The Titans inked Tony Pollard to a contract this offseason, pairing the former Dallas Cowboys running back with second-year jitterbug Tyjae Spears.
Tennessee's new offensive coordinator Nick Holz agrees with the assessment that the duo is interchangeable, giving the Titans an added layer of deception.
"Everyone keeps saying interchangeable, and we see it that way," he said Wednesday. "We don't want any tendencies when those guys are in there. So, we think they both can have a skill set as pass catchers, skill set running the gap schemes and all the different zone schemes we are going to have. So, that's where it is really most exciting as we go, you are not going to say 'when this back is in these are the plays, and when this back is in those are the plays.' They can really function on all three downs, and really, there are not any scheme limitations."
Pollard's single season as the lead-back in Dallas didn't pan out as expected, with the explosive plays dwindling and his yards-per-carry average plummeting to a career-low 4.0. While the back showed he can carry the load, his performance suffered, earning a career-low 2.92 yards after contact per carry, and his 22.8% breakaway rate was the lowest in his career, per Pro Football Focus.
Spears, meanwhile, played second-fiddle to Derrick Henry last season, generating 453 yards on 100 carries over 17 games. His best asset was his ability in the passing game, where he generated 385 yards on 52 catches. Down the stretch of the season, Spears came on strong, showing promise he could handle a bigger load.
A backfield of Pollard and Spears lacks size, but both can be dual-threat weapons that can keep defenses off balance. Their interchangeability should be advantageous to new head coach Brian Callahan and Holz.
"We see it 1A, 1B, and they're both just gonna play a ton, get a lot of carries and let 'em roll," Holz said.
Fantasy football managers might not love the shared backfield, but it makes sense, given each back's size and talent. Keeping them fresh should allow each to be more explosive, and the fact that neither tips the offense's hand when they're on the field is an added bonus.
