Grass Always Greener On The Otherside Of Barber

The season has not started yet and there are already cries to bench Marion Barber and give Tashard Choice, “the future”, his workload this season. How quickly things have changed for Marion Barber III. Since his rookie season, when he came off the bench for Julius Jones, Barber has been the toast of the town for the fans of the Dallas Cowboys, that is until last year.

Barber looked certain to be the “back of the future” for the Dallas Cowboys. Many people saw Barber pounding the rock for the next 7-8 years barring injury. In his third season Barber was given the bulk of the carries as Julius Jones was struggling as the starter. Who can forget that moment when Barber endeared himself to hearts of Cowboys fans everywhere during the New England Patriots game in 2007 when the Cowboys had the ball at their 10-yard line, Barber took the handoff and was forced all the way into the back of his end zone. Barber bounced off 5 Patriots and ended up with the longest 2-yard run I’ve ever seen. Barber was anointed the starter in the divisional playoff game against the Giants and the fans rejoiced. He responded with 125 yards rushing and a solid performance. Since that game Barber has been the starter.

Now, after only two full seasons as the Cowboys starter, the chants are starting for the Cowboys to trade Barber before he loses his value, or to reduce his role and give the young guys a chance. Critics will say it is because he has lost a step, not as aggressive as he was, cannot stay healthy…etc. To be fair, health has been a concern for the Cowboys battering ram. Last year he had a quad injury and a broken finger, the year before was a toe injury. Barber has not been able to stay healthy. But, when he is healthy, few are better.

Now I’m not saying that Barber should get all the carries, or even that Jones and Choice should not have a larger role in the offense. I’m simply saying, let’s see what Barber does this year. He lost some weight to be faster and more explosive. He’s still a punisher, despite the fact the Chargers stopped him twice on the goal line last year. Many will point to those plays saying that Barber has lost it, but when you watch those plays again it is clear the line did not block a soul.

The problem is, as fans, we’re fickle. We buy into the “next star” approach. It has been happening for decades when it comes to sports. We always want the newer, faster, slicker version of what we have. Even if that is not the best way to go.

Sure Choice had the highest average per carry of all the Cowboys backs last year, but he only had one game when he had more than 15 carries. While Choice gained 82 yards on 18 carries for a 4.6/carry average against Carolina in that game, Choice has been inconsistent when he has received a lot of carries. The following week against Denver choice averaged 2.4/carry on 14 attempts. Now please do not get me wrong, I love Choice. I think he will indeed one day take over for Barber as the starter. I just don’t think it should be this year. Then there is Felix Jones. He is our hot rod. The man has moves and wheels. But he also has proven to not be very effective when banged up. Do we give him all the carries? Probably shouldn’t.

Barber has lots left in the tank. He can still run the ball and run it hard. While we do have two flashy sports cars sitting in the garage, why do we want to sell off our pickup truck. The one we depend on when we go to work to get the tough jobs done. Barber is still the “rock” of the backfield. He is the one the guys go to for tips. He is the guy that is called upon to run when the defense knows it is coming. He is the guy that takes the fall when the team’s yards-per-carry average goes down. But, he is also the one that gets that tough yard 99 percent of the time. He’s the one the team turns to when the chances are stacked against him, and no doubt, he is the one that the team leans on the most.

Make no mistake, the Cowboys still need Barber, as much as they need Jones and Choice. Sure the backfield is crowded, but if we can go one more year with it that way, why wouldn’t we?

Take a look below for a moment of nostalgia:

Marion Barber vs. Patriots Defense

Colombo & Kosier Still Not Practicing

The Cowboys held a Monday practice this morning and all eyes were on the offensive line. More specifically, eyes were on Colombo and Kosier. People were hoping to see them lining up with the offense as they prepare for their encounter with the Washington Redskins this Sunday night.

Unfortunately, while Kosier and Colombo practiced together, they were doing rehab. Both players’ status for Sunday is uncertain and Phillips would not go either way. The Cowboys are hopeful that they will get to practice with the team ahead of their game on Sunday. The coaching staff usually requires players to practice at least a couple of days before participating in a game.

If the Cowboys need to resort to plan B it is likely that Montrae Holland will replace Kosier and Alex Barron will replace Colombo. The Cowboys will hope that it does not come to that and both Kosier and Colombo will be joining them on Wednesday when the team resumes practicing.

