Pollard was battling back from a fractured fibula, but he unquestionably lacked his signature zip during his first year as the team’s lead back, and he now heads into free agency after a year on the franchise tag.
Despite eclipsing the 1,000-yard rushing mark for a second straight season, totaling 1,005 yards and six touchdowns on the ground, Pollard’s yards-per-carry average dropped from 5.2 the year prior to 4.0.
His efficiency also plummeted in the pass game. He caught a career-high 55 passes for a career-low 5.7 yards per reception.
Regardless, Parsons is as confident in the running back’s ability to bounce back if he returns to Dallas as he is in knowing the specific type of pieces that would boost the defensive side of the ball, and he shared his opinion with Jones on the latter while speaking together during Super Bowl LVIII.
“We just sit and talk from before the game until the whole half about players I want to bring in, players I want to be around, who do I need, who do I want to be with, future of our team,” Parsons said of his discussion with Jones. “That’s just dope to have that type of feedback with an owner that loves to hear your ideas and what you think and where the team can be.”
As for Parsons’ vision of the 2024 Cowboys, it’s all about getting bigger.
“I said look at every team that was in that final four,” Parsons explained. “Who did they have? Who did Baltimore have? A great linebacking corps, right? Who did San Fran have? Great linebacking corps. K.C. (Nick) Bolton, and they came along. We need to get another bigger linebacker. And I said we need to get a super, 330 nasty interior [lineman].
“I saw the way Chris Jones affected that Super Bowl and I was like, ‘My God.’ And not even Chris Jones. Mike Pennel. I think we’ve got a lot of rushers. I think Osa (Odighizuwa), he can play inside, outside, one of the most versatile DTs. When we lost (Johnathan) Hank(ins), he’s a big dude, but we need to get one of them big old, nasty, pass-rushing, get-going [guys].”