ESPN MacMahon: Cutting Barber makes sense for Cowboys

[dillinger319]

Jones and Choice will be a deadly combo. Barber is holding everything back IMO. He'll never break a 30 yarder. He doesn't even get short yardage. It's actually hurting the team when he's getting touches.

Get Ben Tate in the 4th. Dude is a beast from Auburn!

I read somewhere that they had talked to him... Im all for cutting Barber, his production is decreasing by the minute...

 

[Thomas82]

That sounds like a "be careful what you ask for" type of statement.

I learned my lesson with the Troy Aikman situation back in 2000.

 

[jobberone]

Right now it looks like a no brainer to NOT keep Barber. I would interject one note of caution.

Barber had that lateral jump move and a power game before getting hurt. He had more speed and acceleration, too. JMO on the latter but most should agree with the former. Barber never got healthy IMO. It's either that or he lost something in the injury itself.

So the big questions are is Barber still hurt enough to affect his performance, will he get back to his normal way above average abilities in time, do we really need to pay for three starting quality RBs, and should Jerry worry about the $4 million roster bonus this spring. If you want to add in do you really want to pay $8 million a year for a RB who has injury problems and averages less ypc than his peer RBs I won't gripe?

 

[dbair1967]

Barber had that lateral jump move and a power game before getting hurt. He had more speed and acceleration, too. JMO on the latter but most should agree with the former. Barber never got healthy IMO. It's either that or he lost something in the injury itself.

This is definitely true IMO too, he never looked the same after the Giants game in week two.

That said, he's been hurt two straight years, and when he got hurt vs NYG he wasnt even hit yet. It's a concern.

 

[jobberone]

This is definitely true IMO too, he never looked the same after the Giants game in week two.

That said, he's been hurt two straight years, and when he got hurt vs NYG he wasnt even hit yet. It's a concern.

No doubt. You're betting one way that he regains his former self and does not get injured again. I'd try and trade him and if not then cut him before that $4 million roster bonus. We can pick up a RB in the draft or in FA to be the backup to Choice and Jones.

 

[casmith07]

I was a huge Barber fan until the last two seasons. He's a bruiser, and they just don't last anymore. His YPC is inflated by a handful of big runs and offset by -5 yard tosses, whereas Jones and Choice seem to rip off more 5-10 yarders.

Put him on the block. Barber to Oakland for Fargas and a 5th? Al Davis will do it.

 

[Future]

Jones and Choice will be a deadly combo. Barber is holding everything back IMO. He'll never break a 30 yarder. He doesn't even get short yardage. It's actually hurting the team when he's getting touches.

Well...he had a 32 yarder on the opening series in week 17 vs. Philly...but I get what your saying. He's never had great speed, but he seems to have lost the burst that made him so effective.

 

[Chuck 54]

if you cut him, you then have to draft or pick up another RB somewhere.

 

[MTCowboys88]

He also had one concussion for sure and had his bell rung in the Philly playoff game.



But we don't know if that mystery candidate can play.

Bottom line is Felix has never been healthy for a full season, and concussions are tricky (Choice). Granted, Barber hasn't had a relatively injury free season since '07, but there may still be a place on this team for him.

I agree that we don't know if a new RB can help carry the load, not to mention pass blocking and blitz pickup, something Barber's very good at. If the worst case happens and both Felix and Choice are hurt (which is not unrealistic at all given the history), do they want a rookie out there picking up a blitz in a critical game?

I think (and hope) the answer lies in a re-negotiation of the contract. I doubt it happens, but I hope it does.

We're too close to start relying on unprovens. We know what we have in Barber, both good and bad.

Split most of the carries between Felix and Choice. Reduce Barber's carries and let him hammer on short yardage and 4th quarter.All of the short yardage woes aren't solely on Barber. Work on it in the offseason. He's still a hammer down on the goal line when healthy.

 

[jterrell]

The problem with this scenario is it assumes everyone will be well and perform exactly like last season and how often does that actually happen?


Say we start Felix next year and give him his 15 carries a game as priority 1... doesn't that put Barber in line where he has been most effective?

If we do cut Barber what happens when Choice gets hurt? (He did have some concussion concerns this year in limited carries) Do we risk hurting Felix as well because he needs to eat 25 carries?

This talk of another back only works if he hit again in the draft. Maybe we are this great RB drafting team and it won't matter but I loathe to basically trade Barber who has been a Pro Bowler for a rookie draft choice because of what? Jerry Jones' ample piles of money....

 

[AMERICAS_FAN]

The problem with this scenario is it assumes everyone will be well and perform exactly like last season and how often does that actually happen?


