As AC/DC once said, money talks. For the Dallas Cowboys, that conversation yielded a resounding declaration of “thanks, but no thanks.”
We know the Cowboys had interest in having Zack Moss succeed the Nashville-bound Tony Pollard as primary running back but his expected price tag scared them off. Moss instead inked a deal with the Cincinnati Bengals, partly defining a quiet opening day for a team supposedly “all in” on offseason endeavors.
As Michael Gehlken said: “Ultimately, the price extended past their comfort point. Moss agreed with Bengals on a two-year, $8 million contract that includes $4.525 in earnings this year.”
But on Tuesday … a move – finally.
OK, it’s not sexy. But the Cowboys have made their first free agency-related move with a one-year contract with long-snapper Trent Sieg, per the News.
Now, back to the running back thing …
Moss is coming off a career year in Indianapolis, picking up a career-best 986 yards from scrimmage and seven total scores while helping the Colts make up for the loss of the injured Jonathan Taylor. He takes over for Joe Mixon in Cincinnati, as the seven-year back and 2021 Pro Bowler was one of several prominentfinancial casualties this week.
While Dallas’ relative inactivity is a worthy talking point, it’s somewhat easy to see why they’d be reluctant to write another big check to a running back, especially one that hasn’t registered a 1,000-yard season or served as an undisputed top option.
Pollard seemed to be the answer to the Cowboys’ rushing prayers after opposing defenses bottled up Ezekiel Elliott but he drastically struggled in a year on the franchise tag. That didn’t stop the Tennessee Titans from inquiring about his services, as Pollard reportedly signed a three-year deal worth $24 million to move to the AFC South.
As it stands, Deuce Vaughn, last year’s sixth-round pick, is set to be the Cowboys’ top rushing option (alongside Deuce Vaughn, Malik Davis and Snoop Conner) though it stands to reason that they’ll address the spot before convening for training camp.