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

I say keep all three for another year. Barber is getting old and should get traded or released next year. Keep Felix for speed and Choice for balance.

THAT IS HILARIOUS.

Love the facepalm Redskin.

Priceless hahaha

I agreed with you the whole time, KD. TLH and I usually have different opinions on things. It's all good.

PS. Found this online tonight. Show all your friends.

"Dave, you’re right. The big thing to take into consideration is whether or not we really have to move any of our running backs."

In more words, that's what I tried to say at the beginning of it all... And got called a dooouccheee bagggg. Ouch, stings.

Careful dude.

Choice is my favorite of the three. He reminds me so much of Emmitt Smith

Dave, you're right. The big thing to take into consideration is whether or not we really have to move any of our running backs.

Dave, I think we could use our three backs even better than the Saints use theirs because our three have more variety. If we use them right, giving them the plays their individual skills lend themselves to, then we could be more effective than the Saints' running game. I'm not for using Barber only in the fourth quarter and in goal-line situations. I think that's a great way to piss the guy off. There are certain types of runs that suit each player better. I think Barber runs those draws that Garrett likes so much pretty well and he's good just pounding it up the gut because his good vision lets him bounce it outside. Choice is good doing off-tackle stuff, getting the defense going one way and making a cut. What we should be doing is finding ways to get two of them on the field at once. The best way to do that would be either lining them up beside Romo in the shotgun or splitting Jones out wide.  I'd like to see Garrett split Jones out wide, have Williams in the slot and have a tight end to that side, then run a screen to Jones. With the way Williams and our tight ends block, that'd be a scary play.

Colorblind, do your research. Jamal Lewis was the leading rusher last year against the Steelers. He had 94 yards on 23 carries. Yes, I'm nit picking. But you're wrong. Do your research for cryin' out loud. It took me all of two minutes to find that out. Choice was the most productive back they faced, and while I was also pleased that he accomplished that, I also know that it's just one game. Timmy Smith had a great game in Super Bowl XXII, but what did he do after that? Not a lot. We're going to demand a ransom for Choice because of his low contract and productivity, but general managers and scouts will know what they're getting if they put a bid in for Choice.

all right. great points on all sides. i can agree with all, and really can't argue any of these points? because they all have some validity? i really do think that texas, kd, and mb3 have all made good solid points. so where do you go?  so.....in my opinion.....given the age, abilities, game situations, all 3 have a place here, or i guess, they would'nt be here in the first place. but nailing it down.......barber would be the best to move(if we had to) given all measurable criteria?

Davedallasfan I think it would not be a good idea to use Felix like Bush. The reason Bush is used like this is because he is not good at all up the middle. He only does good in the wide open runs on the outside. Felix can go wide or middle we have seen both.  The truth is if Felix could stay healthy we would most likely see him and Choice in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd quarters and Barber 4th quarter. Then there might be a problem that Barber might not like that game plan I dont know. The way it is looking is that  Choice can stay healthy and last a whole game starting. I believe the reason that we are even thinking of who to trade is the reason that they all look great at points in the game and maybe we should think about trading one to get more value out of him. The way that Barber contract is the biggest it might be a better idea to trade him due to he is mainly a 4th quarter guy not a starter. As far as his bruising style I have not seen much of it anymore. He was only really doing all that when he was trying to sign a bigger contract and start. Choice has great vision and a great heart and could lead the team if he was a starter.

PS.... now I understand the animosity blooming on this site.  If you disagree with someone you get called a name!!  Internet fun!

Alright... he gained the most yards of any back against the steelers last year.  The 88 yards were the most given up last year by the top-rated Pittsburgh Steelers defense. Add in his receiving yards and he had the most productive day of any back against the Steelers.  I guess you wanna play the semantics game...

Backs the Steelers faced last year:Slaton, Lewis(twice), Westbrook, McGahee(twice), Jones-Drew, Rodgers, Portis, Addai,  Tomlinson,  Patriots backfield, Bengals backfield, Titans backfield.  Choice was the most productive back they faced. 

