How Much of a Need is RB?

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Julius Jones is not a feature back. He came out on fire last season and as the season wore on he wore down and ended witha whimper. The message is clear limit his carries and he is effective.

Barber is a beast and without question deserves a shot at being featured but with his running style he is going to be prone to injury.

Tyson Thompson never proved anything really before he was hurt and now who knows with him.

How much do you guys think we need a running back? is Barber/Jones going to be enough?

So with all that being said i would absolutely love to see us draft a RB on the first day. FA RBs are an unsure thing but historically RBs have the highest rate of coming in and contributing immediately as rookies. Are there any good backs that might still be tehre at 22?

 

[Jimz31]

Not a need at all. JJ did what BP asked him to do. This year, he has a new lease on life.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Not a need at all. JJ did what BP asked him to do. This year, he has a new lease on life.

A have to completely disagree with you here. Jones came out like mad to start the season he had 3 or 4 straight 100 yard games and then all of a sudden he wasnt making cuts that he had been and was obviously shying away from contact. it was the workload not BP that was his undoing.

 

[burmafrd]

I guess you missed the playoff game as well. No point in trying to use logic here. BUT this is simple: why mess with what worked pretty good last year with a subpar run blocking O line? The O line SHOULD be better this year, and so should the running game. With the REAL worries we have, why do some decide to pick at something that worked pretty good?

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

I don't know if we need a RB or not. Won't know until I know we have a good OL in place. Only then can you really make a good evaluation of Jones IMO.

 

[Seven]

A have to completely disagree with you here. Jones came out like mad to start the season he had 3 or 4 straight 100 yard games and then all of a sudden he wasnt making cuts that he had been and was obviously shying away from contact. it was the workload not BP that was his undoing.

He stopped doing that after his first year............

 

[Rack]

We don't "need" a RB, but if a top RB slips to us at 22, might as well take him. No position we draft is gonna start this year anyway, might as well just improve talent and take the BPA.

I don't see any RBs at that spot that would be worth the pick though.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

this class is weak in RBs, Marshawn Lynch will be there at 22 IMO but he's not all that impressive

 

[theogt]

Give Barber 80% of the carries and go from there. If he lasts a season we're set. If he doesn't, draft a guy next year.

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

Julius Jones was coached wrong by Parcell's and Co. I think he'll gain like 1,400 yards this year because he'll be free to cut back and take more gambles....

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

I guess you missed the playoff game as well. No point in trying to use logic here. BUT this is simple: why mess with what worked pretty good last year with a subpar run blocking O line? The O line SHOULD be better this year, and so should the running game. With the REAL worries we have, why do some decide to pick at something that worked pretty good?

Thats not logical thats anecdotal. And the running game was horrible the second half of the season last season and Jones wasnt seeing holes that people were commenting on after each game while shying from contact.

Logic goes something like this:

For the first 8 weeks of the season Jones averaged 88 yards a game and accrued 145 carries. for the remainder of the season Jones averaged 58 yards per game a drop of 30 yards or a drop of 34%. This includes the Seattle playoff game. His avearge for the rmainder of the regualr season was 52 yards a game. Throughout the season the offensive line remained the same with starters Adams, Kosier, Gurode, Rivera and Columbo. if the offensive line was constant then there must be a different explanation for the decrease in production.

it is my hypothesis that Jones' effectiveness diminshes signifcantly after 150 carries and should be limited to around 10 carries a game.

Im not saying that it is a huge need nor am i bashing Julius. I think he like many others was missused last season but after guard and FS IMO RB ranks third on our team needs.

 

[theogt]

Julius Jones was coached wrong by Parcell's and Co. I think he'll gain like 1,400 yards this year because he'll be free to cut back and take more gambles....

So...uhh...why didn't Barber get any of this bad coaching?

 

[KingintheNorth]

I'm very content with the Jones/Barber tandem. I'd actually like to see it more a 50/50 split. If they are going to move Julius Jones then I'd like to see Barber as the workhorse and bring in a clear #2 as a back-up.

I heard Priest Holmes wants to play one more year. The former Longhorn would look good in the blue and gray (at a reasonable price).

 

[K-Mart]

Just to add on to what everyone else is saying....I have no problem handing the ball off to Thompson either....and think he should be used a bit more...

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

Julius Jones was coached wrong by Parcell's and Co. I think he'll gain like 1,400 yards this year because he'll be free to cut back and take more gambles....

I agree... a little... the way he ran into piles and didnt cut was mindboggling... it should be instinctive by now(should have always been) but lets see...

put JJ and MB3 behind a better O-line and lets see what happens...

JJ gained over 1,000 yards last year while he wasnt getting alot of reps at the end of season...

he was antagonized in Seattle playoff game and really responded.... I would like to see more of that...

 

[koolaid]

Julius/Barber was a good combination and worked last year with a below average O-Line, i have no reason to believe it wont work this year with hopefully somewhat improved line play

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

I agree... a little... the way he ran into piles and didnt cut was mindboggling... it should be instinctive by now(should have always been) but lets see...

put JJ and MB3 behind a better O-line and lets see what happens...

JJ gained over 1,000 yards last year while he wasnt getting alot of reps at the end of season...

he was antagonized in Seattle playoff game and really responded.... I would like to see more of that...

Yeah I remember one of their linebackers laying a lick on him and saying something that just pissed him off. All of a sudden he no longer looked like he was running scared.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

Yeah I remember one of their linebackers laying a lick on him and saying something that just pissed him off. All of a sudden he no longer looked like he was running scared.

Yeah!!

I got charged when I saw that... I saw something happening and I was excited...

It reminded me of a time I was at my girls office party(300 people or so) and we were playing "tug of war".... the first time we lost... they had a big arse fat guy as their anchor... it started - we held - THEN we got pulled to the middle and lost.... WELL... this was just not acceptable to me(I HATE losing) so... we go for a 2nd tug of war.... same thing, we start, we hold them... THEN we start getting pulled.... So I pull extra hard and digging desperately in the ground at an angle and I feel the 7 or 8 guys behind me kind of giving up.... I start yelling arggggggggggghhhhhhhh over and over and we start pulling in our direction.... well... we not only won....when it was over I kept pulling and landing on my butt then flipped over and rolled 360 LOL... it was great... then we had a rubber match... I did the same thing.... and each time I did it... it ignited the bigger guys behind me....

So.... seattle lit something in JJ... hope it lasts...

 

[Redball Express]

I think you guys sort of forgot something..

The Cowboys tried to shop Jones prior to Daffy Day for the same 2nd Rd. pick we took him at in '04 and nobody wanted to take him.

What does that tell you..?

The fact that Dallas either saw a RB they wanted more last year or they just had their doubts about him and were willing to go with MBIII as the feature RB says it all.

I think Thompson and his recovery has alot to do with what happens at RB.

Jones still could be featured if the offense made some adjustments to it's blocking and Jones was given the green light to go ahead and make the cutbacks he featured in the rookie year we all fell in love with about him.

It was obvious after this season that BP told him to run North-South and quit the free-lancing.

We'll see if that changes.

Otherwise, I see a RB in the middle rounds if only for TC.

RedBall Express

 

[rysko]

when jones was getting 20+ carries he was gaining over 100 yards and having good games... yet you are saying he was breaking down as the season progressed he got less and less carries and got less and less yards