Bryant Practices

One of the bright spots from Monday’s practice was rookie wide receiver Dez Bryant was back on the field and looking “explosive” according to Rob Phillips of dallascowboys.com, who witnessed the open portion of practice. Bryant has not played a football game in a year. He missed all but one game in his final year of college due to a suspension. The Cowboys are quite confident that after he takes a hit and makes a catch he’ll be ready to go.

The Cowboys At A Closer Look

Now that the 53-man roster has been announced, it is time to take a closer look at the team and the positions. While the roster has been announced it is not guaranteed that this is the roster we will see come Sunday’s opener in Washington on NBC at 8:20 pm ET. With that understood, here we go:

Quarterbacks: Tony Romo (S), Jon Kitna, Stephen McGee

Bottom Line: The only surprise out of this group was that Stephen McGee held on to a roster spot. Wade Phillips typically only carries a couple of quarterbacks and has his third guy on the practice squad. Not this year. McGee’s last game was the one that convinced the coaching staff he might not pass through waivers. Kitna is probably the best backup in the league. He is accurate and has a lot of experience. His arm is still strong and he fits in well to Jason Garrett’s system. All the focus will be on Romo. Can he duplicate his season from a year ago? Romo has to continue to be smart with the football and use all the weapons that he has at his disposal. Last year he had a tendency to focus on a couple of guys. The team will go as far as Romo takes them. We all hope that is to a date in February at Cowboys Stadium.

Running Back: Marion Barber, Felix Jones, Tashard Choice, Deon Anderson, Chris Gronkowski

Bottom Line: None of these three halfbacks were impressive in the preseason. Choice probably had the best preseason of any of them. While there were rumors the Cowboys were trying to deal Barber, they were just that, rumors. It does not matter who starts out of this group they will all play, and play a lot. Barber still has a physical running style despite the weight he lost in the offseason. Jones is your home run hitter and the Cowboys hope they can get him the ball a lot more this season. Choice is your “jack of all trades” back. He can do it all. He might have passed Barber as the best pass catching back. The Cowboys will need to get this group rolling. It was unusual for the Cowboys to keep two fullbacks but with the injuries at tight end, Gronkowski will be more of an H-back. Gronkowski made it hard for the Cowboys to think about releasing him. He outplayed Anderson in the preseason, and is better out of the backfield catching the ball. Anderson still is that battering ram that the Cowboys need to get their running game going.

Wide Receiver: Miles Austin (S), Roy Williams (S), Dez Bryant, Kevin Ogletree, Sam Hurd

Bottom Line: This is Williams last opportunity to prove he is worth starting, not to mention the millions the Cowboys have payed him. Coming off a 7 touchdown season a year ago, he needs to match that number and bring his receptions and yards up, while decreasing his drops. Austin will attempt to prove he is no fluke by looking to be Romo’s number one guy. The wildcard is Dez Bryant. Bryant has the talent and ability to be a huge upgrade over Patrick Crayton, but he is unproven. Without getting a chance to see what he can do in the preseason, we will have to see what he has under the lights on Sunday. Ogletree and Hurd round out a unit that is full of great potential, but potential never wins you a title. Hurd can thank his special teams play and a great preseason for sticking around. He was on the ropes this year and needs to prove he can translate that into the regular season. Look for Ogletree to get some touches and build on his solid rookie campaign.

Tight End: Jason Witten (S), Martellus Bennett

Bottom Line: With Jon Phillips on IR it was a bit surprising to see the Cowboys keep only two tight ends. While Chris Gronkowski will get some time at H-back to take some of the plays from Witten and Bennett, they will be the work horses at the position. We all know what we get with Witten, arguably the best all around tight end in the league. This year it is about Bennett. He is coming off a very disappointing season. Can he get his head in the game and earn the trust of Romo. That will be the key. He can block, but now it is time to show he can be a dangerous threat out running routes.

