One of the bigger surprises of the Tennessee Titans’ offseason was the team’s decision to sign running back Tony Pollard, who was the first reported deal Tennessee agreed to during the legal tampering period.
Not only did I not expect the Titans to spend as much as they did (or do it that quickly) on the position, I figured they would bring in more of a downhill runner to complement 2023 third-round pick, Tyjae Spears.
One of those reasons are behind ESPN’s Matt Bowen naming it the “most head-scratching move of free agency.”
Here’s his take:
Running back Tony Pollard to the Titans. Pollard fits best in a rotational role, maximizing his running and receiving traits. But I didn’t expect Tennessee, who drafted Tyjae Spears in the third round last year, to be in the mix here. Let’s see if the Titans target a running back in the draft with downhill power and goal line ability to complement the skills of both Pollard and Spears.
While not really thought of as a power runner, Pollard is no slouch at all. In fact, he finished third in the NFL in yards after contact last season, trailing only Derrick Henry and Christian McCaffrey.
New #Titans RB Tony Pollard among yards after contact leaders in 2023, per @NextGenStats.
Tyjae Spears also excelled in yards after contact per attempt. pic.twitter.com/nkLRLB1Jba
— Sam Phalen (@Sam_Phalen) March 11, 2024
Another thing that has made me come around to the move is the fact that the Titans won’t be tipping their hand depending on who is on the field, something that was always an issue with Henry.
Both Pollard and Spears are strong, explosive runners, and both are a major threat to catch passes out of the backfield. The Titans won’t be telegraphing anything when it comes to deploying their running backs in 2024.
