Cowboys Rumors: Tony Pollard Open to New Contract; DAL 'Would Love' to Reduce Cap Hit

Tony Pollard is the only franchise-tagged running back who has already signed his tag, but he's reportedly open to a long-term contract with the Dallas Cowboys.

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported Sunday morning on SportsCenter there is mutual interest between the parties to find a workable long-term deal.

"He's in a situation, I'm told, where he's looking at this as a win-win because he signed his franchise tag tender at the $10.1 million clip. He's injured, coming off ankle surgery, so he's got that security regardless," Fowler said. "But if the Cowboys want to step up and try to do a long-term deal he's certainly open to that. Nothing moving on that yet but there's a lot of time before that July 17 deadline. Certainly, both sides are expected to reconvene and talk about a potential long-term deal. The Cowboys would love to get his cap hit down a little bit so they could sign some other players."

Having just waded through Ezekiel Elliott's fiasco of a contract, it's unlikely the Cowboys want to get back into the game of having major long-term money tied up in the running back position.

It's possible the team could offer a two- or three-year deal that gives Pollard his $10.1 million salary for 2023 in the form of a signing bonus while also allowing the Cowboys to spread the cap hit over multiple years. Dallas could then offer Pollard additional guarantees that protect him in the event he fails to flourish as a full-time lead back.

A three-year contract worth $27-30 million with $15 million guaranteed seems like a reasonable baseline offer that could work for all parties.

Pollard set a career high with 1,007 rushing yards and nine touchdowns last season. The 26-year-old has been one of the NFL's most effective backs on a per-carry basis throughout his career, averaging 5.1 yards a pop. He's also a fluid pass-catcher out of the backfield and set career highs with 39 receptions and 371 yards last season.

The Cowboys felt comfortable enough with Pollard as their three-down back to release Elliott, who had been the starter since his arrival in 2016. There have been rumors about bringing Elliott back into the fold to spell Pollard, but nothing has come to fruition.

With the running back market continuing its downward trend, the Cowboys would be smart to keep their investment limited to a short-term deal.