Offensive Line: Andre Gurode (S), Kyle Kosier (S), Leonard Davis (S), Doug Free (S), Marc Colombo(S), Montrae Holland, Alex Barron, Robert Brewster, Phil Costa, Sam Young

Bottom Line: The Cowboys went a little crowded at this spot only because of the injuries that they have. But, these guys have to be better than they were in the preseason. Too many times were the quarterbacks running for their lives. There is great potential here as well, but they have a lot of eyes on this group. The starters return, but Kosier and Colombo are banged up. Colombo is expected to be back for the opener but Kosier could be gone longer. If this unit can come together and protect Romo while opening up holes like it did last year, the Cowboys will play late into the winter. If they cannot duplicate their performance from a year ago, they will be a 9-7 team. There is a lot of pressure on this group to perform, hopefully they can withstand the pressure.

Defensive Line: Marcus Spears (S), Jay Ratliff (S), Igor Olshansky (S), Jason Hatcher, Stephen Bowen, Josh Brent, Sean Lissemore

Bottom Line: One thing became very evident during the preseason, Marcus Spears is a huge part of the Cowboys ability to stop the run. With Spears out all preseason with a knee injury the Cowboys failed to consistently stop the run, especially on the left side of the defense. While Spears does not rack up huge stats he is a run stuffer on that line. Ratliff is still a force to be reckoned with and will try to maintain that reputation this season. Hatcher proved that while he may be able to get to the quarterback he has a tough time against run blocking. Olshansky does what he does…run stuffer. He is great at it. Stephen Bowen had a great preseason and was a consistent presence in the backfield of opposing offenses. The Cowboys need this group to be able to hold opponents run game down and allow the linebackers to do what they do…make plays. The biggest surprise of this group was that Junior Siavi, who was having a great preseason, did not make the team. Instead the Cowboys held onto rookies Josh Brent and Sean Lissemore. Brent figures to have the most impact spelling Ratliff.

Linebackers: DeMarcus Ware (S), Anthony Spencer (S), Keith Brooking (S), Bradie James (S), Victor Butler, Brandon Williams, Jason Williams, Sean Lee, Leon Williams

Bottom Line: This was the most productive unit out of all the positions in the preseason. The Cowboys have a number of players capable of making plays and it all starts with their starters. This might be the best group of starting linebackers in the league. Ware and Spencer are back together hoping to build off a great finish to last season. James and Brooking anchor the middle and are exceptional tacklers. Victor Butler just keeps proving he is a playmaker and will be pushing for time on the outside. Sean Lee looked very good in the last two preseason games and will challenge for nickel time. The rest of the linebackers who are all named Williams will battle each other for time during the season. Leon had a great preseason and will probably keep Jason off the field and inactive for most of the season depending on which one plays better in special teams coverage.

Cornerbacks: Terrance Newman (S), Mike Jenkins (S), Orlando Scandrick

Bottom Line: This position was the biggest surprise on cut down day. Everyone thought Cletis Gordon would be the fourth corner, but the Cowboys decided to only keep three. Newman and Jenkins are coming off Pro Bowl appearances and Scandrick is solid. The question will be can these three remain consistent from last year and even build upon it.

Safeties: Gerald Sensabaugh (S), Alan Ball (S), Mike Hamlin, Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, Danny McCray, Barry Church

Bottom Line: This position was the reason the Cowboys went with only three corners. Both Ball and Owusu-Ansah can play corner in a pinch. Sensabaugh had a bad game in the playoff loss to Minnesota and will look to rebound this season. Ball will start at free safety and will have a lot of eyes on him, especially when it comes to run defense. The critics of Ball say that he does not like to get mixed up in the running game. McCray and Church were welcome surprises in the preseason and could not be cut. They will be looking to make more impressions on special teams during the season. A.O.A. will look to establish himself as a returner. He has blazing speed and great size, look for him to enter the game as a corner in the dime packages later in the season.

Specialists: David Buehler (K), Mat McBriar (P), L.P. Ladouceur (Sn)

Bottom Line: Whomever the 53rd man was should send Buehler a thank you basket. With Buehler winning the kicking job (10 for 11) in the preseason, the Cowboys were able to carry just one kicker this season. That opened up a much need spot on this team. McBriar is one of the best punters in the league and just keeps getting better. Most people do not even know who Ladouceur is, he likes it that way. It means L.P. is doing his job when he remains anonymous.

As it stands right now, this will be the Cowboys roster come Sunday in Washington. The Cowboys have a lot of talent and good players. It is not unreasonable to think they could challenge for a title. The key will be execution. After the preseason, that is what a lot of people are questioning them on.

