DMN Blog: RB Coach Skip Peete talks Choice and Barber

[WoodysGirl]

Tashard Choice makes a bunch of big plays for a guy who doesn't have breakaway speed

12:45 PM Wed, Dec 17, 2008 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Tim MacMahon E-mail News tips

The reason Tashard Choice slipped into the fourth round is because he doesn't have blazing speed.

Cowboys RB coach Skip Peete and ex-Georgia Tech RB coach Curtis Modkins both mentioned that as the knock against Choice when we chatted with them to put together a scouting report on Choice after the draft.

Well, Choice has looked plenty fast while racking up a bunch of big plays in the last two weeks. He had seven runs of at least 10 yards and two receptions of 20-plus yards against the Steelers and Giants, two of the NFL's top defenses.

"I will honestly say that he hasn't surprised me a bit," Peete said today. "I knew he was a good football player. I knew he had the ability to run the ball inside. I knew he had the ability to bounce the ball outside. And the guy has unbelievable vision and a feel for finding a soft crease in the defense. Once he sees it, he can accelerate through it."

Choice has earned the right to keep playing a significant role in the offense, and the Cowboys need him. Peete said Barber aggravated his dislocated pinkie toe during the win over the Giants, and his status could be a week-to-week situation the rest of the season. Peete expects the backs to split time the rest of the season.

I asked Peete the biggest difference between Barber and Choice, who some considered a poor man's Barber. Peete's answer: "Once they get in the open field, Tashard is more likely to make a quick move to try to make you tackle half of him, where Marion a lot of times will try to run you over."


Comments (7) Leave comment | E-mail entry

 

[QT]

Did no one on this board not know that Choice was a player? He's not really surprising me. He was the rookie I was rooting for especially after seeing his pep talk at GT.

We have 3 good RBs for next year...

 

[jobberone]

We knew he was good but I didn't think he was this good.

 

[alancdc]

Great pick. I liked the kid at GT. I also have to give credit to whoever chose to draft him after we had just taken another RB in the first round. Man, if we didn't have him........ How in the world do you get carries for all three of these guys next year?

 

[l0ngsh0t]

Most draft gurus rated him with the best vision of the Rbs. Some had him beind Ray Rice, but it does say a lot.

TBH I think that what makes him special, is that he can see the cut back lanes all the way to back side of the line. Emmitt was great at that, and he didnt need great speed to dominate.

 

[Cowboys22]

Choice was also hurt by the shear number of good RBs that were in the draft last year. During a normal year, he would have gone mid 2nd to early 3rd and would have been seen by the team and their fans as the RB of the future. There was and is no doubt that he has starting RB skills and he will be a starter in the league at some point within 2-3 years. He will just have to wait due to who drafted him. Dallas was very lucky how things worked out and were very smart to take him when he fell to them.

 

[newlander]

The first post-Tuna draft has been....just short of spectacular. It would have been spectacular if Felix wouldn't have gotten hurt. A- in my book.

 

[jobberone]

The first post-Tuna draft has been....just short of spectacular. It would have been spectacular if Felix wouldn't have gotten hurt. A- in my book.

Felix helps make it A++. Name a draft better than this one.

 

[Alexander]

Most draft gurus rated him with the best vision of the Rbs. Some had him beind Ray Rice, but it does say a lot.

TBH I think that what makes him special, is that he can see the cut back lanes all the way to back side of the line. Emmitt was great at that, and he didnt need great speed to dominate.

He should have been in everyone's top 6-8 backs in the draft. If not in the top five, which some publications had him in.

As you stated, he is much like his hero, Emmitt Smith. Good vision, nice acceleration. He might not hit a home run and get caught from behind but that is better than the alternative that we had in Julius Jones who had the speed but could never get to the second level consistently enough to use it.

 

[Angus]

The first post-Tuna draft has been....just short of spectacular. It would have been spectacular if Felix wouldn't have gotten hurt. A- in my book.

You are correct. IMO. If Dallas can replicate it for the 2009 draft, the team will be in great shape. Parcells was not a great draft expert. If it had been up to him DeMarcus Ware would have been on someone else's team. He wanted to take Spears in the spot Ware was taken.



However, that was not the first draft after Parcells left.

 

[MrMom]

Did no one on this board not know that Choice was a player? He's not really surprising me. He was the rookie I was rooting for especially after seeing his pep talk at GT.

We have 3 good RBs for next year...

And all three are great teammates. Flip the depth order on these guys and you wouldn't hear a peep of complaining from one of them. Just hardwork.

 

[DaBoys4Life]

Did no one on this board not know that Choice was a player? He's not really surprising me. He was the rookie I was rooting for especially after seeing his pep talk at GT.

We have 3 good RBs for next year...

I'm just upset that he didn't get more playing time earlier. I had him pegged as the number 2 RB after camp....

 

[viman96]

Did no one on this board not know that Choice was a player? He's not really surprising me. He was the rookie I was rooting for especially after seeing his pep talk at GT.

We have 3 good RBs for next year...

There was a lot of positive talk about Choice on draft day.

 

[CoCo]

I'm just upset that he didn't get more playing time earlier. I had him pegged as the number 2 RB after camp....

I think the difficulty is in deciding who is #3, cause we got plenty of candidates for #1 & #2.

TO & Roy Williams are our starting WR's.

But our running backs might be collectively superior. Wow!

 

[NOVA Cowboy]

I agree w/everyone's analysis....Also, he is not "scared", if you watched NFL replay on NFL network last week against the Steelers, he was relishing his opportunity to start. Alas, he will probably be doing this for another team in four years :cry2:

 

[jrumann59]

I agree w/everyone's analysis....Also, he is not "scared", if you watched NFL replay on NFL network last week against the Steelers, he was relishing his opportunity to start. Alas, he will probably be doing this for another team in four years :cry2:

I don't think so, with the way Barber runs, Barber will be a shell of himself in 4 years carrying the load.

 

[Angus]

I agree w/everyone's analysis....Also, he is not "scared", if you watched NFL replay on NFL network last week against the Steelers, he was relishing his opportunity to start. Alas, he will probably be doing this for another team in four years :cry2:

Not likely. Jerry Jones is sometimes slow to realize what he's got, as he was with Romo, but he will let Barber go before Choice, IMO.

 

[thechosen1n2]

Did no one on this board not know that Choice was a player? He's not really surprising me. He was the rookie I was rooting for especially after seeing his pep talk at GT.

We have 3 good RBs for next year...

i knew he was a player. I think he is the only 20 to 25 carry back on our roster. That many carries takes to much a toll on barber and felix for different reasons. If barber does get healthy, I hope choice starts and let barber go back to last years capacity.

 

[jobberone]

Good grief. The kid has been good and he's earned some more touches. But I personally think MB is a bit better. When healthy.

You guys are so fickle it continues to astound me.

 

[Thomas82]

I don't think so, with the way Barber runs, Barber will be a shell of himself in 4 years carrying the load.

Probably before that, more like 2 years.