There were many star players who were hit with the franchise tag before Tuesday's deadline for teams to do so. Some of those players included Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr., Carolina Panthers edge rusher Brian Burns, New England Patriots safety Kyle Dugger, and Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson, who agreed to a new contract extension Thursday afternoon. But the running back position, including the Dallas Cowboys' Tony Pollard, got left out of the shuffle and many of them will become free agents. A lot of teams should be interested, including the Houston Texans and Philadelphia Eagles.
Tony Pollard looked like one of the best running backs in the entire NFL in 2022. According to playerprofiler.com, Pollard ranked fifth among running backs in yards per touch (5.9), eighth in yards created per touch (3.3), and fourth in yards per route run as a receiver (1.82).
But his numbers dipped drastically in 2023. Perhaps that was because of the fibula injury he suffered in the playoffs against the San Francisco 49ers. Regardless, Pollard was one of the most inefficient players in the NFL last season.
Perhaps it was just the injury holding him back. Maybe he needs a change of scenery. Tony Pollard could find both in the 2024 offseason if he and the Cowboys can't agree on a new deal. If they can't, he'd look great in either Houston or Philadelphia.
Houston Texans
The Texans are in a prime spot to go after a running back this offseason.
Yes, signing running backs to lucrative deals isn't the best investment for an NFL team to make, but the Texans are in a position to be an exception.
Quarterback and Offensive Rookie of the Year CJ Stroud showed he's already one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL and is still on his rookie contract. Because of that value, the Texans can spread the $70 million they have in cap space around their roster and even take on some luxuries at positions that aren't the most essential to winning Super Bowls. One of those positions is running back.
Getting a quality running back wouldn't be a luxury for the Texans either. They actually could really use one.
Last season, the Texans ranked 26th in the NFL in EPA per rush on offense. Only the Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons, New York Jets, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Giants, and Los Angeles Chargers. Only one of those teams, the Bucs, made the playoffs.
That doesn't mean that having the best rushing offenses is what teams need to win the Super Bowl. No, it's the other way around. But good, contending teams also need to be balanced and lean on both the run and the pass when the other isn't working.
The Texans weren't that kind of team last season. They were 23rd in rush attempts and 12th in pass attempts. Getting a star-caliber running back could go a long way to making Houston a more balanced offense. Pollard can help in both the run and pass game. He'd be a great fit.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles are worth mentioning here because they just hired former Cowboys and Chargers offensive coordinator Kellen Moore to fill that vacancy in the City of Brotherly Love. Moore spent all of Tony Pollard's career in Dallas sans 2023 as his offensive coordinator.
Moore got the best of the Memphis product during his time in Texas. From 2020 to 2022, Pollard averaged roughly 5.1 yards per carry. Without Moore, that number dropped to 3.99.
It's hard to say whether or not Moore's departure had a real impact on Pollard's production. Again, he wasn't fully healthy entering the season. That may have played a role as well. But it is a fact that Pollard shined in Moore's offense and there is the possibility for those two to reunite again in the NFC East.
D'Andre Swift got off to a hot start as the Eagles' starting running back in 2023. He rattled off 305 yards in Weeks 2 and 3 on 44 carries. However, he racked up just 744 yards in the other 14 regular season games he played. His 4.4 true yards per carry ranked 21st at the position. The Eagles could do worse, but they also could do better.
It will be fascinating to see what Pollard's market will be. He played like a top back in 2022 but didn't sustain it in 2023. Pollard could be a huge value in the open market. The Texans and Eagles should try to capitalize on that in free agency.
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