Texans An 'Ideal Landing Spot' For Cowboys Running Back Tony Pollard?

The Houston Texans could be in the market for a new running back this offseason. Could Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard be a fit?

The Houston Texans are entering the offseason with 36 pending free agents set to hit the market, including multiple key members of the 2023 AFC South-winning team. 

Among those players set to test free agency waters is running back Devin Singletary, who amassed over 1,000 yards from scrimmage and averaged 4.4 yards per touch last season, while helping to revive a woeful Texans running game in the process. 

Fortunately for the Texans, they will have plenty of flexibility to add talent back to the roster, as they sit with the third most cap space in the NFL at more than $59 million entering the off-season. 

And with the running back spot being up for grabs, PFF believes the Texans to be an 'ideal landing spot' for Dallas Cowboys free agent running back Tony Pollard - at least from a fantasy football perspective. 

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"Pollard can remain in Texas and take over a role that saw Devin Singletary (pending free agent) deliver strong fantasy production in the latter half of the year," PFF wrote.
"Pollard did have slightly better rushing metrics than Singletary in 2023 and could be considered an upgrade for an ascending offense looking to add to their arsenal. The Texans are currently slated to lose about 60% of the team’s running back carries in free agency, which is a great number for Pollard to absorb as he looks to recoup some fantasy value."

In terms of fantasy football, Houston could absolutely be a fit for Pollard. After all, the Texans have one of the most promising young offenses in the NFL, led by a star quarterback in C.J. Stroud and a bring young offensive coordinator in Bobby Slowik. 

That said, in terms of practicality for Houston in the real world, this move doesn't make entirely too much sense. 

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Pollard is coming off of one of the more disappointing seasons for a running back in the last few seasons. Not only was he expected to take a leap forward as the lead ball carrier in Dallas, but he was also projected to be one of the more dynamic threats on the offense. 

Instead, he accomplished neither of those things, rushing for just over 1,000 yards in 17 games, with his production actually dropping across the board from 2022, when he was splitting carries with Ezekiel Elliott. 

Currently, Pollard is projected to earn around $7.5 million APY for his next deal. Meanwhile, Singletary is expected to command around the same type of money - and perhaps a little less. 

And should indeed be the case, it likely makes more sense for Houston to simply bring back the familiar face, rather than make a change for the sake of making a change.