Sources: Dallas Cowboys offer Barber deal for $30 million

[Chocolate Lab]

You don't think he can handle a 30 carry a game season?

Genius.

What RB can hold up for 480 carries a season?

Not 30 carries every single game, obviously. A heavy workload with 30-carry games sprinkled in when needed in a tough, slug-it-out game.

Genius.

 

[InmanRoshi]

I understand.

But I come from the non-Buddy Ryan philosophy


At the end of the day its all about scoring points, not yardage and by scoring those points = winning games. Production/quality of stat padding quantity.

So in a tandem RB situation, one running back carries the ball on a methodical march 80 yards down field. 10 carries, 4-8 yards per carry, including several key 3rd down conversions where he was stopped behind the line of scrimmage but managed to shed the defender wiggle free to gain the first down.

Once on the goalline, he's replace by a TD vulture who punches it in on 2nd and 1 ... and that RB is actually the hero of the drive.

 

[Deep_Freeze]

Willie Parker was an undrafted free Agent, as was Rhodes. Jacobs and Sprioles were both 4th rd picks. Turner was a 5th. Chiefs drafted Johnson as insurance because Holmes had a hip injury and he ended up coming back much better than expected. Besides LJ, all these players were drafted or signed as cheap backup alternatives. Point being money is a factor. You just don't see teams signing RBs to such big contracts and then drafting a RB in rd 1 or 2 in the same year. Makes no sense. A choice would have to be made. Either you sign Barber to a deal and draft a back up in the later rounds or you go out and draft a RB high in rd 1 or 2 to be the starter in the future and let Barber walk next year.

I have to agree with this post, excellent points made there. We do let our love for Barber get in the way, but cut and dried, that is the way the situation should be handled and this is what I have been trying to say.

 

[JonCJG]

That was awesome of Jerry to extend this offer even before the Draft. I hate to say it, but this is probably their way of their figuring out if they need to Draft a compliment type back or one that can carry the load in 2009. If MBIII's demands don't go down by next weekend, Dallas might try to move up to select more of a feature back.

My thinking exactly.

 

[CrazyCowboy]

Cha=Chig$$$$

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

So in a tandem RB situation, one running back carries the ball on a methodical march 80 yards down field. 10 carries, 4-8 yards per carry, including several key 3rd down conversions where he was stopped behind the line of scrimmage but managed to shed the defender wiggle free to gain the first down.

Once on the goalline, he's replace by a TD vulture who punches it in on 2nd and 1 ... and that RB is actually the hero of the drive.

If it netted us 7 just about every time. I am ok with it. It would an EFFECTIVE tandem. A team within the RB position.

Hero is extreme.



How many times did Emmitt get the ball at the one yard line when Irvin just missed punching it in. :laugh2:



The RB position has changed obviously. Teams have more success with a tandem. Featured back teams aint winning in the playoffs. Look at LT... has he had great success in playoffs....

 

[TellerMorrow34]

I agree with a few others, it cracks me up that people are so silly here.

#1: If you think it's stupid for him to start high on his end of the negoations then you've either never negotiated for a raise or you just simply like taking whatever you can get.

#2: If you think he's throwing out the 40-60 range for his starting point because he actually THINKS he'll get anywhere near 60, then you don't understand negoatiating or you think Barbers agent is an idiot. Which, clearly, he isn't cause he appears to do a pretty darn good job of getting his clients what they're worth.

Barber won't get anywhere near 60, he and his agent know that, and it's highly unlikely he'll even get 40, and they probably know that.

But if they came to the table wanting, say, 30 and that is what they started with...what are the chances that Jerry would have said...Sure, 30 it is?

No. He wouldn't have. If they came to the table looking for 30 it would have been cause he was willing to settle for 20.

I'm sure he was looking for something more realistic, in the 30-40 range but if he was going to get that you've got to start out higher than that, to see where Jerry is willing to start.

Nothing crazy about it. It's smart on the part of both sides.

 

[JohnnyHopkins]

This is negotiations.

Of course he is going to ask for a lot. The lot of you who are freaking out that he is "demanding" that much are missing the boat.

I had a mediation in a wrongful death lawsuit a couple weeks ago.

Plaintiff's initial demand was $25 million.
Defendant offered $50,000.
After 8 hours of negotiations, the final number was $700,000.

