Cowboys need to sign, start Barber
Posted by: Anthony Bialy
Marion Barber was the best reserve in football last season. It's only technically so, as he was the true feature of Dallas' rushing attack, but the fact remains that he gained 975 yards in 2007 and nabbed himself a Pro Bowl spot despite serving as Julius Jones' ostensible backup. It was a weird setup, but it turned out to be a quite effective one for Barber, who should be kept and definitively promoted to the top of the depth chart by the Cowboys soon.
Through the fault of the coaches and not his own, Jones was Dallas' Milli Vanilli, posing in public as something he was not. He started every regular-season game, but Barber was the Cowboys' primary ground weapon, a fact that's confirmed by both the high quantity and quality of his carries judged against the supposed first-stringer. Barber had 204 chances to rush, gaining 4.8 yards a try, while Jones got only 164 attempts for a 3.6-yard average each time.
There are some cases where the second back in the game can deceptively pump up his average merely because the change of pace throws off defenses. But that's not what happened here: This situation is one where Barber was the better option after the game's first play. This was certified in the playoffs, where Barber finally was given the job title he had basically seized long ago.
The numbers illustrated Barber's ascension: Jones had three carries for 8 yards in Dallas' lone postseason game, while Barber had 27 for 129. He handled the burden fantastically, enough that management should be convinced that the position doesn't need serious addressing at the draft.
It would be ridiculous for the Cowboys to trade away multiple selections so they can get Darren McFadden just to indulge Jerry Jones' Arkansas fetish. Aside from the fact that they need cornerback depth and a receiver who will eventually either complement Patrick Crayton or vice versa, the fact is Barber is perfectly suited to be the principal guy.
Barber has already proven that he can be productive, and he's done so while handling a serious workload despite the fact he's only officially started in three regular-season games over his career. Plus, Barber's delightfully belligerent style is not only a blast to watch, it also means that he's the aggressor when it comes to collisions instead of being the victim, which theoretically means less wear on him compared to a passive dodger. He's the hammer, not the anvil.
The Cowboys could use a draft pick on a running back, but one shouldn't be spent until Sunday: Assuming Jones finds a new employer, they only need to add a reserve rusher to spell Barber. The team can wait until the middle rounds to do so; after all, Barber himself wasn't nabbed until the fourth round. He's smashed his way to the starting role, and trading him away just because the owner is enticed by a future rookie would be like building a house and abandoning it right before the roof is finished.
Barber is the best option for Dallas, and he's coincidentally already on the team, albeit as a restricted free agent. It's time for his status to be updated: They should sign him for the long term and worry about filling more mundane needs at the draft. Don't exhale until he's actually under contract, but one has to believe that Dallas will prudently keep Barber as the main bruiser.
Marion Barber was the best reserve in football last season. It's only technically so, as he was the true feature of Dallas' rushing attack, but the fact remains that he gained 975 yards in 2007 and nabbed himself a Pro Bowl spot despite serving as Julius Jones' ostensible backup. It was a weird setup, but it turned out to be a quite effective one for Barber, who should be kept and definitively promoted to the top of the depth chart by the Cowboys soon.
Through the fault of the coaches and not his own, Jones was Dallas' Milli Vanilli, posing in public as something he was not. He started every regular-season game, but Barber was the Cowboys' primary ground weapon, a fact that's confirmed by both the high quantity and quality of his carries judged against the supposed first-stringer. Barber had 204 chances to rush, gaining 4.8 yards a try, while Jones got only 164 attempts for a 3.6-yard average each time.
There are some cases where the second back in the game can deceptively pump up his average merely because the change of pace throws off defenses. But that's not what happened here: This situation is one where Barber was the better option after the game's first play. This was certified in the playoffs, where Barber finally was given the job title he had basically seized long ago.
The numbers illustrated Barber's ascension: Jones had three carries for 8 yards in Dallas' lone postseason game, while Barber had 27 for 129. He handled the burden fantastically, enough that management should be convinced that the position doesn't need serious addressing at the draft.
It would be ridiculous for the Cowboys to trade away multiple selections so they can get Darren McFadden just to indulge Jerry Jones' Arkansas fetish. Aside from the fact that they need cornerback depth and a receiver who will eventually either complement Patrick Crayton or vice versa, the fact is Barber is perfectly suited to be the principal guy.
Barber has already proven that he can be productive, and he's done so while handling a serious workload despite the fact he's only officially started in three regular-season games over his career. Plus, Barber's delightfully belligerent style is not only a blast to watch, it also means that he's the aggressor when it comes to collisions instead of being the victim, which theoretically means less wear on him compared to a passive dodger. He's the hammer, not the anvil.
The Cowboys could use a draft pick on a running back, but one shouldn't be spent until Sunday: Assuming Jones finds a new employer, they only need to add a reserve rusher to spell Barber. The team can wait until the middle rounds to do so; after all, Barber himself wasn't nabbed until the fourth round. He's smashed his way to the starting role, and trading him away just because the owner is enticed by a future rookie would be like building a house and abandoning it right before the roof is finished.
Barber is the best option for Dallas, and he's coincidentally already on the team, albeit as a restricted free agent. It's time for his status to be updated: They should sign him for the long term and worry about filling more mundane needs at the draft. Don't exhale until he's actually under contract, but one has to believe that Dallas will prudently keep Barber as the main bruiser.
posted by The Gryphon at 8:03 PM
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