CFZ Why Shouldn't Tony Pollard Leave Dallas?

[stinkface]

Actually Pollard is more like Barber in this scenario. Or Troy Hambrick . He is the exciting backup whom the fans and media are clamoring to start. Looks great in spot duty but no one mentions those games where he gets stuffed for under one yard per carry while the starter is grinding out a tough 3-4 yards a pop. I love Pollard and I hope they can figure out a way to keep him.. But going off against one of the worst run defenses in the league should do nothing to change his role. A healthy Zeke likely tops 150 against that bunch IF he isn't asked to split carries. But to be fair, I fully expect Pollard to always be more explosive and more productive on a per carry basis owing to the superior quickness and acceleration to and through the hole. I also expect him to have more < 2 ypc games when than Zeke ever has because of his lack of power when the d-line is beating our o-line. Zeke is better suited for downhill running and is far more effective at getting yards when there IS no hole. Both have value.. Cowboy fans should be grateful we have one of each. I know I am.

To me Barber was like Zeke. All power with limited wiggle but hard to tackle. Julius was a home run hitter but didn't have the body to take the pounding. Barber didn't have Zeke's body mass, but he was a hard runner who fought like hell, just like Zeke does. He was also great at pass protection ala Zeke. Agree we need them both right now.

 

[dckid]

This is partly fair but remember, Pollard has carried the ball basically a little over one season's worth in the NFL. He has a lot less wear on his body than if he had been the guy from day one. As a result his body still has a few dozen miles left on it. Whereas Zeke's might only have a couple. Pollard could easily do another 4-5 years in the NFL in an increased role.. but I don't think it would be at the level Zeke or other lead dog backs operate at. And with each successive hit he takes a little more starch leaves his body. So you can use 'em all up in 2-3 years or you can stretch 'em out over 10.. Take yer pick..

Zeke has been living off his reputation for the past three years. If you closely watch them run, its the same blocking but Zeke seems to miss the hole and run into defenders.
When he does get by the first level he either trips or just has bad vision. Pollard can actually make cuts and is a great runner from when the QB is under center.
Pollard will get paid but there is no need to overpay him when there is so much RB talent out there and available
Kareem Hunt, Jeff Wilson, Eli Mitchell types. Overpaying a RB is a moronic move. Even a Damien Harris can be had.
Run them to the ground and get the next guy, be intelligent for once.

 

[RonnieT24]

To me Barber was like Zeke. All power with limited wiggle but hard to tackle. Julius was a home run hitter but didn't have the body to take the pounding. Barber didn't have Zeke's body mass, but he was a hard runner who fought like hell, just like Zeke does. He was also great at pass protection ala Zeke. Agree we need them both right now.

Yeah I agree in body type and running style Barber was closer to Zeke than Pollard.. I was merely talking about the respective roles in the drama. The interesting thing is that like Zeke, Jones had been "the guy" in college and stayed "the guy" his first two seasons in Dallas before Barber started to emerge. Barber had shared carries in college, Like Pollard, and had a style (and energy level) that was better suited for coming off the bench. Julius was never able to adapt to the second back role and I wonder if Zeke could. I do think Zeke is a better all around football player than Julius was so he just might.. It certainly would be fun to watch a fresh Zeke come into a game in the second quarter against a tired defense .. however I don't think Pollard's style does much to tire a defense out.. He's just not as physical a runner. Not that he's some punk .. but hitting him doesn't exact the same toll on the tackler as hitting Zeke does.. Or should I say getting hit by Zeke..

 

[glimmerman]

I would surprised if they didn't make an attempt to resign him. Its possible he may want to test the market and could get priced, but I do believe they will attempt to keep him

I do t think they will match what he gets offered in the market. Especially if Malik starts getting more carrys.

 

[CowboyFanInLexKy]

this
Don’t pay Pollard
Get a better OC and draft a RB with speed in rd 3/4

If you're worried about Pollard making bank, when Zeke's contract comes up, don't renew his either. If our OC is worth anything, he can do more working with less...

 

[RonnieT24]

If you're worried about Pollard making bank, when Zeke's contract comes up, don't renew his either. If our OC is worth anything, he can do more working with less...

