Tony Pollard expected to sign with Titans on 3-year, $24 million deal: Source

The Tennessee Titans have agreed to terms with running back Tony Pollard on a 3-year, $24 million deal, a league source confirmed to The Athletic on Monday. Along with the Dallas Cowboys, the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings were also interested in the running back.

The Titans are also working to sign free-agent center Lloyd Cushenberry, according to team sources. Cushenberry has spent the first four years of his career with the Denver Broncos and was the top-ranked free agent center on The Athletic’s Randy Muellers’ list.

The Dallas Cowboys were in on RB Tony Pollard. The Giants and Vikings had their eye on him too. He took the bigger payday with Tennessee, per sources.

— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) March 11, 2024

Pollard, 26, rushed for 1,005 yards and six touchdowns in his first season as the Cowboys feature back. He averaged a career-low 4.0 yards per carry but caught a career-best 55 passes for 311 yards. He averaged 4.8 yards per carry throughout his five seasons with Dallas and earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2022.

The Cowboys selected Pollard in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft and in his first four seasons, while splitting time with Ezekiel Elliott, he rushed for 2,616 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Mueller’s scouting report on Pollard

In Pollard’s first year as the Cowboys’ “bell cow,” I’d give him a B-minus. He lacks power and downhill physicality between the tackles, but he’s nifty and runs with good balance.

He can be a factor in breaking arm tackles and as a receiver out of the backfield. He runs with discipline and intentionality but is not a creator of plays on his own. — Mueller

How Pollard fits with Titans

Pollard’s pairing with the Titans doesn’t really excite me. The style of the Cowboys’ run game lost physicality last season when Ezekiel Elliott left, which was clearly evident on tape. It became a finesse run game.

If the thinking is that Pollard will replace Derrick Henry, the same scenario could play out again in Tennessee. That’s a leap of faith that I could not make after watching Pollard’s 2023 tape. — Mueller

Importance of Cushenberry

Cushenberry’s career path took a giant step in development last season. There is no reason to think that upward trend won’t continue. He is very quick for his size and is one of very few centers who can also get movement on impact and knock defenders back in the run game.

This is a big upgrade for the Titans over the undersized Aaron Brewer. Cushenberry’s experience should help in making protection calls and communicating at the line of scrimmage when coupled with an inexperienced QB like Will Levis. — Mueller

Required reading

(Photo: Cooper Neill / Getty Images)