Why is anybody shocked?
Ultimately, the decision was made by the same guy who once claimed that Emmitt Smith was a luxury and not a necessity. His replacement RB's performance and 0-2 start demonstrated otherwise.
This was the same guy who lowballed the RB that set the Dallas Cowboy single season rushing record and claimed that a 5th round pick could do the same job. That 5th round RB lasted about 4 games and averaged less than 2 yards a carry after the 1st quarter.
He promoted Marion Barber as the starter because he played so well in the redzone and the 4th quarter. They let their former 2nd round pick and thousand yard rusher walk.
So how did all these RB's differ to the ones they replaced?
The RB's they replaced were all high draft picks with elite productivity in college. They had the physical attributes to endure the more physical aspects of the game. They had stamina. They had a more diverse skill set. They were able to get the dirty yards on a consistent basis.
Derrick Lassic, Marion Barber, Joseph Randle and Tony Pollard experienced their greatest success when entering the game after the original starter endured the opponent's best efforts, when they were fresh. Now, with fatigue becoming a factor, the former backups were able to take advantage of a tiring defense.
I have said all offseason that it was imperative to find a 2nd legitimate RB to share the carries. You can already sense Pollard's fatigue. He is wearing down. I hope that the bye will rejuvenate him to a degree but to create a squad of undrafted free agents and a 6th round curiosity was pure folly. The lack of productivity could possibly render the offense one-dimensional, the nightmare scenario.
Who wouldn’t take McCaffrety over Pollard? Lol
