Marion Barber was a bust?

[CowboysFaninHouston]

Yahoo sports, yea I know, but they listed the Top 5 busts and had Barber on the list. I never considered Barber a bust..

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/top-five-dallas-cowboys-draft-busts-214500348--nfl.html

not as a draft pick. but as a FA signing.

LaFaleur was an Aikman favorite pick. I remember reading at the time that Aikman liked him and thought he would be good to have and that was when Jerry was allowing inmates run the assylum.

 

[Doomsay]

Bust. Elite. Why is everyone so obsessed with absolutes?

That's 75% of sports board discussion, it seems.

 

[KJJ]

Barber was a bust as a "starter" but provided an excellent second punch as a short yardage back and closer. He was a 4th round pick who became a pro bowler as a backup so it makes no sense including him on a list of busts. It was Julius who wasn't providing the good first punch which ultimately led to his release and Barber becoming the starter.

If the Cowboys were a well organized team that had a solid head coach who wasn't being undermined by Jerry they would have started Felix from the get go when he was showing flashes of brilliance his first 2 seasons and kept Barber in the role he had. Things may have turned out differently for both players had they been used properly.

 

[arglebargle]

I don't really have to much of an issue with anybody on that list, other then MBIII. I don't believe he was a bust. I think his follow-on contract was a bad one for us to sign to but he was not a bust IMO. He was very good his first few years in the league IMO. Great value until the scheme changed and he started breaking down a little bit.

LaFluer, IMO, was an injury issue more then anything but strictly speaking, a 1st round pick who only played for 4 seasons and who provided the production he did could be considered a bust IMO. More so because the back issues were there in college but we didn't feel as though they were significant enough to take him lower or take him off our board. Instead, we moved forward and drafted him in the 1st.


The others, IMO, were all busts. JMO

Yeah, I would agree about LaFluer. An injury to a high draft pick that knocks them out is just bad luck. Unless it was a known issue at the time of the draft, then it can move into bust territory. Things like that make Jacob Rogers or Lafluer a bust. While someone drafted in the same general area who has a singular terrible injury wouldn't be.

Unfortunately, the term 'Bust' can get used for any level of failure apparantly. With such a nebulous definition, anybody can be tagged with it. I'd prefer to keep it in the 'High Expectations - Low Performance' arena. Everyone can agree that Jamarcus Russell is the Bust posterboy!

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

Barber was a bust as a "starter" but provided an excellent second punch as a short yardage back and closer. He was a 4th round pick who became a pro bowler as a backup so it makes no sense including him on a list of busts. It was Julius who wasn't providing the good first punch which ultimately led to his release and Barber becoming the starter.

If the Cowboys were a well organized team that had a solid head coach who wasn't being undermined by Jerry they would have started Felix from the get go when he was showing flashes of brilliance his first 2 seasons and kept Barber in the role he had. Things may have turned out differently for both players had they been used properly.

It wouldn't have mattered IMO. Barber's downfall wasn't because he was no longer the "2nd half closer"......his physical play caught up with him. Its that simple. Same goes for Felix. His downfall wasn't not starting. The more contact and the more carries he receive plus with the weight gain he just wasn't the same.

 

[thechosen1n2]

Yahoo sports, yea I know, but they listed the Top 5 busts and had Barber on the list. I never considered Barber a bust..

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/top-five-dallas-cowboys-draft-busts-214500348--nfl.html

Bust, No! (because of where he was picked)
Highly overrated...Yes. Julius Jones was a better everydown back. Barber was a better 4 quarter back. The biggest mistake we made was making barber a full time back. Even then he never reached a thousand. He scored the majority of his TDs once someone moved the ball between the 2 20s.

 

[KJJ]

It wouldn't have mattered IMO. Barber's downfall wasn't because he was no longer the "2nd half closer"......his physical play caught up with him. Its that simple. Same goes for Felix. His downfall wasn't not starting. The more contact and the more carries he receive plus with the weight gain he just wasn't the same.

Barbers downfall was being featured with his style of play. He couldn't get outside and turn the corner or make anyone miss. He was a between the tackles runner who sought out punishment. When Barber was at his best most of his carries came in the 3rd and 4th quarter against tiring defenses. The holes were opening up and he took advantage of it. He averaged 4.8 per carry in 06 and 07 doing most of his damage in the second half as a closer. As a starter he was going up against fresh defenses and received a number of carries right out of the gate. Everyone except the Cowboys (Jerry) knew Barber wouldn't last long as a workhorse with his seek and destroy running style. As soon as he became the starter the injuries started up. He had a toe injury during the 08 season that rendered him useless the final few weeks of the season.

He only produced 47 yards rushing the final 5 games that season. He then injured his quad in week 2 of the 09 season vs the Giants in a game he rushed for 124 yards. He struggled all season with it never breaking 100 yards the rest of the season. He went from being money in short yardage situations to not being able to pick up a yard when needed. The added carries against fresh defenses wore him down. By the second half of most games he looked like a shell of the player he once was. He became the starter in 08 and was done by the 2010 season.

As for Felix he was making plays every few carries his first 2 seasons. He looked like he might be the second coming of Tony Dorsett at times but his opportunities were few and far between. Against Wash his rookie year a game the Cowboys lost Felix never received a single touch and was healthy. The week prior he had 76 yards on just 6 carries vs GB which included a 60 yard TD run. That 60 yard TD run was the last touch he got for 2 weeks and he was healthy. Everytime he made a play he was back on the bench so Jerry could get his $45 million worth out of Barber. Injuries were an issue with Felix but some of those injuries may have been prevented had he not been standing on the sidelines for a quarter tightening up waiting for his next opportunity.

He suffered a hamstring injury after standing around for more than a quarter during one game. He got tight on the sidelines and the Cowboys brought him in after an hr of inactivity to run a wide play and he pulled up lame. He got a reputation for not being durable so he put on weight which slowed him down. He didn't look as fast or quick with the added weight. Not using him enough early in his career caused him to go stale and lose some of his confidence. After earning the starting job then losing it probably played a part in him failing his conditioning test during training camp last season. He lost some of his desire and looked disinterested on the field last season. He didn't look like the same back we saw his first 2 seasons. Go back to the 09 playoff game vs Philly in which he rushed 148 yards. He had the potential to be an outstanding back but the lack of opportunity and the deterioration of the OL prevented it.