Cowboys Mailbag: Cowboys should consider trading running back for more picks


Web Posted: 03/12/2007 04:06 PM CDT


Tom Orsborn
Express-News Staff Writer

Are the Cowboys ready to listen to offers for running back Julius Jones?
The Philadelphia Daily News says they are, which must mean new offensive coordinator Jason Garrett has seen enough film of last season to believe hard-nosed Marion Barber should get the bulk of the carries in 2007.
Perhaps new head coach Wade Phillips has also chimed in with something along the lines of, “That kid reminds me a bit of Earl Campbell.”
I like Barber, but I’m not ready to give up on Jones, especially with Leonard Davis lining up at right guard next season. Too many times in 2006, Jones had nowhere to run because Marco Rivera couldn’t clear a path.
Jones had less than 70 carries in the final six regular-season games last year, but he still finished with 1,084 yards and gained 112 on 22 attempts in the playoff loss to Seattle.
But the Cowboys have told teams that have inquired about him that the former Notre Dame star is for sale for the right price, according to the Daily News. Even though I think Jones has many good days ahead of him, I’d be inclined to bid him farewell if a proposed deal included another first-day pick, especially a second rounder.
The Cowboys have 10 picks in the draft, including No. 22 overall (first round), No. 53 overall (second round) and No. 87 overall (third round). With three picks in the first two rounds, the Cowboys could put themselves over the top if they hit home runs with each selection.

And let’s not forget that Tyson Thompson, who suffered a season-ending ankle injury in October, is waiting in the wings should Garrett need another back to shoulder the load with Barber.

Can't wait for the reaction on this one. Although one has to admit, this does make sense.

And if they do trade Jones, Antonio Pittman would be a PERFECT fit here.......

MBIII would finally get to shine at the beginning of the game now....

I wouldn't get too excited about this just yet. Same stories were flying around last year.

Would Dallas trade him? sure, if the offer was good enough. Everyone on the team is for sale at some point.

And if Dallas does trade Julius Jones, they had better bring in another running back, because Marion Barber will not be able to handle the job full time.

I am sure it is nothing more than a rumor.....

It struck me as funny, that this report is being pushed by a Philadelphia newspaper. Nothing like trying to create a little controversy for a division rival.

The part that does make this somewhat a possibility though is that Julius Jones is free agent after this year.

This pretty much says what I was thinking......

Tim Sather, Placentia, Calif.: There are numerous reports going around that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones would be up for trading Julius Jones for the right price. Is this rumor true and do you think Marion Barber would be ready to handle full time duties or would the Boys have to find someone in the draft and/or free agency?

Mickey: For the right price? Well, that's pretty nebulous. Everyone has a price, right? You have a price on your house that if met you'd sell in a heartbeat. If someone asked Jones about that, he'd be foolish to say something different. I mean what if someone gave you a first and a third or fourth for a running back you acquired with a second? I'd listen. Remember, Jones is in the final year of his four-year contract, so you would have to weigh what you were getting against if you plan on trying to re-sign him after this season and what that might cost. But someone would have to knock my socks off to pull the trigger on such a trade, because I can't believe anyone is convinced Barber is ready to pull down 300 carries in a season. You'd have to go get someone else, and that's besides Tyson Thompson. Also, please distinguish between those rumor columns, usually without attribution and reports, especially those used by NFL writers in notes columns that are passed down from writer to writer. That sort of stuff just got a guy at the Boston Globe suspended.

DallasCowboys.com - News

What are you basing that statement on? He seems more than capable of taking 300 carries per year.. they don't throw all that much to the backs, but if they do, 3rd down specialists are a dime a dozen.

If anything, Jones hasn't proven that he's a "full-time" back yet and have you thought maybe the reason the Philly press is in on this is that either the Eagles may have inquired about his availability, or Dallas has put a feeler out there to the Eagles? I believe this report was made by a San Antonio writer anyway.

The Packers, Bills, and Browns jump out right now as teams that could be more interested, and the 'Pokes would be silly not to send him away for a premium pick in this particular draft where so many high level talents will be available in the 2nd round.

Not to mention the salary cap relief.

rumor was started by a philadelphia reporter, and has been republished everywhere now.

Like I said, the same reports flew out everywhere about the same time last year. It would make more sense this year, if and only if they had no intentions of extending him, due to his free agent status at the end of the season.

And what do you base THAT statement on? LOL Geez

I couldn't pee in a circle without dousing an NFL insider around here I guess.

