Cowboys RB Tony Pollard Signs Tag; How Much for New Long-Term Deal?

Tony Pollard signed his franchise tag to keep him in Dallas for one more season, but should the Cowboys chase a long-term deal for the running back?

Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard is officially returning to The Star next season. The Pro Bowl running back signed his franchise tag on Thursday, signaling his desire to stick with Dallas.

But surely Pollard's additional desire is a long-term contract with Dallas. 

With NFL teams having until July 17 to sign players to long-term deals, will the Cowboys look to hash out a shiny new contract for Pollard? 

At face value, there is no denying Pollard's importance to the offense, especially with Ezekiel Elliott no longer with the team, but will Dallas fork out the necessary salary that Pollard is after?

Possibly - depending on what he's after.

Is any running back worth $10 million APY? That's the tag cost, which doesn't mean it's the salary value. That is where things get dicey.

Given the Cowboys' results with Elliott from in his significant extension (six years, $90 million with $50 million guaranteed) - and through no real fault of Zeke's - why dip into that same well?

Should the Cowboys try and sign Pollard to a long-term deal? The answer is yes if it is financially viable for both sides.

Looking around the league at the type of money other running backs are getting, it's Devin Singletary getting $2.7 million to David Montgomery getting $6 million.

Though Spotrac suggests that Dallas should give Tony three years and $27 million ... there is virtually no "$10 million APY'' running back; the days of the "Elliott-type" contract are likely over - and surely need to be in Dallas.

Would Pollard be "okay" with an APY number closer to Montgomery's new number (the aforementioned $6 million) than Zeke's old number ($15 million)?

Precisely what the Cowboys' front office does with Pollard and his long-term future will tell us how they view the running back position now.

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