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Even from just a visceral perspective, the prospect of Cowboys RB Marion Barber getting more work this season is wonderful news. Think of all of the linebackers he can stiff-arm and the defensive backs he can run over!
If there was an NFL back who was harder to bring down than Barber was last season, I didn't see him. The 6-foot, 221-pound Barber is all sorts of strong. He's quick to the hole, and when he gets a head of steam, look out.
With Julius Jones moving on to Seattle, Barber takes over as the Cowboys' starting back. This should really excite fantasy owners, who knew that Jones' presence limited the number of touches Barber would get.
Count me among Barber's biggest backers. He's ranked 12th among running backs and 16th overall on PFW's draft board, but the only backs I can say, with confidence, that I would take ahead of him are San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson, Philadelphia's Brian Westbrook, Minnesota's Adrian Peterson, St. Louis' Steven Jackson and Indianapolis' Joseph Addai.
For me, it's this simple: Barber got 204 carries last season, and he figures to get more this season, even after the Cowboys drafted rookie RB Felix Jones in Round One. Jones could cut into Barber's reception total, but Barber was mostly a target on dump-offs as is, as evidenced by his 44 catches for only 282 yards a season ago.
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Marion Barber
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I have sensed some chatter about whether Barber will start to wear down because of his bruising running style. He probably will in the years to come, but I doubt wear and tear will be a factor this season. Barber has only 477 carries in three NFL seasons after carrying 556 times in three college seasons at Minnesota (he missed one season with a hamstring injury).
There's no reason why Barber can't handle 250-300 carries this season. If that happens, how doesn't he score (at least) a dozen touchdowns and approach 1,500 total yards? Barber scored 16 TDs in a part-time role in 2006 and 12 TDs in a somewhat expanded role last season.
To review: Barber will get more work in 2008, and his top backup is a rookie. He plays for an offense that scored 54 touchdowns a season ago; only New England's Tecmo Bowl-style attack crossed the goal line more often. Oh, and he's tough as nails and adept at scoring touchdowns — lots of them.
How isn't he a top-10 pick?
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