One of the biggest questions hovering over the Dallas Cowboys this offseason is how they address the running back position. The Tony Pollard RB1 experiment didn’t go as planned, though there’s a number of factors that can be attributed to Pollard’s underwhelming campaign.

On one hand, Pollard was likely still feeling the effects of his fractured fibula and high-ankle sprain suffered in last year’s playoffs. Pollard underwent surgery to repair his ankle and didn’t have the same explosion we saw in 2022.

That explosion returned in the second half of the season. While the Cowboys evolved into a pass-heavy offense, Pollard didn’t offer the balance fans hoped he would. The offensive line didn’t help matters, but it made the offense one-dimensional and put a bigger onus on Dak Prescott to carry the load.

It remains to be seen what Dallas does with Pollard. Many fans want the team to hit a complete reset at the position. That might actually be in the works, according to a recent report from Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News.

A new age is here for how the Cowboys invest at running back. They are expected to adopt a more cost-conservative approach, which likely means selecting at least one running back in the April draft. https://t.co/tJthjZpJ0l

— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) January 26, 2024

A Cowboys insider may have hinted Tony Pollard won’t be back in 2024

The only running backs under contract in 2024 are Deuce Vaughn, Hunter Lupeke, Malik Davis and Snoop Conner, who was signed to a reserve/futures contract after the season. All four backs have a cap hit of less than $1 million. Ezekiel Elliott will count $6.04 million against the cap as part of his post-June 1 release last offseason, but the financial reset at the position is essentially complete.

“This clearing begs for a more cost-conservative approach to the position, reliant on selecting at least one running back in the April draft. A new age is here, one in which the Cowboys are not simultaneously throwing top dollar at their quarterback and running back positions.”

– Michael Gehlken

Of course, this doesn’t rule out the Cowboys re-signing Pollard on an affordable one-year contract. If there’s any silver lining to Pollard’s down year, it tanked his price tag. It stands to reason Pollard can still be an effective back in a committee, but Dallas would be foolish to run it back with him as the lead back.

Tony Pollard Weeks 1-9: 4 yards per carry, 2.62 after contact, 8 total missed tackles forced as a runner. 8 carries of 10+ yards. 65.1 PFF rushing grade.

Tony Pollard Week 10-15: 4.3 yards per carry, 3.21 after contact, 22 total missed tackles forced as a runner. 10 carries of… https://t.co/YJNMHuEdxf

— John Owning (@JohnOwning) December 21, 2023

Maybe Pollard will be better in 2023 a full year removed from his devastating leg injury. But the Cowboys now have the financial freedom to draft a running back in April, perhaps as high as the third-round. Gehlken’s insight certainly hints that the front office is keen on adding a RB via the draft.

We’re just spit-balling, but depending on who’s available (Oregon’s Bucky Irving is emerging as an ideal target during the pre-draft process), the Cowboys can form a committee with said draft pick and perhaps Rico Dowdle, who’s a restricted free agent so he’ll be easy to bring back if he’s wanted.

Whatever happens, the world is finally Dallas’ oyster at the RB position.