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10 do-or-die decisions NFL teams must make this offseason

By Sayre Bedinger

BALTIMORE, MD - NOVEMBER 20: Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens looks on against the Carolina Panthers during the first half at M&T Bank Stadium on November 20, 2022 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - NOVEMBER 20: Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens looks on against the Carolina Panthers during the first half at M&T Bank Stadium on November 20, 2022 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /
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NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – DECEMBER 29: Ezekiel Elliott #21 of the Dallas Cowboys runs the ball during a game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on December 29, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Cowboys defeated the Titans 27-13. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /

9. Dallas Cowboys making a tough call at running back

The Dallas Cowboys have been one of the best teams in the NFL over the last two years. They have won 24 regular season games, and even though it was against the somewhat hapless Tampa Bay Buccaneers, they also won a playoff game this past season. Dallas has made plenty of progress over the last couple of seasons but they also are at a true fork in the road at a very important position to this team.

Head coach Mike McCarthy let Kellen Moore walk this past offseason. He wants to operate an offense that minimizes the number of times Dak Prescott gets hit, which means that there could be a renewed emphasis on the running game in 2023. So what does that mean for Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard?

The Cowboys have a brutal decision or two to make here. Let’s paint the picture as clearly as possible.

The Cowboys ran the ball 531 times in 2022, the sixth-most rushing attempts of any team in the league. They ranked just 18th in the NFL with 4.3 yards per attempt, however, and that level of efficiency is something McCarthy wants to be better in 2023. His top two guys at the position are Elliott and Pollard, who combined for nearly 1,900 rushing yards last season as well as 24 total touchdowns.

Pollard is a 2023 NFL free agent who was badly injured in the playoffs, and Zeke Elliott is a potential cap casualty. If the Cowboys don’t do anything with Elliott’s contract and they have to franchise tag Pollard, they would be committing over $27 million to the running back position in just those two players alone.

Given this team’s needs on the offensive line and at both receiver and corner, that’s just not a feasible solution. Although the Packers had the second-most rushing touchdowns of any team in the NFL this past season, changes to the personnel at that position could be coming.

Is Jerry Jones going to be willing to move on from Zeke Elliott? If he’s not, will it cost him Tony Pollard? If he keeps both Elliott and Pollard, will it cost the Cowboys a necessary playmaker at receiver?

The domino effect of these decisions will loom large for Dallas in 2023.

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