The NFL free agency tampering window is underway with running backs the first big names to come off the board, as fellow NFC East running backs D’Andre Swift and Tony Pollard have both immediately found new teams for the next few years.
As first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Pollard is signing a three-year deal worth $24 million to join the Tennessee Titans. Pollard will replace All-Pro running back Derrick Henry as the lead ball-carrier in the new-look Titans’ offense next season.
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Meanwhile, per Schefter, Swift is leaving the Philadelphia Eagles behind to join the Chicago Bears on a three-year, $24 million contract. Chicago, who was also in the mix for Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs, is giving Swift $15.3 million guaranteed.
With Swift and Pollard departing their respective NFC East teams, Dallas and Philadelphia have their focus on other top running backs. The Eagles are reportedly after Saquon Barkley, while the Cowboys have been tied to Derrick Henry.
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How Tony Pollard impacts the Tenneessee Titans offense
While Pollard wasn’t the best running back available in NFL free agency this year, he was sought after. Even after a down season in 2023 with the Dallas Cowboys, the 6-foot running back displayed outstanding playmaking ability.
- Tony Pollard stats 2023: 1,005 rushing yards, 4 yards per carry, 6 rushing touchdowns, 55 receptions, 311 receiving yards, 5.7 yards per reception
Returning from a broken leg suffered during the 2022 NFL Divisional Round, Pollard became the Cowboys’ featured running back this past season. He set a career-high in touches (307), but his yards per carry dropped (5.2 to 4.0) and he scored fewer touchdowns (12 to 6).
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Pollard will now share the backfield with Tyjae Spears. As a rookie last season, Spears averaged 4.5 yards per carry. Working behind Derrick Henry, the 5-foot-11 running back finished with 453 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns, tacking on 52 receptions for 385 receiving yards. Even in a committee role, he averaged 5.5 yards per touch with 838 scrimmage yards on 151 touches and only fumbled once.
With a backfield led by Pollard and Spears, the Titans’ offense projects to be more run-oriented in 2024 under first-year head coach Brian Callahan. The approach should help set up the play-acton and make it more effective for second-year quarterback Will Levis. Pollard and Spears should each be in line for 170-plus touches next season.
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Examining the impact of D’Andre Swift on Chicago Bears’ offense
D’Andre Swift was one of the more polarizing running backs in NFL free agency. Once the 25th overall pick with the Detroit Lions, he never quite met expectations with the club that drafted him. However, after averaging just 560 rushing yards per season in Detroit, Swift blossomed after being traded to the Philadelphia Eagles last offseason.
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- D’Andre Swift stats 2023: 1,049 rushing yards, 5 rushing touchdowns, 4.6 yards per carry, 39 receptions, 214 rushing yards, 5.5 yards per reception
Running behind one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, Swift thrived. The 5-foot-9 running back led the Eagles in rushing yards (1,049), yards per carry (4.6), touchdowns (five) and explosive runs (six). He earned his first Pro Bowl selection and finished with a career-high in touches (268) and scrimmage yards (1,263).
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However, some around the league wondered how much of Swift’s production was a product of the Eagles’ offensive line and surrounding talent. From 2020-’22 in Philadelphia, running back Miles Sanders averaged 5.2 yards per carry and 70.5 rushing yards per game with 3,323 scrimmage yards in 41 games. After signing with the Carolina Panthers in NFL free agency last spring, Sanders finished last year with just 432 scrimmage yards, averaging 3.3 yards per carry and he was eventually benched in favor of Chuba Hubbard who was more effective for Carolina.
In Chicago, Swift projects to be the lead running back in an offense that will be led by presumed first overall pick Caleb Williams. It’s worth noting that new Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron used a committee backfield as play-caller with the Seattle Seahawks, as Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet each received at least 140 touches. Swift will likely be sharing the workload with Roschon Johnson, a fourth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