My example had less to do with those I compared him to, than  the fact that offers are not made for players during the NFL season.  Trades rarely happen during the NFL season, and when they do it's because the team was spacifically shopping a certain player... ala Roy Williams.  Not that they have anything to do withe the current discussion, but if you don't understand the background issues behind the Walker and Cutler trades I guess you're an NFL moron.

mbIII, you mentioned before something that i overlooked; it was the way the saints use their 3 headed monster. this is the same way i think we should use our 3. i mean, it works for the saints, and it would work for us too if we followed the pattern. felix shoud be used like bush. get him in the open field and have lbs, or safeties trying to cover him. thomas is smaller but more steady of the backs and starts. choice is comparable. and bell is the bigger, more pounding back. also seems to be the goal line and closer type. well we got barber who is a hell of alot more back then bell? so there you go. with that pattern, brees has opened up that passing game like never before. with the te and wrs we have, our offense can be in the same breadth? this is really what i think garrett is trying to accomplish, but just is'nt having the same success yet........but if we keep these 3 backs, and use them accordingly,  look out. it works for the saints and it could be better for us?

yes, and i'm not arguing that barber is not our best back. the statement i'd like to re-make is that over the last year choice has been our most "dependable " back.  the blog stated that inevitably we would have to loose one of our backs. first off, I agree with KD. not really sure why we have to feel any panic about loosing any of them, but as the post says, if we have to, why the most dependable.? we all know that felix just flat out ain't goin any where. he's jerry's. so it's between barber and choice? based on the fact that barber has yet to prove he can stay healthy under a full time starter status, a huge contract, the steadiness that choice has exibited, the wow factor of felix, and considering you said there were a few other good backs coming up in the next draft, why would'nt you move barber and get maybe a second back for him.? he was a 4th rder himself. if he continues to start, run in his punishing style, he'll never stay healthy for a full season. so you better go out there and get some deapth. or you just thank your lucky stars that you've got the 3 to spell each other, keep each other fresh and healthy, and try like hell to implement all 3 of them into the offense as long as they are all under contract. for now this story does have a happy ending.

Colorblind, change your name to Blind right now. Making that comparison is completely ridiculous in the first place. There's a big difference between starting quarterbacks with Super Bowl rings and second-year, third-string running backs. Brady, Manning and AP are all proven commodities in the NFL and nobody is offering anything for those guys because it'd mean trading away so many picks and players that they'd sink their whole team in the pursuit of one player. Sometimes, those trades happen. How untouchable was Herschel Walker supposed to be? How untouchable was Jay Cutler supposed to be?

There were no 100-yard rushers against Pittsburgh last year. Not even Tashard Choice, who had 88 yards on 23 carries. Get your facts straight before you try to make me look dumb. He had 78 yards receiving, most of which coming on a 50-yard grab, so he had over 150 all-purpose yards. That might be what you meant. Running backs have to prove more to me than that. I think you'd get similar results from any of the backs I listed when you put them behind our offensive line. They're all good, kind of fast, kind of strong backs.

Dude you ever going to stop bitching. Every time I come on here you bitch about something. Its Landryhat's blog he can write what the hell he wants. Dallascowboys.com and the Dallas news both talk about the topics you would rather talk about. You can also blog to REAL FANS about the topics.

I'm not sure what the link you referenced was supposed to prove.  That fact that no one was supposedly inquiring about Tashard says nothing about his trade value.  How many teams to you think inquired about Brady, Manning or Adrian Peterson?  Does that mean they have no value?  His tiny contract and high productivity make him the most tradable of the three.

Your assertion that backs like him are a dime a dozen is in my opinion very harshly premeature.  Remind me again how many backs were able to rush for more than 100 yards against the Steelers last year?  Let alone in Pittsburgh?

Also your death is inevitable. Blog on that. The end of the world, also inevitable. The passing of Jerry Jones.... Inevitable. A 6th, 7th, and 8th Superbowl... Also very likely, inevitable.

Oh and I don't recall ever remember falling to name-calling with you, despite your resolving to that quite often... That'd be too.... Chris Cooley-ish.

Or kindergarten... The two are practically synonymous, after all.

But keep it up.

And possibly instead of writing on inevitabilities you could write about the so-called "significant offer" Jerry received and declined at the trade deadline. The lack of a trade at the deadline. The Atlanta Falcons. The fact our offense is one of the best rated in the league despite all the nay-sayers (you?).... There are a lot of ideas out there I'd love for you to blog on so I can discuss the topics with real fans.

