CeeDee Lamb has heartbreaking reaction to Tony Pollard’s departure

Many Dallas Cowboys fans talked themselves into re-signing Tony Pollard in free agency. Though Pollard disappointed on the $10.01 million franchise tag this past season, he rediscovered his juice toward the end of the campaign.

Any hope of Pollard returning to the Cowboys ended shortly into the NFL's legal tampering window. Multiple reports have confirmed that Pollard has agreed to terms on a three-year deal with the Tennessee Titans. This is a great opportunity for Pollard, who was born and raised in Memphis, TN and starred for the Memphis Tigers in college.

Of course, Pollard's departure leaves the Cowboys without a starting running back. Pollard gave Dallas five excellent years of service, even though he shared the backfield with Ezekiel Elliott for the duration of his rookie contract, and he was a vibrant personality in the locker room.

The Cowboys lost a great player and teammate, and the news hit CeeDee Lamb hard. Once word of Pollard's deal became official, Lamb gave Pollard a proper emotional sendoff on Instagram.

Cowboys' CeeDee Lamb had heartbreaking reaction to Tony Pollard signing with Titans

Lamb is obviously happy for Pollard, but he's equally saddened by his teammate's exit. Lamb and Pollard shared a locker room for four seasons. They clearly bonded over music, as Lamb made sure to tell Pollard to still hit him with band recommendations.

Perhaps Pollard's departure is more difficult to reckon with because the stars aligned before free agency for him to re-sign with the Cowboys. It was learned at the Combine that Dallas would have liked Pollard back, while other reports indicated that Pollard was willing to take less to return to the Cowboys.

The Titans gave Pollard a three-year, $24 million contract. It's a fair deal for Pollard, even if it's a slight overpay. The Cowboys were reportedly on in Pollard, but his market seemingly was too strong to contend with. It'll be interesting to see how he performs a full-year removed from ankle surgery and a fractured fibula.

Insider Josina Anderson of CBS Sports understands Dallas won't be at the top of the running back market in free agency and that they "continue to survey the market within their range." Does that rule out a potential Derrick Henry signing? We'll see, but it seems Jerry Jones and Co. have finally pivoted to allocating minimal resources to the running back position.

That doesn't make Pollard's exit any less emotional. We like to think Lamb's reaction echoes that of the entire Cowboys locker room. Beloved by fans, it seems Pollard had a similar popularity amongst his Dallas teammates.

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