Say we start Felix next year and give him his 15 carries a game as priority 1... doesn't that put Barber in line where he has been most effective?

If we do cut Barber what happens when Choice gets hurt? (He did have some concussion concerns this year in limited carries) Do we risk hurting Felix as well because he needs to eat 25 carries?

This talk of another back only works if he hit again in the draft. Maybe we are this great RB drafting team and it won't matter but I loathe to basically trade Barber who has been a Pro Bowler for a rookie draft choice because of what? Jerry Jones' ample piles of money....

jterrell, your post above is the most intelligent one in this thread thus far. Everyone seems so quick to want to get rid of Barber in this thread, while the same posters criticise Jason Garett for bad coordiantion and/or missusing the backs/running-game in another thread. I think Garret can do better in how he integrates our three backs in the full gameplan, but he'll need to adjust, and he'll need all three backs to be able to do it effectively.

 

[TheSkaven]

Barber needs to go back to being "the closer". It's only been 2 seasons since 2007, I can't believe everyone forgets just how effective Barber was.

There three good running backs on this roster. Why make this an issue, especially in an uncapped year?

 

[dbair1967]

The problem with this scenario is it assumes everyone will be well and perform exactly like last season and how often does that actually happen?


Say we start Felix next year and give him his 15 carries a game as priority 1... doesn't that put Barber in line where he has been most effective?

If we do cut Barber what happens when Choice gets hurt? (He did have some concussion concerns this year in limited carries) Do we risk hurting Felix as well because he needs to eat 25 carries?

This talk of another back only works if he hit again in the draft. Maybe we are this great RB drafting team and it won't matter but I loathe to basically trade Barber who has been a Pro Bowler for a rookie draft choice because of what? Jerry Jones' ample piles of money....

I have no real problem if they decide to keep him, but his production does not match his salary, and he is taking away carries from Jones and Choice in part because the club feels compelled to try and get their monies worth for him.

If we didnt have Choice, who has proven what he can do then your point would probably make alot more sense. But nobody has two good RB's and thinks "oh man, we HAVE to have a 3rd great back in case one of them gets hurt"

His injury issues have nothing to do with him getting the ball as a starter either.

If he stays its fine, but we wont lose alot if he's gone because we have two very good backs ready to take over and a 3rd back can easily be found.

 

[SLATEmosphere]

if you cut him, you then have to draft or pick up another RB somewhere.

I think we are getting greedy with this "we need 3 rb's" thing. We already have a great combo with Felix and Choice. Most teams would drool over that. And as we witnessed, the 3rd RB wont get many touches anyways.

 

[zrinkill]

I think we are getting greedy with this "we need 3 rb's" thing. We already have a great combo with Felix and Choice. Most teams would drool over that. And as we witnessed, the 3rd RB wont get many touches anyways.

I agree with this.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

I have no real problem if they decide to keep him, but his production does not match his salary, and he is taking away carries from Jones and Choice in part because the club feels compelled to try and get their monies worth for him.

If we didnt have Choice, who has proven what he can do then your point would probably make alot more sense. But nobody has two good RB's and thinks "oh man, we HAVE to have a 3rd great back in case one of them gets hurt"

His injury issues have nothing to do with him getting the ball as a starter either.

If he stays its fine, but we wont lose alot if he's gone because we have two very good backs ready to take over and a 3rd back can easily be found.

Terrific reply David.

A+

 

[Yakuza Rich]

Dumb premise. Why cut him - trades do occasionally occur.

Exactly.

But, just like Bill Parcells liked to say about dumb players make dumb plays...dumb writers make dumb premises.



YAKUZA

 

[Cover 2]

Exactly.

But, just like Bill Parcells liked to say about dumb players make dumb plays...dumb writers make dumb premises.



YAKUZA

Why would anyone trade a pick for him and his bloated contract?

 

[goshan]

Of course you would trade him if you could.

The writer is assuming you can't because of his contract - which is a very plausible assumption.

You simply aren't going to be able to trade him with that contract.

Some often forget about the business side of the NFL. Money matters relative to production.

We will have to release him.

 

[Yakuza Rich]

Why would anyone trade a pick for him and his bloated contract?

You don't just cut the guy and do it right now. That's why it's a dumb premise.

2010 is uncapped. Keep him around, draft a RB, see how the draft pick does and then look to trade him or release him and then not have to worry about the his cap hit in 2011.

The guy did average 4.4 yards a carry this season. You never know what you can get out of that and for MacMahon to basically say cut him now is really stupid.



YAKUZA