$25 million to $700,000. If the guy wouldn't have started at $25 million, and instead started at $1 million, he would have ended up with a lot less even though the initial demand was more reasonable.

Calm down. This is how negotiations work. MBIII is going to want every dollar he can get--as would anyone.

Good example, but in your example above, the Defendant doesn't have the ability to Draft another plaintiff to take the initial plaintiff's place at a lower rate. MBIII's demands could change Jerry's approach to the Draft.

 

[I LOVE ME SOME ME!]

wow.

After reading this thread again the fickleness of the cowboys fans just comes out.

You pay him for his production. Not how many carries, what he does with the carries. He has been plenty good with the ball in his hands.

I always think the cowboys fan is the most fickle in all of sports and threads like this re-assure that for me.

Its a negotiation.

You sir are correct. It's quite sickening.

 

[Duane]

Who is R. J.?

It's another name for our offensive coordinator. Some people (maybe even Jerry) thinks he walks on water. Couple that with the red hair and you have RJ.

 

[JonCJG]

We are offering 5 years 30 million or 6 million a year.

If he plays out this year for 2.6 million and next year under the franchise tag at around 7, the next two years he would make max 9.6 mil or less than 5 million for the next few years.

That’s assuming he doesn’t get hurt of course and is worthy of the franchise tag next year.

Take the money Marion.

 

[Iago33]

I would not be surprised if this factors into the draft either. Knowing the expectations MBIII has now is useful because we can decide whether we want to put all our eggs into that basket or buy us some first round insurance.

 

[alancdc]

That is an absurd amount of money.

 

[TwoCentPlain]

Hearing those numbers guarantees the Cowboys will draft a RB at pick 22 or 28.

No way the Cowboys cap-wise can keep all three Barber, TO and Newman beyond next year.

That's too bad! Seems like the cap always haunts the Cowboys after they get a nice team together.

 

[theebs]

Willie Parker was an undrafted free Agent, as was Rhodes. Jacobs and Sprioles were both 4th rd picks. Turner was a 5th. Chiefs drafted Johnson as insurance because Holmes had a hip injury and he ended up coming back much better than expected. Besides LJ, all these players were drafted or signed as cheap backup alternatives. Point being money is a factor. You just don't see teams signing RBs to such big contracts and then drafting a RB in rd 1 or 2 in the same year. Makes no sense. A choice would have to be made. Either you sign Barber to a deal and draft a back up in the later rounds or you go out and draft a RB high in rd 1 or 2 to be the starter in the future and let Barber walk next year.

It doesnt matter where they came from. My point was that it takes more than one back. Barber has a role and he excels in it.

WHo said we are drafting a rb in the first round? You, I and everyone else do not know we are drafting a rb in the first round. Money is a factor if you give barber a huge deal and then trade up for a back. That would be brain dead.

I dont see anything wrong with a deal in the neighborhood of what jones offered barber and then a rookie or two behind him. That would be at least 4 years of stability and no new contracts at the position.

Everyone is misunderstanding me and giving me a comparison of barber and LT. I said pretty clearly He is not lt and doesnt deserve lt money but he deserves market value and he needs another guy to go with him.

And again maybe I am wrong. Time will tell. I am a homer for a handful of our guys and I would like to see them all resigned and be a part of this group for years to come...ware, witten, newman and barber.

 

[dallasfaniac]

When all is said and done, Barber will get a little more than Turner did with Atlanta. However, I'm not a fan of paying even that much money to RBs in the pass happy NFL. We'll see how the year shakes out; whether he can handle the spotlight or needs to come off the bench.

As others have mentioned, the timing is a tiny bit suspicious (admitted conspiracy theorist, lol). Jerry could be determining his draft strategy based upon Barber's contract. We may value RBs differently knowing Barber wants in the 40-60 range or to throw even more insane theory out there, we could even be showing Barber's salary range to other GMs. One may determine that Barber at about $35 million and a draft pick is better than the salary of untested McFadden. Not that I would care for such a deal, but I still hear Stephen saying 'That could be McFadden!'

 

[Dallas]

Holmes wasn't a proven feature back when Larry Johnson was drafted. LJ was on his rookie contract for the most of his career until Holmes got his with injuries.

Michael Turner never got enough carries to even be worthy of a conversation. He shared the load sorta with LT, but LT was always the money man.

