The Inevitable: Marion Barber, Tashard Choice or Felix Jones Won’t Be A Dallas Cowboy

[Gryphon]

Source: thelandryhat.com

The inevitable will happen. The Dallas Cowboys cannot field and afford three running backs, each who could probably start on at least half of the NFL teams. Tashard Choice and Felix Jones are two years into their careers, while Marion Barber is a NFL veteran.

What I don’t want to see happen is the Cowboys lose one of these guys to free agency. Some team out there needs a running back and one of those teams will take any one of these three studs. This means the Cowboys must consider trading one of these three running backs, even though this three-headed monster has come in real handy because of injuries—which sort of opens the door to speculation.

Is Tashard Choice the future? Well, he has had some runs that made him resemble Marion Barber with the sheer power he uses to push through defensive lineman.

Marion Barber certainly is a player who motivates and pumps up the team. Is he the guy the Cowboys should consider trading? Picks or players?

Or do the Cowboys part ways early with Felix Jones, who cannot stay healthy, but is very dangerous–very very dangerous, when he is in the game.

Wow. Tough call. But notice how I leave Choice out of the trade talks. That’s because after watching most of his game tapes, he really looks like a player who can be a star in this league–full time. I think it would be a huge error to trade him away. In fact, the Cowboys coaching staff want to get him more carries. Do you blame them? He’s really good.

This sort of reminds me of the day we traded Herschel Walker to the Vikings. We traded our best player on the team? A few years later we were a dynasty.

Can the Cowboys financially sustain these three running backs into the future? It becomes the toughest choice in the history of the organization in my opinion. But if the Cowboys want to seriously address the weaknesses they have on offense and defense, all three of these guys could do that.

If you were the Cowboys GM, who would you trade?

Who would you trade

Marion Barber
Tashard Choice
Felix Jones

 

[DallasDW00ds0n]

sorry, but Barber

 

[TonyRomo#9]

gotta say barber, even though i love him.. he hasn't translated to a starter like we thought, and he is paid like a superstar. he has years of punishing running behind him, so how long can he last? choice and felix would make a great 1-2. and get a jag for the 3rd spot. thats only if we could get something worthwhile for barber.

 

[AbeBeta]

I gotta say that it is starting to look like one of these guys may not be able to stay on the field

 

[LeonDixson]

I posted last week that assessing all their strengths and weaknesses then I'd trade Barber when the time comes, even though I love him to pieces as a RB.

 

[Cowboys22]

Not tough at all for me. Trade Barber while he still has good value. A RB combo of Choice, Jones, and a draft pick/free agent is plenty good enough for me. I love Barber but I think you could get a really good player or pick for him and wouldn't really miss his production because of Choice. Choice just has that combo of speed, strength, vision, moves, and durability that I think you can win a superbowl with.

 

[BHendri5]

That is an easy question for me, if I could secure Jahvid Best I would trade MB3. Barber's style is will not let him play that much longer in the NFL, he is in his 5th season now and that is the average, with his running style, yeah it would be Barber, I believe Felix will nix that injury bug real soon, but I would still like a first for MB3 and take a LT/Jahvid Best

 

[Bluefin]

All three backs are signed through 2011, after which Tashard Choice will be a restricted free agent (new CBA might change status) and Felix Jones is good through 2012.

So we don't need to do anything for a while.

Marion Barber's contract will start to get more expensive, but the other two are playing for peanuts on rookie deals.

Money is a non-issue here.

As long as all three are playing well, why not keep them?

We've needed that depth both this season and last.

Our only problem at running back is deciding how to divvy up the carries, let's leave it at that.

 

[DIAF]

Probably Choice. I imagine they'll let him walk when his contract is up. Marion Barber would be tough to move with his contract, and it's hard to imagine any franchise trading for a RB when they can just pick one in the draft who will be younger than the one they'd be surrendering that pick for.

This ain't madden. You can't just trade anyone good for a 1st rounder. Unless of course we are talking about Coakley.

 

[dannyboy]

Everyone talks about trading certain players or releasing them and no one takes into account the cap hit involved. Barber, Hamlin and Flo are in the middle of some big contracts. Maybe in a couple of years

 

[Hoofbite]

So many wanting to get rid of Barber when Felix has shown ZERO ability to stay healthy enough to suit up.

Barber may get a few bumps and bruises but he's out there.

This isn't some big problem by the way. Dallas has these guys under contract for a couple more years. Sure, its inevitable. Inevitable in the same way that dying is. It will happen but nobody is forcing the issue.

 

[tunahelper]

sorry, but Barber

I agree!

 

[gimmesix]

Right now, it would be Barber after next season, with Choice going into the final year of his contract. But that could change based on their play over the rest of this season and next year.

To get any of our backs before that time, someone should have to make us an offer we can't refuse.

 

[Jenky]

Am I the only one who thinks Choice has the best chance of staying?

 

[Bluefin]

Trade Barber while he still has good value.

As Bill Parcells liked to say, there's a flip side to that pancake.

Running backs have short life spans in the NFL, so it's almost impossible to get value for one in a trade. Second, Marion Barber has a big contract that will only get more expensive as we go forward.

A team could renegotiate terms of the deal before agreeing to a trade, but Barber isn't going to want to give up money, so that's an iffy proposition.

I don't think we could get value and I doubt MB3 would agree to restructure, that would make trading him very hard to do.

More than likely, Barber will be given his release following the 2011 or 2012 season.

 

[yimyammer]

I trade whomever, whenever I could get great value and make the team better and most competitive for the long run and I am not just referrring to the running backs.

If I had my wish, there would be no sacred cows.

 

[Bluefin]

Everyone talks about trading certain players or releasing them and no one takes into account the cap hit involved. Barber, Hamlin and Flo are in the middle of some big contracts. Maybe in a couple of years

This may well be the final year of the salary cap.

The NFLPA has been very vocal about their unwillingness to go back to a cap if the uncapped season takes place in 2010.

 

[SharutoX]

I don't know why but i'd take choice over felix and barber

 

[Vinnie2u]

Good Rb's are not hard to find.. The O-line is what makes good backs.. Thats why u should never overpay for a RB unless youre a complete package like AP..

 

[DaBoys4Life]

Bye Jones Bye Barber Choice is all we need at RB.