Why would they extend him when they have a suitable replacement onboard and could make their team better and deeper in the process? Not to mention what we could safely assume his asking price will be, with all the Free Agent overspending this offseason.

He's a talented back, don't get me wrong, but he's imminently expendable.

They don't have a suitable replacement, Marion Barber is not the caliber running back that Julius Jones is.

If the coaching staff lets Julius Jones run this year, rather than pulling him at the red zone on every series, I think everyone will be convinced.

The method in which Parcells alternated the running backs was absolutely horrible. You can't continually pull a running back in the redzone and expect prime production from him. I doubt any running back in the league would stay quiet and give 100% on the field for very long in a situation like that.

Sorry bro, I respectfully disagree and you're tragically overrating Jones when he could bring Dallas far more bang for the buck in a trade than he ever will on the field.

I also don't feel after watching him almost every week since he got drafted, that he's durable enough to be a traditional feature back. Maybe the Cowboys know that too.

Barber, the "Goal-Line" back, averaged 4.8 ypc vs. the lead man's 4.1 ypc. So this leads me to believe 2 things:

1. Parcells is a HOF coach for a reason.

2. If Jones won't "stay quiet and give 100% on the field for very long" if he gets replaced in the most important part of the field by a guy who gets almost a yard more per carry than him, maybe they should deal him due to character issues.

But of course we know those particular issues aren't figured into this particular equation now, don't we? LOL

im pretty sure that if barber was just the better back at everything, parcells is smart enough to have been benching jones and letting barber carry it 25 times a game. maybe barber's ypc is high because he gets to run often in passing situations. maybe he is fresher when he does it as well. maybe not all RBs are made for goal line situations, and barber just happens to be very good at that particular thing, so why not use him there. maybe jones just happens to be the better back at grinding up yards in the middle of the field and putting the team in position to score, and maybe barber's not the guy who can do that dirty work. i dunno, personally im not a jones fan and i love barber. but you gotta feel that the nfl coaches, esp HOF ones like parcells as you pointed out, must know what theyre doing at some point.

I knew MB2 when I was in school at Minnesota and MB3 looks like a chip off the old block. MB2 would run through a brick wall if the coach asked him to do it.
If the Cowboys are interested in picking up about 4 draft picks, the Bills might be willing to talk to them. Jones could be replaced by a rookie or UFA, and everyone would be happy, at least for a while.
MB3 will be just fine in Arlington.

I don't dislike Jones nor do I think Barber's the 2nd coming of Emmitt.

I'm of the school of thought that you deal from surplus to get things you need to make your team better and Dallas has a surplus at RB or else this story wouldn't have surfaced in the first place.
So maybe Jones and Barber can both be workhorse backs, who knows? My point is it makes sense to deal the one that's a FA soon to help reload for future playoff runs. What are you left with? The same thing you had last year. A quality running game plus some extra youthful talent gained from a very deep 2007 draft talent pool that may not come along again in several years. Dallas has a pretty good track record the past few years hitting on Day 1 picks. The more, the merrier.

I don't understand when J.Jones developed into some irreplaceable elite player.

i dont think anyone is saying hes irreplaceable or elite, just that hes valuable to that offense and they are not going to just dump him for the sake of dumping or for finally giving barber the opportunity hes earned or something like that. everyones got a price and im sure dallas would considering moving him for a good offer, but unless they have a good one, why mess with something thats working pretty well?

DaBomb hit the nail on the head in an earlier post. Marion Barber's stats are inflated because he got the redzone touches (resulting in the scoring), and he carried the ball on third down.

Strangely enough, when most teams would be passing the ball on 3rd and 8, Parcells liked to let Barber run it out of the backfield so the team could pick up 6 yards and punt.

Telling tale on Barber for me, was a crucial game, were Dallas needed a score in a bad way. Opponent wasn't allowing any outside running at all, and instead of putting Julius Jones in at the goal, they tired to run MB3 off-tackle three times. He got back to the line of scrimmage once, and lost yardage twice. Barber got a taste of what JJ had been dealing with all season.

Barber simply does not have any patience when he gets the ball. And while that is great for getting the ball on 3rd down while defense are playing to simply force a punt, it is not good for an every down back.

I will disagree with you here. The rumors flying around was that barber would take carries from Jones, and share time....which I might add...was correct.

As for your later statements on Barber....pardon me if I find you somewhat biased...as you have had man love for Jones since he was drafted. I too think Jones is a good back, and feel they need both to be successful. They both have abilities the other lacks.