Bettis was one the downside of his career when Willie Parker was drafted. It wasn't about sharing the load.

Tiki was the feature back meaning he was better than Ron Dayne. Jacobs was drafted the same year Coughlin was hired, I believe. Tiki's fumbling problem went away and he became a dominant back.

By comparison, Barber started his rookie year due to injuries by Julius. Julius came back, Barber went back to backup. There was a changing of the guard, or at least the thinking, in 2006. Barber became fan favorite, but he still shared the load more than anyone considered a feature back.

This would be Barber's first year as feature back. I'd really like to see him show what he could do as true, lead dog.

I cannot argue w/ this at all. Very well said WG. Valid points all around.

MB needs to prove he can do it all season long.

1 game he started and did great in the 1st half. He completely dissapeared in the 2nd half of that game if I remember correctly.

 

[heir]

It doesnt matter where they came from. My point was that it takes more than one back. Barber has a role and he excels in it.

WHo said we are drafting a rb in the first round? You, I and everyone else do not know we are drafting a rb in the first round. Money is a factor if you give barber a huge deal and then trade up for a back. That would be brain dead.

I dont see anything wrong with a deal in the neighborhood of what jones offered barber and then a rookie or two behind him. That would be at least 4 years of stability and no new contracts at the position.

Everyone is misunderstanding me and giving me a comparison of barber and LT. I said pretty clearly He is not lt and doesnt deserve lt money but he deserves market value and he needs another guy to go with him.

And again maybe I am wrong. Time will tell. I am a homer for a handful of our guys and I would like to see them all resigned and be a part of this group for years to come...ware, witten, newman and barber.

Actually. You did. A few posts back you said we should sign Barber to a 6 year deal and then draft a RB in the 1st rd. Go back and check yourself.

Either way. Is Barber worth 30 mil? To me I'm not sure, but I will say the market does say he is. If Turner who has been in the league a year longer and has about 1000 yards less (not sure about the TD stats but I know he doesn't have as many as MB) can get a deal of 34 mil then Barber deserves that and more.

There lies the problem though. The market value for players has sky rocketed to the point where we think it is reasonable for players like this to be worth so much. 2-3 years ago would any of you thought that paying Barber 30 mil was worth it? Probably not. Now since teams are throwing money around like it's a football we seem to shrug off the notion of paying that muich for a RB that is not quite proven.

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

Do some of you guys realize this is a negotiation? Do you expect him to start low. this may be the only big contract he ever gets.

I think he has proven plenty in the three years he has been here. He doesnt need to carry the load like emmit and he has never been asked to so that is a ridiculous statement.

Ah, the talking down to the masses by Theebie:
Yes, we realize this is a negotiation, but thank you for enlightening us.
Though in reality it is only the first volley (a contract asking price) at which to start the negotiations.

Theebie, if someone is asking $40 million to $60 million, that is salary that is considered for a RB star in the mold of L.T. or Emmitt (though emmitt did not get that high). Even at $30 mil, without JJ in the backfield and with only the prospect of a draftee of FA journeyman, he better start thinking of carrying the load like Emmitt. For three years he's been in a tandem role, carrying the ball part (or usually more) of the time. But what he is asking is L.T. money.

Talk about ridiculous: You think a part-timer should be asking for that type of mon-ay? Maybe he should be the featured back for a whole season before he deens to ask for that much?

 

[Cowboys2008]

Yknow though, considering what he's done touchdown-wise the last 2 years combined, he is actually probably worth that compared to what other running backs in this league get. But then again on the other hand, it's hard though, considering at the same time he has yet to prove himself as a verifiable starter in this league.

Someone out there, too, would give him the money. Al Davis or Dan Snyder would give him twice that.

What do we do?

Personally I think he should hold off like someone else said and prove himself much in the same way Romo did for us last season. Give him the starting nod, let him prove his brass over the course of 5-6 games carrying the full load, and then pay accordingly. Though when you do that, you run the risk of him just playing for the payday- and also doing so in the beginning portion of the season, not really seeing his full ability sustain throughout 16+ games.

Ah well, better now than later after McFadden has slipped through our hands. We now have added incentive to possibly make a move. Perhaps it is time to just cut our loses at the end of this next season as far as Barber is concerned. I'm starting to lean that way... Killing all dreams of a McFadden/Barber Doomsday Domination running combination.