The Cowboys running back stable was again a topic of debate throughout the 2022 season. Ezekiel Elliott, the former star and a team personality, had a subpar season and was overshadowed by the young Tony Pollard. Although Pollard’s value was obvious, Elliott saw more carries than him with a 231-193 difference yet the efficiency gap was apparent.
Pollard finished the season with 1,007 rushing yards and 5.2 yards per carry while hauling in 39 catches for 371 yards. Elliott on the other hand had 876 rushing yards and 3.8 yards per carry while totaling 17 catches for 92 yards. Elliott edged out Pollard in total touchdowns, with 13 compared to Pollard’s 12, but the latter had a multitude of long scores, including a 68-yard touchdown catch.
Dallas has to make a choice on both backs. with Elliott’s contract digging into their salary cap while Pollard is a free agent in a couple weeks. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell recently broke down many offseason choices, including the Cowboys’ conundrum and how they can improve at the position while creating cap space. He started with Elliott’s situation.
The Cowboys owe Elliott nearly $11 million in 2023 as part of a $16.7 million cap hit. What is particularly notable for the team is how it handled things last offseason, when Elliott struggled through a disappointing 2021. Dallas usually restructures the contracts of its star players every year to create short-term cap space, albeit at the risk of eating more dead money when it moves on from those veterans. The Cowboys conspicuously declined to restructure the deals of Elliott and offensive tackle Tyron Smith last spring, suggesting the organization was preparing to move on from both players this offseason.
Designating Elliott as a post-June 1 release would free up $10.9 million in cap space for the Cowboys, who are projected to be $7.6 million over the cap for 2023. Releasing Smith under the same designation would free up another $13.6 million. Both moves seem likely unless either player is willing to take a pay cut.
It’s interesting to note that Tyron Smith’s situation mirrors Elliott’s and if Dallas elects to move from both, it opens up even more space. Considering Stephen Jones’ reputation with cap space, $24.5 million extra would open the door for a splash signing of some degree, or extensions for other young stars.
Pollard is coming off a serious injury in the divisional round but there’s no doubt of the player he is if he returns to 100%.
Pollard’s situation is suddenly much trickier after his injury, which also required surgery to repair ligaments from a high ankle sprain… I projected Pollard to land a deal in the ballpark of three years and $36 million if he got to free agency. And in hindsight, the Cowboys might have planned to use the $10.1 million franchise tag to keep him for 2023.
Now, with the ankle complicating Pollard’s availability, the 25-year-old might be in position to land only a one-year deal for $6 million or so in free agency, which could cause the Cowboys to let him hit the open market and see if he lands a more significant offer. The easiest solution for the team would be to move on from Elliott, franchise Pollard and add a veteran back who can play early in the season while Pollard gets up to speed, but the Cowboys don’t do easy well.
That last line presents the most concern. The best scenario doesn’t seem unlikely but Dallas has to follow through. Pollard’s franchise tag would be worth $10.09 million according to OverTheCap. This would be cheaper than Elliott’s current deal, allowing the Cowboys to add a veteran back as Barnwell mentioned. A Day 3 selection would also fit the billing to boost the room with Malik Davis’ promising 2022 also a cog in the machine.
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