, not a great player.

 

[kskboys]

Zero winners in that scenario as well.
Team ran him hard and he was a key player on playoff teams.
They paid him a ton but he'll also be off the books dead cash free (technically 1.72M) before he hits 30.

His AAV is 100th highest in the league so it's a ton for a RB but not crazy at all for a key player.

His contract was designed to keep him in Dallas until 2024.
His base drops a lot each of the next 2 years.
Cowboys and Zeke are both invested in him performing at a high level.

Fans pocket watch dudes and cry and lack even a basic understanding of what they are actually being paid.
Zeke signed a 6-year 90M deal that is all talk. The last 2 years and 32M were never being paid.

Dallas got an All Pro and 3 Pro Bowl seasons out of Zeke for 10M a year to this point. 6 years 58M
And he makes ~10M each of the next two seasons.
He is likely done in Dallas after 8 years and 79M.

Dallas has spent a lot worse money on Jaylon Smith, La'el Collins and others in recent years.

I would never draft a RB at 4. But once thye did they were fairly well locked into giving at least one post rookie contract.
And the salary slot at 4 is high enough he was always going to make decent money.

Good stuff.

This salary stuff was discussed in detail at time, but people have forgotten.

 

[Doomsday101]

If Dallas can sign Pollard to a deal of around 3 to 4 mill a year, I would do so.

 

[Reid1boys]

I am interested to see him this year. He’s coming off a tough injury to his foot, and he’s in a contract year.

Huge year for Zeke too. We can realistically get out of his deal next offseason. Would love to see us keep TP if he can handle the work load.

Regardless— we need to grab a RB in the draft and prepare for life after Zeke

This is clearly a make or break year for Zeke with his huge contract. Anything short of 1200 yards and 10 tds is an absolute bust IMO... and that is minimum numbers.
We could draft a rookie to get 900 yards and 7 tds and pay him peanuts compared to Zeke doing that and getting 10 million or whatever hes do in 2023.

 

[Reid1boys]

He can’t be the number one back. He’s not a good enough blocker and although he can make plays between the tackles he’s not consistent in that area. He’s not real effective picking up tough yards to move the chains in short yardage situations. He has too many negative carries. He’s a better version of Felix Jones and Joseph Randle but would struggle as an every down back. However he’s similar to those other backs.

Pollard has never been given the opportunity to be a lead back. No way you can come to all those conclusions on his ability when he has never been asked to do those things.

 

[jrumann59]

Pollard has never been given the opportunity to be a lead back. No way you can come to all those conclusions on his ability when he has never been asked to do those things.

You are right but for some reason even in college he never was a lead. Last time he lead a backfield was in HS. But history has show backs like him do not hold up well to 20+ touches a game over the long haul.

 

[Reid1boys]

You are right but for some reason even in college he never was a lead. Last time he lead a backfield was in HS. But history has show backs like him do not hold up well to 20+ touches a game over the long haul.

How many backs in the NFL are getting 20 plus carries now? Looking at the numbers... NONE. Maybe Taylor. There are about 4 that approach that with 17ish.. so 12-15 carries a game for Pollard is not doable?

 

[jrumann59]

How many backs in the NFL are getting 20 plus carries now? Looking at the numbers... NONE. Maybe Taylor. There are about 4 that approach that with 17ish.. so 12-15 carries a game for Pollard is not doable?

for a run first team, he would not hold up. now 12-15 total touches is doable. He needs the ball in space, running him into a pile 12-15 times a game is not the best use of his abilities.

 

[Hawkeye19]

This is clearly a make or break year for Zeke with his huge contract. Anything short of 1200 yards and 10 tds is an absolute bust IMO... and that is minimum numbers.
We could draft a rookie to get 900 yards and 7 tds and pay him peanuts compared to Zeke doing that and getting 10 million or whatever hes do in 2023.

I don’t see any way Zeke stays without a pay cut. The value for the position is simply not there and it causes the cap to be upside down.

RB is one of the least valued positions in the sport and you can get production there in a lot of ways

 

[KJJ]

Pollard has never been given the opportunity to be a lead back. No way you can come to all those conclusions on his ability when he has never been asked to do those things.

He doesn’t get the opportunity because the Cowboys know what they have in him. He was a complementary back in college. That’s what he is! The big games he’s had have all been due to one big run which jacked up his average. If you take that one big run away he’s averaging under 4 yards a carry. Against the Raiders and Falcons last season he was given double digit carries and averaged under 4 yards per carry because he didn’t have a big run. He’s not consistent between the tackles to be a lead back and he’s not a good enough blocker. We’re having the same arguments about him that we had with Felix Jones and Joseph Randall who were similar backs.

Once they got opportunities to be lead backs they weren’t consistent. If they didn’t have a big run they averaged under 4 yards a carry. They were good complementary backs but not good every down backs. Pollard is the same type of back. In a critical game against Philly a couple of years ago he took a loss on a critical 3rd and one which resulted in several hate threads after the game. He’s not good enough at picking up tough yards, he needs space.

 

[CCBoy]

4 for $16m yes please.

Yes, re-ink this player's name.