Lol, you're right dude. I'm a total douchebag. Can you please write a blog on the inevitability of needing a new quarterback?

This is a non-issue. They are all locked up for a long time, even though contracts don't mean anything.

I say you blog also, on Leonard Davis' replacement's replacement.

While you do that I'll enjoy watching each of our backs and enjoy even more knowing that they're here to stay and they'll be around a while.

Barber has the best value because he's the best back. That's why he makes the money he makes, that's why we'd get the most in return for him and that's why letting him go wouldn't be very smart. I want the best players available on my team and at running back, that's Marion Barber.

yes, thats why i said that barber could be the "value" for us in return draft pick. backs like choice are easier to come by, but backs like barber are'nt. i think what KD was refering to, if i understood him right, pretaining to barbers contract, is that he has a huge contract. that is hard to move onto someone else's cap if that team has money problems already. they would have to re-work his contract thus causing problems with barber being able to move him peacably? with next year being an uncapped season potentially?, then next year at the draft might be the time to do it because the cap hit-contract cost would be a non-factor.. i think that is where KD was going with the barber contract opinion?

So we'll cut him then. If he has no value, then what's the big problem with cutting him? I still think that he's the best back of the three. And as far as Choice goes, Colorblind, you said it yourself: scouts/NFL GMs aren't stupid. That's why they aren't trading for Choice. He's a serviceable back that plays hard, but backs like him aren't hard to come by. That's why nobody was making offers for him.

Scouts/NFL GMs aren't stupid... when someone like Barber starts to decline you can't trade him...

Why does everyone hate each other these days?  Lotta tension up in this site.

In all honesty I couldn't believe Tashard wasn't traded this offseason.  He's the best bang for the buck trading chip on the roster.  I'm glad he's still here, and I'd rather see Marion go, but if you get the right offer you jump on it.

True. I just think that this whole thing will work itself off before we have to worry about trading one of them. If somebody starts to decline (probably Barber with how physically he runs), then that's the guy we trade or let go of.

Who do you think we should trade, Dan?

http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/nfl/news/story?id...

Not a running back my ass. But KD must know it all. Right KD?

It was either an offer for DeMarcus Ware or one of the running backs.

Did I say it was happening this year? Did I even project when? KD douchebag is the one putting a time frame on it

Contracts don't mean nothing. We have them all locked up for the foreseeable future. It may be inevitable, but it may be a few years down the road that we have to worry about affording all three of them on new contracts. If someone holds out, that's the guy we trade. There's no controversy at the running back position yet, and if there is going to be any, it's a few years off.

KD, I am sorry, but you're just a complete douchebag. Seriously.

Contracts mean nothing. And you're missing the whole point: The Cowboys cannot afford three running backs for very long if all three running backs are as good as they seem to be.

You can trade a player who is under contract and your guess or assumption that Barber has something in his contract that makes it difficult to trade him is just made up crap.

I'm done responding to your idiocy.

if u trade barber or choice who will play when jones is hurt again!!

Another thing to ponder is how unique is Tashard Choice? He's a good back, but look at his skill set. He's fairly fast, he's fairly strong, but is there really anything that sets him apart from a lot of backs? There are plenty of guys that came out in this last year's draft that could be doing the same thing that Choice is doing this year. There are a few running backs we could've taken in last year's draft that probably could've done a similar job to Choice this year: Shonn Green (3rd round), Glen Coffee (3rd round), Mike Goodson (4th round), Javon Ringer (5th round) and James Davis (6th round). I think there are even a few guys in this year's draft that could do the same thing, like fellow Georgia Tech running back Johnathan Dwyer (projected 2nd rounder), Tulane's Andre Anderson (3-4), and Oklahoma's DeMarco Murray (3-4). Keep in mind that I'm a big fan of Choice and I'd rather keep him than trade him, but how unique is he as a running back? It's just something to think about.

Worst post ever. Unless inevitable to you is a couple seasons after this one. Choice's contract is next to nothing until, not next season, not the season after that, but the season after that.... Then that next offseason he'd be eligible to become a free agent. He signed a 5 year contract. Felix signed a 7 year, I believe? And Barber has a fat contract that I believe makes it tough to trade him. Either way we've got em for awhile. And 2 of them at a steal. How does that make their being moved inevitable?