Cowboys Trim Roster To 53

As the deadline for NFL teams to trim their roster has now come and gone, the Cowboys have released their complete list of cuts to get down to the 53 player limit.  Other than the release of Cletis Gordon, the only other real surprise is the release of defensive tackle Junior Siavi. Siavi had a great preseason and was looked to put a stranglehold on being a backup to Jay Ratliff. The Cowboys opted to go with rookie Josh Brent, a move that will be watched all season.

Here is the complete list of cuts:

Offensive Cuts:
OT Will Barker
OG Travis Bright
RB Herb Donaldson
TE DajLeon Farr
WR Jesse Holley
WR Manny Johnson
RB Lonyae Miller
TE Jason Pociask
TE Martin Rucker
OL Mike Tepper

Defensive Cuts:
DE Marcus Dixon
CB Cletis Gordon
OLB Curtis Johnson
CB Bryan McCann
LB Steve Octavien
DT Jimmy Saddler-McQueen
LB Brandon Sharpe
CB Jamar Wall
CB Teddy Williams

A couple of players who had strong camps but ultimately got caught in the numbers crunch at their position are WR Manny Johnson as well as LB’s Steve Octavien and Brandon Sharpe. I’m sure the Cowboys are hoping to sign these three as well as a few more to the practice squad right away. The chances are slim that Johnson, Octavien and Sharpe will remain. When players put together strong outings other teams usually notice.

We will do a complete introduction to the Cowboys roster tomorrow. But for now here is your roster rundown:

QB: Tony Romo, Jon Kitna, Stephen McGee

RB: Marion Barber, Felix Jones, Tashard Choice

FB: Deon Anderson, Chris Gronkowski

TE: Jason Witten, Martellus Bennett

WR: Miles Austin, Roy Williams, Dez Bryant, Kevin Ogletree, Sam Hurd

OL: Andre Gurode, Leonard Davis, Kyle Kosier, Marc Colombo, Doug Free, Alex Barron, Montrae Holland, Robert Brewster, Sam Young, Phil Costa

NT/DT: Jay Ratliff, Josh Brent

DE: Igor Olshansky, Marcus Spears, Stephen Bowen, Jason Hatcher, Sean Lissemore

OLB: DeMarcus Ware, Anthony Spencer, Victor Butler, Brandon Williams

ILB: Bradie James, Keith Brooking, Sean Lee, Jason Williams, Leon Williams

CB: Mike Jenkins, Terence Newman, Orlando Scandrick

S: Gerald Sensabaugh, Alan Ball, Michael Hamlin, Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, Danny McCray, Barry Church

Special Teams: Mat McBriar, David Buehler, L.P. Ladouceur

What do you think about your 2010 Cowboys?

CB Gordon Gets Cut

In a shocking move, the Dallas Cowboys have cut thought-to-be fourth corner Cletis Gordon.  Gordon, who had a great camp and preseason was expected to be a lock at the fourth corner spot.  While it is not as shocking a move as Matt Leinart being released in Arizona, most people would be lying if they saw this coming. Gordon looked to be a shoe-in to lock up the fourth corner spot after very impressive games in San Diego and Houston.  He did struggle a little bit against the Dolphins, but not horribly.

Other interesting moves were one of the players battling Gordon for the fourth corner spot, Bryan McCann, was also released leaving rookie Jamar Wall the only other corner besides the big three (Newman, Jenkins, and Scandrick).  McCann was the Cowboys leading punt returner in the preseason with a 10.8 yard average.  He also had 13 tackles.

Travis Bright, the second year guard, was also released today.

McQuistan Moved To Miami

In a quieter move, the Cowboys shipped fifth year tackle Pat McQuistan to Miami for future considerations.  McQuistan arrived in 2005 as a seventh round tackle.  He showed promise but was never able to crack the lineup.  The Cowboys had moved him to guard during the preseason to see if he could become an every position lineman.  Evidently, Bill Parcells, who drafted McQuistan, wanted him to join him in Miami and made the trade late Friday.

McQuistan’s move, while not a blockbuster, has been overshadowed by the Cowboys trade of wideout Patrick Crayton to San Diego Friday afternoon.

