Once again, Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard is shaping up to be one of the top free agents in the 2024 offseason. Pollard was, of course, franchise-tagged by the Cowboys in 2023 at a price of $10.091 million, an annual value that is simply not the "going rate" for running backs these days. But some of the top backs in the league are making upwards of $14-15 million per season, and a player with Pollard's history and skill set could command top dollar.
Spotrac currently projects Pollard's per-season value at around $6.6 million, and at that price, I think he would have teams lining up to sign him.
Although the Cowboys have bigger fish to fry before getting to the offseason, let's put one eye on the future and try to predict where Pollard could land if he and the Cowboys can't reach an agreement before 2024 NFL free agency.
1. Los Angeles Chargers
Here's an idea that could make a lot of sense, at least for the time being. With the team's decision to fire head coach Brandon Staley, offensive coordinator Kellen Moore's future undoubtedly hangs in the balance. Moore is the former offensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys and his history and familiarity with Tony Pollard could potentially come into play.
Under Moore, Pollard ascended into a 1,000-yard runner and Pro Bowl running back, with his best season obviously coming in 2022 when he had 1,378 all-purpose yards and 12 total touchdowns.
Again, perhaps this is a "TBD" team instead of specifically the Los Angeles Chargers. If Kellen Moore sticks around LA, it makes a lot of sense, especially because the Chargers seem prepared to move on from Austin Ekeler at the next opportunity they get. And they certainly have a need at the running back position.
Maybe even if Moore isn't there, the Chargers make a lot of sense.
2. Tennessee Titans
One of the things you always look for when players are getting ready to potentially leave in free agency is where they're from. Tony Pollard grew up in Tennessee and played his college ball at Memphis before ultimately getting drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in 2019.
If NFL players are going to leave their situations, you consistently have to try to find coaching connections or front office connections around the NFL, and then obviously looking back to the roots a little bit.
So why do the Titans make some sense, other than a homecoming?
It feels like Tennessee is getting ready to potentially move on from Derrick Henry here in the near future. As a matter of fact, Henry is an unrestricted free agent in 2024 and his situation will be worth monitoring. Maybe the Cowboys take a look there...
Either way, I think the idea of pairing up Tony Pollard with Tyjae Spears could be interesting to the Titans. Spears has showed some really good things in his rookie year for Tennessee this season, racking up nearly 700 yards from scrimmage with a couple of games remaining in 2023.
With a young QB at the helm in Will Levis, I could absolutely see the Titans looking to surround their quarterback with the most talent possible, including providing him with as strong of a rushing attack as possible. That's always been this team's identity. Factoring in Pollard's pass-catching ability, and I think this could be an ideal 1-2 punch (with Spears) for the Titans.
3. Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are typically not the most active NFL team when it comes to free agency. General manager Brian Gutekunst likes to build his roster through the NFL Draft, and even if you see the occasional splash in free agency from the Packers, those types of moves are few and far between.
But there could be an interesting option here for Tony Pollard. They're not the same player by any means, but the Packers were rumored to be heavily interested in trading for Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor, who ended up not getting traded and then signing a huge contract with the Colts.
The Packers have Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon currently under contract, but Dillon is a free agent in 2024 and Jones has the potential to be one of the team's more notable cap casualties with a pending cap hit in 2024 of over $17 million. And Jones has not been nearly as available as the Packers have needed him to be in 2023 (and their running game has suffered).
With that in mind, I think we could see the Packers as players in the running back market, especially when you consider how crucial a strong running game is for the success and growth of a young QB like Jordan Love. With Tony Pollard's big-play ability and versatility, don't be shocked to see a team like Green Bay do something a little unconventional and go after him in free agency. It could be a great fit for them.