ESPN’s best free agents fit list includes RB Josh Jacobs to Dallas Cowboys and Tyron Smith elsewhere

ESPN believes the Cowboys are the best home for a former NFL rushing leader.

NFL free agency is less than a month away which means there is a lot of time for idle hands to wander around. For what it is worth “wandering around” can be a helpful exercise. Considering this likelihood or that possibility is how you are (ideally) able to land on the best possible course of action. You have to consider all possible avenues of operation and land on the one that you believe is in the best interest of your team.

Given where we are at in the calendar, the worldwide leader decided to dive deep into the pool of pontificating. On Tuesday, ESPN released their “best fits” for their top 50 free agents and the Dallas Cowboys were involved in a number of different ways.

Tyron Smith to the Kansas City Chiefs?

It is worth mentioning that on Monday a report surfaced from The Dallas Morning News that Tyron Smith does want to play in 2024 and that he prefers to do so for the Dallas Cowboys. If this coming season truly is an all-in sort of proposition for the Cowboys then relying on Smith for another go seems like a fair idea.

As far as this particular assessment goes, the best home for Smith is not in Dallas but with the Kansas City Chiefs. They certainly offer him the best chance to add a Super Bowl title to his Pro Football Hall of Fame career.

20. Tyron Smith, OT

Best team fit: Kansas City Chiefs

The availability concerns for Smith are real, as he has missed 33 games over the past four seasons. But when healthy, Smith is a detailed technician with the physical demeanor to win on the edge. And he would absolutely upgrade the left tackle position for the Chiefs, limiting pass-rushers and keeping the throwing platform clean for quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

The Chiefs hardly have a hole on their roster holding them back from competing given that they just managed to win it all yet again in arguably the most difficult circumstances that they have faced in the Patrick Mahomes era, but there is no doubt that Tyron could help them.

It is definitely true (we know this better than anyone) that Smith is unreliable from a health standpoint in terms of playing every single game. But when he is on he is on, and again if Dallas is serious about chasing a title this season, having him back is a much better idea than not.

Las Vegas Raiders RB Josh Jacobs’ best fit is listed with the Dallas Cowboys

Recently here at BTB, the great OCC offered 9 lessons of the past that the Cowboys should learn from when it comes to free agency. The first one, literally number one, was avoiding the high-priced veteran running back.

We won’t hold it against ESPN that they did not seem to pay attention to this, but they listed running back Josh Jacobs’ best fit as being with America’s Team.

35. Josh Jacobs, RB

Best team fit: Dallas Cowboys

With the expectation Tony Pollard does not return to Dallas, the Cowboys could pivot to Jacobs. He’s a volume grinder, with the low pad level to finish runs and the quickness to make defenders miss. Jacobs, who led the NFL in rushing during the 2022 season, could also be utilized as a receiving option for Dak Prescott on swings, screens and unders.

The Cowboys are still learning a lesson from paying Ezekiel Elliott. Last year presented a difficult situation where they needed explosive playmakers so placing the franchise tag on Tony Pollard in parallel with cutting Zeke seemed tenable. But as we move further and further from the era of this team paying running backs big money, choosing to pay an entirely different one big money seems questionable at best.

Jacobs is coming off of playing on the franchise tag himself, sort of. The Raiders tagged him, he sat out their entire offseason program (unlike Pollard) and the two parties eventually came to terms on a one-year deal for the 2023 season.

While it is certainly possible that Dallas signs a veteran back to pair with someone they draft, the idea of it being a player who is likely looking to receive a big-time payday feels questionable at best.

Tony Pollard to the Washington Commanders!

It is very possible that former Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator, and now Washington Commanders head coach, Dan Quinn, brings some players with him to his new home the way he did a handful of staff members.

As the former defensive guru it stands to reason that these would be defensive players, but obviously anything is possible. ESPN suggested that Quinn’s group sign running back Tony Pollard.

46. Tony Pollard, RB

Best team fit: Washington Commanders

With Antonio Gibson heading to free agency, the Commanders could target someone like Pollard on a short-term deal to create a backfield rotation with Brian Robinson Jr. I like that duo. Washington could then reduce the workload for Pollard, while maximizing his dual-threat ability. In five pro seasons with the Cowboys, Pollard had 179 receptions — and he just rushed for over 1,000 yards for a second straight season.

Pollard dipped in production last year (again, the veteran running back rule of free agency) but in his defense was coming off of a fractured fibula suffered in the Divisional Round following the 2022 season. He told us recently that he did not fully feel like himself until the Cowboys played the Carolina Panthers which stands to reason given the context of his year.

Interestingly, Pollard’s comments track rather well. His production from that point in the season on was significantly better than what came before.

Maybe this is something that Dan Quinn and the Commanders are willing to bet on, or maybe the Cowboys can bring Pollard back at a lower value (feels doubtful) to be the veteran they pair with a younger back.