Tony Pollard is already making the Cowboys regret letting him go

The Dallas Cowboys' running back room has been a prominent (and polarizing) talking point all offseason. It seemed like a foregone conclusion that the Cowboys would not re-sign Tony Pollard. While they made an effort to bring Pollard back, it quickly became clear he was out of their price range.

Pollard inked a three-year, $21.75 million contract with the Tennessee Titans, including $10.46 million guaranteed. It's an emotional homecoming for Pollard, who was born and raised in Memphis and starred in college for the Memphis Tigers.

While many Cowboys fans were gutted to see Pollard go, his largely underwhelming 2023 season made the pill easier to stomach. The base didn't exactly expect Dallas to do the bare minimum to replace Pollard, but it's commendable that the front office has flipped its value of the position.

It will be interesting to observe Pollard's season with the Titans and compare it to that of the Cowboys' running backs. Well, if the first week of preseason is any indicator, Dallas will sorely miss the 27-year-old's presence.

Letting Tony Pollard leave could come back to haunt Cowboys

Pollard only carried four times for 34 yards but his pre-injury explosion was on display. The above highlight could be a sign of things to come for the 2022 Pro Bowler, who shockingly didn't crack 100 rushing yards in a single game last season. Most of that was attributed to his return from a gruesome leg and ankle injury suffered in the 2023 playoff loss to the 49ers.

Pollard suffered a fractured fibula and a high-ankle sprain that required surgery. His explosion and ability to make defenders miss was lackluster but he got his legs back underneath him for the stretch run. From Weeks 10-15, Pollard ranked top-10 among RBs in yards after contact per carry, missed tackles forced, explosive runs and PFF rushing grade, per PFF's John Owning.

A full season removed from the injury, 2022 Pollard could make an overdue return. That season, his 88.9 rushing grade was fourth among RBs. He also ranked first (!) with 3.82 yards after contact per rush, third with 5.3 yards per carry and sixth with 31 rushes of 10 or more yards, per PFF (subscription required).

Was letting Pollard leave the right move in the long run? Probably. The Cowboys will hopefully draft their future starter next April. It is also possible that Rico Dowdle or Royce Freeman bring an unexpeted juice to the backfield.

However, it is also a bummer that Pollard is clearly due for a huge season and that the back he supplanted -- Ezekiel Elliott -- will likely end up leading the team in carries.

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