Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said Pollard is ready to be a No. 1 back and told reporters "there's nothing we will shy away from" when it comes to scheme, Calvin Watkins of The Dallas News reports.
Pollard made a smooth recovery from January ankle surgery and seems to have had a normal training camp, giving the Cowboys confidence they can get by with only Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn as backups Week 1 at the Giants. Pollard's new role will include some of the snaps Ezekiel Elliott took last year, including pass-blocking reps and at least a portion of the short-yardage carries, though the Cowboys might also use Dowdle or FB Hunter Luepke for some of that stuff to let the speedy Pollard focus more on what he does best. Regardless of the specifics of their respective roles, Pollard should get far more touches with Zeke gone and was typically taken in the second round of fantasy drafts in anticipation of a much larger role. The 26-year-old starts his season with a challenge, playing on the road Sunday night against a defensive line that starts Dexter Lawrence, Leonard Williams and A'Shawn Robinson (nearly 1,000 combined pounds).