Whatever the Cowboys do and whomever they choose to sign I just hope they commit to maximizing what the player can do. The mistake wasn't drafting Zeke, the mistake wasn't signing Zeke.. The mistake was signing Zeke then changing to a pass heavy offense. It was like buying a Suburban to run quarter miles at the drag strips. The Suburban is a great SUV for haulin stuff, pilin a buncha kids in, pullin a boat or a trailer.. but it has no business on the race track. I stand firm in my belief that the Cowboys would have won more games and had more playoff success had they stuck with the Suburban formula.. But Jerry saw other people throwin it 50 times a game and fell in love with that style.. and tapped Mr. "Yards are Yards" to make it work. Problem is.. Moore aint Kyle Shanahan, or Andy Reid, or Sean McVay or Kevin Stefanski or even Matt LaFluer. I firmly believe that it has been great players who have made him look good far more than his scheme and play calling. Not that he doesn't have his moments.. but dude spends way too much time trying to put his genius on display.. and not enough just trying to win the damn game. He has been reigned in somewhat since the Tampa debacle.. but I keep watching and waiting for the other shoe to drop the instant somebody stops our running game. Let's all hope that doesn't happen till some time in February...

 

[cowboyed]

LOL. Been here for years and still think that?

Well...ok.

Jerry turned 80 years old on October 13. It's been years since he has walked the sidelines and given some fans or media the impression that he was he was head coaching and even then that was an exaggeration. Was he or is he to some degree an involved owner particularly since he is a GM? Probably, but then what about Stephen Jones who seems to be a major link in the approval chain. When you look at the sidelines you see Kellen Moore and his tablet going over outcomes and options with the quarterback. Please refer or link to to verifiable images and news reports of Jerry overriding Dan Quinn, Kellen Moore and Mike McCarthy on which players should suit up for each and every game. By now folks in the media would have eagerly reported any concrete meddling of Jerry Jones and certainly disgruntled, outraged staff would inevitably have gone public on that. The players go to McCarthy's, Moore's and Quinn's office when it comes to what goes on in the field unless it is a contractual issue or they want off the team. Does the coaching staff meet with executive management on player acquisition scenarios, removal of players, etc.. Sure, no personnel divisions of a football team can operate or communicate in a vacuum.

To date this team is on a productive, positive and healthier track. The Jones clan isn't going anywhere even when Jerry stops functioning in any capacity or passes from very old age.

 

[T-RO]

Please refer or link to to verifiable images and news reports of Jerry overriding Dan Quinn, Kellen Moore and Mike McCarthy on which players should suit up for each and every game.

We only need to look at the last five days, LOL!

Jerry dictates that Zeke is not only the meritoriou$ starting running back, but the lead dog, the heart and soul of the team.



Anyways, rebut or counter as you wish. This is so well-established and over-cooked it's a boring topic for me, and I'll fall asleep at the keyboard sooner than I'll reply. Best wishes.

 

[CowboyFanInLexKy]

Whatever the Cowboys do and whomever they choose to sign I just hope they commit to maximizing what the player can do. The mistake wasn't drafting Zeke, the mistake wasn't signing Zeke.. The mistake was signing Zeke then changing to a pass heavy offense. It was like buying a Suburban to run quarter miles at the drag strips. The Suburban is a great SUV for haulin stuff, pilin a buncha kids in, pullin a boat or a trailer.. but it has no business on the race track. I stand firm in my belief that the Cowboys would have won more games and had more playoff success had they stuck with the Suburban formula.. But Jerry saw other people throwin it 50 times a game and fell in love with that style.. and tapped Mr. "Yards are Yards" to make it work. Problem is.. Moore aint Kyle Shanahan, or Andy Reid, or Sean McVay or Kevin Stefanski or even Matt LaFluer. I firmly believe that it has been great players who have made him look good far more than his scheme and play calling. Not that he doesn't have his moments.. but dude spends way too much time trying to put his genius on display.. and not enough just trying to win the damn game. He has been reigned in somewhat since the Tampa debacle.. but I keep watching and waiting for the other shoe to drop the instant somebody stops our running game. Let's all hope that doesn't happen till some time in February...

Very good points and I totally agree with what you're saying... See, I (myself) always thought of the team being pass happy ever since Jason Garrett was our OC before becoming HC. Unless we are trailing and need a quick score to get into the lead, I don't think there is any reason to be pass happy. Just my thoughts.

 

[leeblair]

This season....

Zeke: 443 yards
Pollard: 506 yards

Zeke: 0 100-yard rushing games
Pollard: 2 100-yard rushing games.

