Marion Barber to be a RFA

[Carolina_Packer]

McFadden isn't even the best runningback on his own team, IMO. He could be college football's most overrated player..Get Felix Jones!

I only know he runs with DMAC. Who would you compare FJ to that is currently in the NFL?

[Guiness]

I can't believe the NFL hasn't done something about the poison pill...and I'm incredibly surprised no one has used it since Minnesota and Seattle.

What the exclusive version of the franchise tag? First I've heard of that.

[VegasPackFan]

One of the reasons why I love this site:

Already talking draft and off-season moves 6 games into the season.

[Joemailman]

Is it even a given that McFadden is coming out this year? I mean, it's not like he doesn't have incentives to come back. He's not going to win the Heisman this year and he's not going to win a championship this year, but next year? Who knows.

Guys have been known to stay for their senior year even if they could end up getting drafted pretty high, you know. If I was McFadden, my mind would be a long way from made up on this issue. For one, look at who's going to be picking high in the draft next year before you decide whether to stay or go.

Every mock draft I've seen has McFadden going in the top 6 and being the first RB taken. If accurate, that will be enough to get him to declare for the NFL. Matt Leinart came back for his senior year even though he could have been a high pick after his junior year, and he lost millions. Nobody wants to be the next Leinart.

[Guiness]

Every mock draft I've seen has McFadden going in the top 6 and being the first RB taken. If accurate, that will be enough to get him to declare for the NFL. Matt Leinart came back for his senior year even though he could have been a high pick after his junior year, and he lost millions. Nobody wants to be the next Leinart.

Some sort of a knee injury would cost him in the order of $10million. No way he chances that.

[Cheesehead Craig]

I do not believe that Dallas would let Barber go. He's proven himself as a very good RB. Even though Dallas would get compensated quite well if he leaves, he's a known ability and the chemistry is there.

[Ballboy]

It amazes me the posts sometimes in here.......everyone in here, me included has been questioning the Packers running attack. We have found out that by going with rookies and unknowns it doesn't get the job done.

Why would we then draft a RB again?!!?

Pull your collect heads out of each others ass.

Barber would be a no brainer, look at his numbers. Even in limited time, his numbers over the last year and a half are better than ANY Packer backs in that same time!!!

My question is will the Cowgirls give him up over Jones? I certainly would not.

[TennesseePackerBacker]

It amazes me the posts sometimes in here.......everyone in here, me included has been questioning the Packers running attack. We have found out that by going with rookies and unknowns it doesn't get the job done.

Why would we then draft a RB again?!!?

Pull your collect heads out of each others ass.

Barber would be a no brainer, look at his numbers. Even in limited time, his numbers over the last year and a half are better than ANY Packer backs in that same time!!!

My question is will the Cowgirls give him up over Jones? I certainly would not.

Wow, it took until page 2 for someone to even post this. Are you guys crazy? Barber will probably be a probowl NFC back this year, he has been a very good back this year, better then anything we'd find in the draft or anything we have. Him or Turner is the way to go, that should be pretty obvious to everyone.

[RashanGary]

Barber is not going any where. Dallas will not let him go. Turner maybe, but I'm not about to take away loads of resources from other parts of the team so we can sign a good but not great running back at the all pro rate.


I'm hopefull that everything gets solved (either through growth on the roster, FA or the draft), but I'm not willing to sell the farm just so we can have Turner. Barber is just out of the question because he will be in Dallas.

People shoot their loads all over the idea of adding Marion Barber or Michael Turner. They never consider how unlikely Barber is and what is being given up to get Turner. Barber is a very good player, but Turner is just solid. There are much better ways to blow prowbowl money (like on an acctual probowler)

[Zool]

Turner is a UFA this season I believe.

[RashanGary]

Turner is a UFA this season I believe.

Yep, and if you look at the history of UFA, he'll get paid as much as Barnett and Kampman combined and he's not as good as either.

Then, if we did this, a day would come where the next Kampman and Barnett needed contracts and we would just have to settle for our Turner because we already blew our whole wad on a decent running back.