The Saints are doing the same thing with Mike Bell, Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush right now. There are different things that each back does well, as is the case with our three. I think there should definitely be an increase in carries for Choice as he's capable of some outside runs and some inside runs. Felix Jones should be splitting out wide, running outside and fielding punts. Marion Barber should definitely be the 3rd down back (great receiver out of the backfield and best pass blocker of the three), our goal line back and a whenever their defense looks tired.

Keep all three, let go of Jason Spare-it, he is awful!   Honestly if play calling were changed, our run game would prosper.

i'm assuming you've all seen the bracelets....W.W.J.D.??? is'nt that what that means, what would jerry do?

W.W.J.D.=what would jerry do? my guess is that felix is his cap feather. won't trade him. choice is bread and butter+insurance. marion is a horse that most teams really don't have. ......now we look at the giants. perfect example of what we got also. what did they do? they kept their version of barber=jacobs......they kept their felix=bradshaw.....they cut loose their version of choice=ward? am i right or wrong? i say keep all three, you can still use em, why get rid of them? but if you had too, you trade barber because the power back always takes the most hits and will wear out the fastest, and he'd have the best value for return. maybe a second in next years draft?

I would not put Felix returning punts or kicks. Look how bad the team is hurting without him so far. He is the home run hit and we have not been doing great with it gone. I would not trade Felix and would choose to keep Choice over Barber for one reason and that is he can play a whole game with out being exausted. Barber is great 4th quarter back and is a big threat also. If had to choose him or Choice it would be to keep Choice. He took over last year and did not seem to be exausted toward the end of the game. Also I love to see him run he don't show a lot of flash but man he finds them holes and makes just the right move even if it is small. His heart is going to be a big plus also. He might even turn out to be a good leader. 

Its simple trade the one a team will give king ransom for.But in all honesty the league is saturated with RB's that is y  alot of teams r using two or three backs.

Remember when we had a 1st round tag on Barber. No one bit on him then we he came off  season where he led the NFC with touchdowns so.....

RB's just not  worth their weight anymore unless u got a standout like AD. But if Felix would stay heavy he would be worth a kings ransom.

Choice is would i would call a solid back he got all three speed, quickness,and  strength none outshining the other but is extremely productive.  He make plays and has durability and is reliable.

I bet if Choice had Felix speed mix in with his durability there would be zero questions about him returning punts or kickoffs.I watch Eddie Royal return a punt and a kick off last night and i wonder y r the Cboys r so scared to put there players in position to make plays. 

although it is special teams and its dangerous but it is the nature of the game. Look at the guy  he got injured playing regular ball. He was miss during the Denver game but injury is part of the game.

If it was up to me i wouldn't shy him away from contact because he will get hit regardless. Now it would be different if he was our starting RB making Barber money then that would be an investment. But right now all we r trying to do is get a little return out the man to c if we will invest in the man.

Who trades the best in value? 1st. rounder for Barber? Sure! High second ok. Anything else doesn't do it for me. Nothing will happen this year but their trade value will go up if they can stay healthy for long periods of the season. Draft another rb mid rounds and move one of em but nobody other then Barber goes...

Thats an easy question. You trade Marion if you can. He's a one dimensional player and everyone is slowly figuring it out. Soon his value will be rock bottom. I love the guy but he should have never been made the starter. He's perfectly suited as 4th quarter battering ram.

I voted above for Tashard... But, I am re-thinking the idea of trading Barber. His hard nosed, balls to the wall, go get'em additude would attract most teams... Any one else noticed that when MBIII catches the ball from a swing pass, its almost 12-15 yards a pop. I can't believe that "Wonder Boy" I.E. Highest paid Assistant Coach in the NFL can't see that... So with that, I say if your coaching staff isn't going to use the talent we have, the way their supposed to use them... Trade'em. Or start useing them correctly!!!
1st qtr---- Tash and Felix
2nd qtr----Tash and Felix
3rd qtr-----Felix....Then More Felix....
4th qtr---(ie) the bottom of the ninth....BARBER!!!!! close it out!!!!

None of the above.

I don't think a trade will happen today but in the future who is to say? Also don't forget 2010 will most likely be a cap less year and that will play into who we can keep or not. I have to agree though, Choice looks like an Emmitt Smith in the making gotta keep him!!!