The chaos of the free agency has begun, and the Dallas Cowboys are being urged to make their move for a former Kansas City Chiefs running back. The team has already seen Tony Pollard head to the Tennessee Titans, but have yet to replace him.
And it’s not just Pollard that has to be replaced, backup RB Rico Dowdle is also expected to leave. That’s why Blogging the Boys writer Brian Martin thinks the team should pursue Clyde Edwards-Helaire.
“Considering the lack of a proven commodity at the RB position right now in Dallas, taking a flyer on Edwards-Helaire isn’t a terrible idea,” Martin wrote on March 11. “This is one of those low-risk, high-reward type of signings the Cowboys haven’t been shy about making in the past. And, signing and bringing him to camp for a ‘looksee’ wouldn’t be financially damaging if it didn’t work out.”
Martin admits that Edwards-Helaire has a similar frame to current Cowboys RB Deuce Vaughn. But as compact runners, they bring very different skillsets and “CEH” has far more experience.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire As a Fit in Dallas After Chiefs Run
After being selected as the No. 32 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft, Edwards-Helaire immediately made an impression for the Chiefs. Totaling 803 rushing yards and four TDs and an average 4.4 yards per carry, the former LSU Tiger lived up to his draft billing.
However, his role has slowly regressed in recent years. Pro Football Reference shows that his number of touches and yards has decreased in each of the past three seasons. Further, the arrival of Isiah Pacheco further cemented that CEH is no longer the top back in the room.
And while that may not be a selling point to Cowboys fans, his potential pay should be. Spotrac projects a one-year, $1.6 million deal for whoever signs Edwards-Helaire.
For a guy who once was a first-round pick and lead back, that is tremendous value. As Martin mentioned in his writeup, there is no real risk signing that kind of deal. If Dallas doesn’t plan to get a marquee back, someone like Helaire makes logistical and financial sense.
Former Cowboys RB Tony Pollard Heads to Tennessee
While the Cowboys figure out their plans at running back, former Dallas RB Tony Pollard is headed to the AFC South. On March 11, KPRC2 reporter Aaron Wilson stated that Pollard was set to sign with the Tennessee Titans in free agency.
Shortly after, ESPN insider Adam Schefter revealed what kind of deal Pollard is getting in Tennessee.
“Compensation update: Titans are giving former Cowboys running back a three-year, $24 millon deal, per source,” Schefter wrote on X.
That’s a sizable deal for Pollard, who played on the franchise tag with Dallas in 2023. That tag paid him just over $10 million for his services last season, so he’s not taking a massive pay cut in his next deal.
There was speculation that Pollard could come back to the Cowboys, but it became less likely as free agency approached. Now, Dallas knows for a fact that they will need a new starting RB in 2024.