Zeke:4 TDs
Pollard: 5 TDs

Zeke: 6 catches
Pollard: 12 catches

Zeke: 32 receiving yards
Pollard: 121 receiving yards

Zeke: 15 carries a game
Pollard: 10 carries a game

Zeke: 63 YPG
Pollard: 63 YPG

Zeke: 4.1 YPA (32nd in the NFL)
Pollard: 6.2 YPA (1st in the NFL)

Then, after he rushes for 140 yards and 3 TDs Sunday you have Jerry coming out to let everyone know that Zeke is the man, we will go as he goes, and everything runs through Zeke blah blah blah.

Let's be real here for a second, Pollard has been better than Zeke for 2 years now.

Why shouldn't Pollard ditch this disrespect and go somewhere that will feature him? Surely, he wants an opportunity to be the real starter somewhere instead of living in a lesser players shadow because he doesn't make as much money. Everyone can see who makes the offense more explosive and who we seem to be able to speed things up with.

It's fine to let Zeke and Pollard split the carries to change up the pace, but I don't see how anyone can justify Zeke getting the majority of the carries at this point. The better player is Pollard at this point and he needs to be getting more of the playing time.

If Tony Pollard studies Jerry's history and the way Tashard Choice was treated- despite being better than Marion Barber Jr everyday, he will bolt as fast as he can and not look back.
And Jerry's already using the same excuses; can't block , doesn't hold up in physical situations.
A guy like Pollard isn't supposed to be physical. He's fast and can sneak through holes.
Jerry will mistreat Pollard if he's naive enough to let him.

 

[MountaineerCowboy]

If Tony Pollard studies Jerry's history and the way Tashard Choice was treated- despite being better than Marion Barber Jr everyday, he will bolt as fast as he can and not look back.
And Jerry's already using the same excuses; can't block , doesn't hold up in physical situations.
A guy like Pollard isn't supposed to be physical. He's fast and can sneak through holes.
Jerry will mistreat Pollard if he's naive enough to let him.

I think Pollard will leave for the money, and I'm fine with that.

I don't want to overpay a RB again but offering him "split carries with Zeke" money is just disrespectful, because Zeke isn't making "split carries with Pollard" money.

 

[StuckMojo]

He had basically same amount of touches without Zeke as he did the two games prior with Zeke.

 

[RonnieT24]

He had basically same amount of touches without Zeke as he did the two games prior with Zeke.

It's like the coaches know something huh... When you hear him on the sidelines on that video talking about how heavy his legs felt after that 4th quarter TD you start to get the message.. Dude's a quarter horse.. trying to run him in the Kentucky Derby would be a spectacular fail.

 

[cowboyed]

We only need to look at the last five days, LOL!

Jerry dictates that Zeke is not only the meritoriou$ starting running back, but the lead dog, the heart and soul of the team.



Anyways, rebut or counter as you wish. This is so well-established and over-cooked it's a boring topic for me, and I'll fall asleep at the keyboard sooner than I'll reply. Best wishes.

The consensus is that the staff wants Zeke as well Pollard play as they are a highly effective tandem. Zeke being the heart and soul of the team is a Jerry sentiment and Zeke is an accomplished cornerstone player. Jerry will not meddle in what McCarthy and Moore are doing with the offense.

It is highly suggested that extremely self-absorbed people with a short attention span, and that have a tendency to quickly drift off, should stay well caffeinated throughout the day and also wear the appropriate head gear with a face shield, particularly when typing on a keyboard.

 

[GINeric]

Would you like him to leave?

Im starting to believe he's a fan of another team. He NEVER says anything positive about the Cowboys. He's unfairly negative towards Dak, no matter how good or bad he plays, he's another one of the people here who has so much to say after we lose with Dak under center, but post MUCH LESS when we win with Dak under center.

He's one of those few who REFUSE to give Dak props when Dak plays well, but have 100 posts trashing him when he plays bad.

And now..... he brings up this mess about Pollard..... of course he want to see Pollard leave. He probably hopes we don't improve at the receiver position either.

Never seen someone who claims to be a fan with so many doom and gloom scenarios.

 

[gimmesix]

I would like him to be the featured back.

I believe he will leave if this doesn't happen.

Money talks. Players leave for better offers, rarely for any perceived disrespect fans believe that they are getting. If Dallas wants to keep him, it's going to have to pay him like a starter. Not sure the Joneses will do that.