Cowboys OC Brian Schottenheimer Tony Pollard is ready to be the guy ... zero concerns with his body type

All signs out of training camp indicateis in line for a gigantic 2023 season.The 26-year-old running back earned his first Pro Bowl selection after the 2022 season because of a career-high 1,378 scrimmage yards and 12 total touchdowns. He topped 1,000 rushing yards for the first time, and 75% of his scoring was on the ground with nine Michael Conforto Jersey rushing touchdowns. Despite Pollard suffering a fractured fibula in the Cowboys' season-ending NFC divisional round playoff defeat at the, Cowboys quarterback completely forgot about Pollard's injury while practicing alongside of him in training camp because of how smooth the running back's rehabilitation proce s has gone."He's been the same guy since he was drafted, and the year he was drafted 2019 was the year Zeke held out," Prescott at training camp in Oxnard, California on Thursday. "Being able to come in then and have such a huge role early in training camp to take all the reps, to pa s protect, and to e sentially be an every-down back in his first training camp to when Zeke came back, they could get into a duo-tandem type of back rotation. Now, him being able to take this step and have the starting role, he's a true profe sional. He takes care of his body, he leads by example, and he's Nolan Ryan Jersey the perfect pro for guys to watch his approach. Even coming off of an injury, you don't even think about that, and it's a credit to how he approached his rehab and how he goes about his game. TP is a hell of a back, a hell of a player, and he's going to have another huge year."Pollard already being at e sentially full health is a critical development for the Silver and Blue because when healthy, Pollard is as dynamic with the football in his hands as anyone in the entire . His 5.9 yards per touch led the league among players with at least 200 touches in 2022. Just as notable is that with the Cowboys releasing-- one of their franchise leaders whose 3.9 yards per touch was dead last in the league among players with at least 200 touches last season -- it's Tony time in Dallas. Despite the contrast in productivity a year ago, Elliott, who was on a six-year, $90 million contract, received 16 more touches than Pollard. Pick Six Newsletter Crafted By The Best NFL Experts Get the day's big stories + fun stuff you love like mock drafts, picks and power rankings. I agree to receive the "Pick Six Newsletter" and marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers), and other information from CBS Sports and the Paramount family of companies. By pre sing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the and acknowledge Paramount's . Please check the opt-in box to Robinson Cano Jersey acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. Thanks for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox. Sorry! There was an error proce sing your subscription. Pollard's backfield mates are now the undrafted, the undrafted , 2023 sixth-round pick and journeyman. All of those factors have Cowboys offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer as confident as he can be in Pollard's status as Dallas' clear-cut RB1, even with the injury last postseason."The game has definitely changed and even when we had two or three big backs like Thomas Jones and when Schottenheimer was the offensive coordinator from 2006-2011 and Kevan Barlow, but no one can do it by themselves," Schottenheimer on Thursday. "It's too physical a game, but Tony is ready to running back number one. He's ready to be the guy. There is nothing we will shy away from on a scheme standpoint with him. Like everybody, there are going to be things he Mike Piazza Jersey 's more comfortable doing, but I have zero concerns about his body type with anything we're doing. I just love the explosive playmaker he is. I love the way he works in practice. There's a quiet confidence about him that you feel. You also feel his speed whether he's running a to s play toward the sideline or a running a route, you feel his speed. It's real. I think there's no question in my he's ready Lenny Dykstra Jersey for this role." Pro Bowl running backtotaled 1,880 scrimmage yards, 502 more than Pollard's 1,378, while ranking second in yards per touch (5.7) behind the Cowboys rusher (5.9). McCaffrey had 97 more touches than Pollard (329 to 232) in 2022. If Pollard can maintain a similar yards per touch average on a higher workload, he should be able to fetch one of the bigger running back contracts of the last few years next offseason after performing like one of the NFL's top five running backs in 2023.
 
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