What went wrong, right in Cowboys RB room config
The Dallas Cowboys have a long lineage of stellar running backs through franchise history. From Don Perkins to Tony Dorsett to Emmitt Smith and everything in between, there may be no team known more for the player toting the rock on a regular basis. In 2022, they enter the season with a duo that can match up with any in the league. They also pay out the nose for half of it.
This is part two of the off-season series reviewing what’s gone right, or wrong, with each position on the depth chart.
What went wrong
In the 2016 NFL draft the Cowboys held the fourth pick. In an attempt to extend the career of then quarterback Tony Romo, the team handed in a draft card that read Ezekiel Elliott, running back, Ohio State. The two never played a regular season snap together.
They eschewed Jalen Ramsey, a player at a premium position, in order to do so with rumors swirling that the Dallas coaching staff wasn’t sure what position Ramsey best fit, cornerback or safety. Seven years later, it’s clearer every day the pick was wrong.
There’s a saying about throwing good money after bad, something the Cowboys failed to heed when Elliott held out before the 2019 season. It’s clear the front office believed they had a shot at the Lombardi Trophy and acted accordingly, giving in to his demands and paying out an eight year contract that doesn’t expire until 2026 (though the guaranteed money ends after this season).
This was all despite a heavily disputed, six-game suspension in 2017 due to a domestic violence allegation that dragged on for weeks. In short, they drafted a great running back instead of a great cornerback to pair with an aging quarterback. They then overpaid said running back in an attempt to win a Super Bowl. Neither of those choices were successful and the contract he received seems to dictate that he sees the field at an unsustainable rate.
What went right
Elliott is not a bust. He’s an extremely talented player who also happens to play perhaps the most physically punishing position in the game that ages players out of the NFL in a hurry. His rookie campaign is the stuff of legend, racking up 1,631 yards and 15 touchdowns on 5.1 yards per attempt in just 15 games (he sat out the finale that Romo played a single series in as the Cowboys had clinched the No. 1 overall seed).
His durability is unmatched in modern football, missing just one game due to injury in his career despite carrying the ball 1,650 times. His pass protection is both reliable and violent, saving quarterback Dak Prescott from countless hits. Unfortunately, it’s those two things that are keeping a younger and more dynamic player off the field.
Tony Pollard was selected in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL draft. His role has increased every year he’s been on the team, but it’s likely he’s not touching the ball enough. He’s carried the ball just 317 times over that span at an eye popping 5.1 yards per attempt.
What he lacks in pass protection he’s more than capable of making up for in the passing game. In college he played a kind of hybrid position in which he caught 104 passes over three seasons. If Dallas is going to get where they want to go, increasing his workload is one way to do it. It’s not even a knock on Elliott’s play, running backs are best when they’re fresh and the Cowboys one-two punch should be utilized as such.
The backups
The depth chart behind Elliott and Pollard is both slim and unfinalized. The team passed on drafting a running back in April to focus on more pressing issues and as it stands they will rely on Rico Dowdle, JaQuan Hardy, Malik Davis and Aaron Shampklin to get them through both training camp and the preseason.
Dowdle is coming off a season-ending hip injury but was the clear favorite for the third spot at the running back position. Hardy was a fun story on HBO’s Hard Knocks due to his interesting eye-wear choices. The other two are likely no more than camp bodies, but the position past the incumbents isn’t set in stone and it wouldn’t be unexpected to see the Cowboys pick up a free agent over the coming months.