Crayton Dealt to Chargers

ESPN is reporting that the Dallas Cowboys have sent WR Patrick Crayton to the San Diego Chargers for a seventh round pick in the 2011 NFL Entry Draft.  Crayton, who was due to make $2 million this season, has voiced his displeasure about his position on the team since they drafted first round pick Dez Bryant in April.

Crayton made a couple of comments like “I’m the insurance policy” and “If I’m here in September I’ll be surprised”.  It comes as no shock that Crayton was moved.  The Cowboys have been impressed with some of their youngsters in camp like Kevin Ogletree, Jesse Holley and Manny Johnson.  Rumours had been going around that fellow receiver Sam Hurd could also be moved, but with Crayton moving on, Hurd should be safe.

The move of Crayton will be a lift for the Chargers who need some quality depth at the position since it looks like last year’s star wideout Vincent Jackson will not be back with the team this season and possibly ever.  Crayton brings great hands and a firey attitude to the Chargers who no doubt took a look at the receiver when they played back in week 3 of the preseason.

Crayton & Hurd On The Outs?

There is no secret that there is a lot of competition at the wide receiver spot in Dallas.  You have last year’s breakout player Miles Austin, you have the cash eating Roy Williams, and then you have your number one pick in this year’s draft Dez Bryant.  After those guys, things get a little dicey.  Veterans Patrick Crayton and Sam Hurd are trying to fight with guys like Kevin Ogletree, Jesse Holley, and Manny Johnson.  The problem is if your veterans aren’t standing out above the pack, their salary becomes a hinderance.  That is the position that Crayton and Hurd find themselves in.  They are solid receivers, not spectacular, but solid; but they also have heavy veteran salaries which just might be their undoing.

While Holley and Johnson have not really stood out on a consistent basis, both players have been good special teams performers and from a 4th – 6th wideout position, that is what you want.  While both Hurd and Crayton have had their moments on special teams, they both cost a lot of money for just special teams work.  They both understand that football is also a business and therefore they might be the odd ones out.

Both players are attractive to other teams and as of today, dallascowobys.com reporter Rob Phillips is saying:

“Jerry Jones said the Cowboys are exploring trade possibilities involving multiple teams and more than one player as Saturday’s final roster cuts loom.  Jones did not name specific players and declined to say whether draft picks would be desired compensation. Asked if a trade was probable or merely possible, Jones said, ‘Possible, but very real.’”

One would have to think those players would include Crayton and Hurd.  With Crayton expected to make $2 million and Hurd approximately  $1.8 million, the Cowboys might look to deal them off and roll the dice on some of their younger guys.

The Cowboys also have a lot of depth at linebacker and instead of cutting some of it, they might try to see if they can get anything for them.  Players like Brandon Sharpe and Leon Williams, who have both played well this preseason, are likely on the chopping block and the Cowboys might look to parlay them into some low level draft picks or even some good young players in return.

As Saturday’s cuts loom large, there is a lot of things that could develop.

McGee And Cowboys Dump Dolphins In Finale 27-25

After the Cowboys played an ugly game last week in Houston, the coaching staff considered playing the starters for a little bit last night in Miami. Eventually, they decided to rest all of the starters allowing the “bubble” players to get some much needed time. One player that was under a microscope was third-string quarterback Stephen McGee. McGee had taken some heat about how he was and “option” quarterback in much of his college career and that he would have a hard time adjusting to the NFL game. After a short preseason last year (injury) and then running the scout team all year during the season, McGee was hoping to make an impression this preseason. While he has gotten a lot of playing time, he spent most of it running for his life behind poor performances by the backup offensive lines. Last night was a different story as McGee and the Cowboys took down the Dolphins 27-25 in the preseason finale.

McGee played all of last night’s game against the Dolphins and proved to those watching that he does have the ability to play quarterback in the NFL. While most of the game was against the Dolphins backups, they did play their starters on both sides of the ball for the first few series. McGee performed well in the game going 27 of 42, for 304 yards and a beautiful 43-yard rainbow touchdown pass to Sam Hurd on a fly pattern. McGee made a good statement and strong case to stay on the 53-man roster. “I just wanted to come in and play to the talent I know that I have…a lot of people like you guys always seem to say I’m not good enough, but I know in my heart how good of a quarterback I am.” McGee led the Cowboys on six scoring drives capped off by driving for the winning field goal to end the game with 4 seconds remaining.

