The Dallas Cowboys finally have figured out a way to get backup running back Tony Pollard on the field with Ezekiel Elliott at the same time — use the former at the slot receiver position this upcoming season.
Away from peering eyes at open training camp practices, Pollard has been working with Cowboys offensive quality control coach Kyle Valero on the intricacies of playing in the slot, The Dallas Morning News reported.
“Just details like route-running, getting in and out of breaks, why we’re running certain plays and what’s the meaning behind them,” Pollard, 25, told the newspaper. “We’re getting into the depth of why we’re doing the things that we’re doing, so it will make more sense in the big picture.”
The Cowboys have been trying to get Pollard and Elliott on the field together since they selected Pollard in the fourth round of the 2019 draft, per the Morning News.
Pollard rushed for 719 yards and two touchdowns behind Elliott in 2021. Pollard also hauled in a career-high 39 catches for 337 yards, a total that figures to rise if the team can work Pollard into the slot more.
“He’s a guy that we want to get the ball to,” Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore told the newspaper. “So, I think the running back role is one thing, certainly when Zeke and him can kind of tag-team that role. But then it’s another opportunity for him to expand that role and play in some different positions, out in space and some of the things that certainly he’s capable of doing.”
–Field Level Media