The idea is grand and romantic, but the reality is usually far less desirable. It helps a little now and hurts a lot later. That's the reality of many of these inflated free agents.

Barber isn't going anywhere so discussing him is really out of the question. He'll get 1st and 3rd tender and no team would give that up on top of the mosnter contract he'd get him.

[RashanGary]

Corey Williams is probably a similar player to Turner as far as overall value.

Williams gets sacks and pressures and Turner runs for yardage. They are both good players at their position.


We could probably lock Williams up right now for 25% of what Turner will get. There are ways to build/develop a roster that don't involve dumping loads of players (because you can't afford them down the road) for one need. Ted Thompson seems to understand that and 5-1 is pretty good evidence that it works short term and we'll find out how well it works long term. I think this team will keep getting better, only to get better, only to find themselves in position to keep getting better. Mike Shermans method they got better only to find themselves in position to get worse because they were strapped against the cap. The NFL is highly competitive. You can't just get a little better, you have to get a lot better and in order to do that, you can't pin yourself in a financial corner. Patients is hard, but it does pay off.

[run pMc]

If they wanted the same yr/$ contract, who would you sign: a DL or a RB? In the context of the GB roster, I'd say the RB is more valuable. C.Williams is a good player, but the depth on the DL is good enough vs. the RB depth.

I think DAL lets J.Jones walk if he gets a big offer, keeps Barber (he'll sign the tender and be a UFA the next season), and look at drafting a RB. RFA's rarely get away. Romo won't leave, either. Jerry Jones isn't that stupid.

It's a safe bet that Barber and Turner are more talented than anyone on GB's roster. Of the two, I like Barber a little better. Having said that, I'd like to see GB get the best RB that fits M3's system...whether that's Barber, Ray Rice, or Joe Schmoe.

[DannoMac21]

I'm telling you guys, go to YouTube and watch everything you can on Felix Jones. A guy who's averaging over 10 yards per carry with 7 touchdowns this year, BEHIND Darren McFadden, is phenomenal. He's 6'0" and has 4.4 speed. He's gonna be such a stud.

[RashanGary]

If they wanted the same yr/$ contract, who would you sign: a DL or a RB? In the context of the GB roster, I'd say the RB is more valuable. C.Williams is a good player, but the depth on the DL is good enough vs. the RB depth.
.

In this case, I'd take the running back. However, Williams can be had right now for probably 1/3 of the price. We could probably extend Donald Lee, Atari Bigby and Corey Williams for the price of one Turner. I'd rather put guys like Wynn, Jackson and Grant through a good off season program or possibly draft one than to give up what we have to give up to get Turner.

Is Turner better than everything on our roster now? Yeah. Is he going to be better than our young guys after a year of training and a year in the offense? I don't think it's a given. Turner is good, but not great. Kampman turned into a probowl player over time (Did anyone think he'd be better than Vonnie Holliday after he just seeing his rookie season?). Corey Williams turned into a pretty good player over time. Johnny Jolly turned into a good player after a year in the league. Cullin Jenkins kept getting better. Who's to say DeShawn Wynn and Brandon Jackson don't make similar leaps? And people willing to give up years of being able to resign our guys for one good player. I really don't see the logic.

If Ted Thompson wasn't so good at talent evaluation, we might be forced to risk it all on one decent, proven player. However, the front office at 1265 seems capable of building in much more skillfull and effective ways than simply outbidding the opponent. I'm a big fan of out thinking and out working the opponents (plus, it doesn't have all of the downside that comes with losing your own to keep one overpriced guy). People forget that Ted Thompson walked into an absolute mess. We're 5-1 after 2 seasons of rebuilding. I think this team will only get better. He wasn't going to find 10 starters per year to replenish this team. He's doing it piece by piece and it's working. The pattern is that it will keep getting better and there is really no end in sight because there is no financial wall in sight. Sign Turner for 6 years, 50 million and then we'll see and end in sight (plus we'll have a pissed off lockerroom because there are about 10 players on our roster better than Turner making much less). I'm not willing to do that, and I do think his price will be astronomical.