The Cowboys brass was excited by McGee’s play as well, Jerry Jones speaking to the media, “You’ve got to give Stephen McGee his due. It was just almost like right before your eyes you could see him start getting comfortable. You could see his body language. You could see all of those things happening, so I’m proud for him.”

McGee was not the only Cowboy that was impressive last night. Second year linebacker Victor Butler had a monster game getting to Dolphins’ quarterbacks twice for sacks and adding two forced fumbles as well. While some Cowboys have been making impressions on people, all Butler has done all preseason is make plays. It feels real good when you’re creating plays to help your defense and help your teammates win. “Ten guys created the opportunity, and I got to take advantage of it,” Butler said to reporters after the game. He did take advantage of it. There was not much doubt that Butler would be on the roster after his impact off the bench late last season, but it is nice to see him being more consistent. Butler’s fellow linebacker, rookie Sean Lee, also had a good game recording two sacks of his own and recovering a fumble. One of the areas of strength this preseason has to be the Cowboys linebackers who have been phenomenal, hopefully that will translate into the regular season.

Another interesting situation through the preseason is the kicker position. It is safe to say that David Buehler has established himself as the Cowboys kicker after his performance last night. Buehler went 4 for 4 with a long of 51 yards. He also hit the game winning 31-yard field goal as time expired. While each kick is a pressure kick, there is no more pressure than on a kick that wins or loses a game. After the game Buehler was satisfied with his performance, “My job was on the line and I had to come in here and make kicks…that’s what I had to do tonight.” His success caused team owner and general manager Jerry Jones to proclaim “We have ourselves a kicker!” While it might not seem like a big deal to many, Buehler’s consistency provides another roster spot. Last season the Cowboys carried two kickers, Buehler for kickoffs, and a combination of Folk and Suisham for field goals. With one guy able to do both jobs the Cowboys are able to keep a player that they would not have last season.

As cuts come down on Saturday the Cowboys will look at these standouts from Thursday night’s game and know they have a tough task to do when taking this roster from 75 down to 53 players.

Game Highlights click here.

Top Position Battles: Safety

One of the positions the Cowboys had questions about heading into the season was free safety. With the release of Ken Hamlin in the offseason, the Cowboys decided to roll the dice on converted cornerback Alan Ball. Ball, and last year’s starting strong safety Gerald Sensabaugh, were figured to be the starters week 1 against Washington. But, there have been plenty of surprises at both safety positions in camp. With the amount of players vying for a roster spot, it was being compared to wide receiver, just without the proven capability.

Things have not gone smoothly for the Cowboys at the safety position this preseason. They have suffered injuries to fifth-year man Pat Watkins and fourth round pick Akwasi Owusu-Ansah keeping them out of most of training camp so far. Ansah made his debut against the Chargers and did not stand out in a good, or bad, way. The worst news may have come on Saturday when Sensabaugh went down with a shoulder injury. He will be out for at least 3 weeks with a shoulder subluxation. Mike Hamlin, who missed a couple of weeks with a concussion and was being groomed at free safety, will replace him against Houston and possibly until he returns.

There have been some good standouts at the position so far this preseason. Barry Church and Danny McCray have both played strongly in their appearances in the preseason games, and have held their own on the practice field. Where the Cowboys had many questions about depth, it seems now they have even more trying to figure out where to place these guys. They have all proven they can play, now they just need to prove they are worthy of sticking around.

Depth Chart:

1) Alan Ball – Given the free safety spot in the spring. Just needs to be careful not to lose it.

2) Gerald Sensabaugh – When healthy, will start at the strong position.

3) Mike Hamlin – Has looked good in camp and could find himself starting week one.

4) Pat Watkins – If he cannot get on the field and stand out, he will be gone in favor of the younger, cheaper players.

5) Barry Church – Plays well at strong safety. Strong play so far has the coaches questioning.

6) Danny McCray – Has proven to be valuable at both spots. Been a very pleasant surprise in camp so far.

7) Akwasi Owusu-Ansah – Has not had a lot of time, but the Cowboys like his potential so he will stick around during the season.