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I coined it here a long time, now I can finally use it in this post! I’m loving all the news today. Last season I predicted Barber could land a deal ranging from $35-$45 million dollars and a few disagreed. Looks MB3 and the Cowboys agreed with me too. I’m not taking credit, but I’m happy Barber got the deal he received! The DMN Blog reported that Barber has signed a new deal at 7yrs for $45million dollars with $16million guaranteed.

The Cowboys and running back Marion Barber have come to terms on a seven-year, $45 million deal, with $16 million guaranteed, according to agent Drew Rosenhaus. Barber will earn $21 million over first three years of the deal.

“I gotta credit the Cowboys, they do a great job of getting players signed,” Rosenhaus said. “Representing Marion’s been a pleasure, on and off the field, he’s a champ.” (DMNBlog)

Its the offseason, and here come the people that want to rip Marion Barber for not working with the team. Just real quick, layoff Marion Barber, say what you want, but Barber has earned his keep. To me this is the Emmitt Smith holdout all over again. You have a very qualified and proven player, and his contract is due for an extension with a raise. Emmitt held out, he got ripped by the media, the team lost 3 straight games without him in the game. The Cowboys will not let this get out of hand, Jerry learned his lesson the last time his star running back was out.

I’m not at all worried about Barber working out on his own. He’s a beast in the gym, probably one of the best conditioned players on the team, he’s not slacking off. Barber deserves to get paid big money, he’s well worth it in my book. Lay off the player, he’s solid. Done with the rant for now…

Michael Turner has signed on with the Atlanta Falcons, and he’s getting paid some bucks. 6yrs for $34.5 million $15million guaranteed. We’ll probably see Julius Jones get snagged up next in free agency, and may end up with a crazy contract in this wild spending spree we’re seeing this offseason.

Do you think Turner is getting overpaid? I think this is in line with the current market, and its kinda the money range I thought Barber would end up with (earlier discussion here)

Here’s a snip of what I wrote several months ago:

This is speculation on my part on the potential size of a new contract, but let’s look at some recent contracts from some of today’s “elite” running backs and make a guess.

Thomas Jones was traded to the Bears this offseason, and his contract was redone. With Drew Rosenhaus as his agent, Jones signed a 4yr deal for $20 million.

Larry Johnson held out this offseason and landed a deal at 6yrs for $45.05 million.

LaDainian Tomlinson has the fattest contract amongst running back at 8yrs for $60 million.

Clinton Portis also hit the jackpot, but Redskin’s fans are not getting the bang for the buck, more like, he’s banged up for the buck. Portis signed a 8yr deal for $50.5 million

Edgerrin James signed a 4yr deal for $30 million to play for the Cardinals

So, that’s a quick background on what some of these other guys are making. If I had to guess how much Barber would make, I would think it would be a 6yr deal for $35-45 million at the minimum, but could easily be higher than that.

Looking at the Turner deal in Atlanta, that falls pretty close to my guess for Barber’s estimations. Now in my opinion, looking at Turner’s new contract, I think Barber is the better back, and had more production, so Barber’s contract could very well be more than what Turner got at 6yrs for $34.5million. I still think Barber gets something in the 6yr range for $35-45million; furthermore, its another reason why I don’t see us drafting a running back in the 1st round, maybe the 3rd round or later, maybe even a mid level free agent like Tatum Bell would be fine.

Another thing to think about is other teams thinking about signing Barber away from his restricted free agent status. This now says that if a team wants Barber, they will give us a 1st rounder and 3rd rounder, AND would likely need to negotiate a big contract in the likes of Michael Turner at the minimum. That’s a whole lot for a team to give up if they wanted Barber that bad.

The Cowboys are keeping agent Drew Rosenhaus busy. The Cowboys talked to LB Zach Thomas earlier this week, and apparently the Cowboys will visit with Rosenhaus again this Wednesday at the NFL Combine. Rosenhaus is expected to get the talks rolling in regards to Marion Barber, we should be hearing something soon as the deadline to designate franchise player is on Thursday Feb. 21st.

I don’t think Rosenhaus will be vying for the Cowboys to use the franchise tag on Barber. Rosenhaus is a top-tier agent that will be looking at getting his player the best deal available, meaning a long term contract for Barber. Barber has earned it, get him signed.

As I’m sure most of you aware the offseason is here in full force and all these rumors are floating around. The Cowboys want the better Roy Williams from Detroit, or the Cowboys want to sign Michael Turner to compliment Marion Barber, but the one trade rumor is that of Darren McFadden.

The Miami Dolphins are under the new Parcells regime and they will be looking to deal the pick for some dope out there. Immediately the media throws out the idea that Jerry Jones’ relationship with Parcells will enable Parcells to land a monster trade earning BOTH Cowboys 1st rounders AND Marion Barber III. Are you smokin crack dipped in raid or what?

Such a trade would trump “The Herschel Walker Trade” of October 12, 1989. This trade was a brilliant trade that Jerry Jones and Jimmy Johnson orchestrated which involved the most player and draft pick swapping in NFL history. The Vikings never wish to discuss this infamous trade, but Cowboys Nation relishes in it because it brought us Emmitt Smith (1990) and helped us trade for Russell Maryland (1991) as the overall #1 pick.

The reason I say a McFadden trade to Miami would trump the level of pure stupidity is because we have a championship offense right now, and a lacking defense that NEEDS help. In 1989, the Cowboys cleaned house from the top to the bottom. Jimmy Johnson knew it would be a rebuilding year, and we ended up going 1-15. The Walker trade made sense because we needed ALOT of help on BOTH sides of the ball. Here’s a look at what the Walker Trade involved:

Minnesota Vikings Received:

* RB Herschel Walker
* Dallas’s 3rd round pick - 1990 (54) (Mike Jones)
* San Diego’s 5th round pick - 1990 (116) (Reggie Thornton)
* Dallas’s 10th round pick - 1990 (249) (Pat Newman)
* Dallas’s 3rd round pick - 1991 (68) (Jake Reed)

Dallas Cowboys Received:

* LB Jesse Solomon
* LB David Howard
* CB Issiac Holt
* RB Darrin Nelson (traded to San Diego after he refused to report to Dallas)
* DE Alex Stewart
* Minnesota’s 1st round pick in 1990 (21) (Emmitt Smith)
* Minnesota’s 2nd round pick in 1990 (47) (Alexander Wright)
* Minnesota’s 6th round pick in 1990 (158) (traded to New Orleans, who drafted James Williams)
* Minnesota’s 1st round pick in 1991 (conditional) - (11) (Pat Harlow)
* Minnesota’s 2nd round pick in 1991 (conditional) - (38) (Darryll Lewis)
* Minnesota’s 2nd round pick in 1992 (conditional) - (40) (traded to Kansas City, who drafted Matt Blundin)
* Minnesota’s 3rd round pick in 1992 (conditional) - (71) (traded to New England, who drafted Kevin Turner)
* Minnesota’s 1st round pick in 1993 (conditional) - (13) (traded to Philadelphia Eagles, and then to the Houston Oilers, who drafted Brad Hopkins)
Emmitt was the main player we got from the Vikings picks, the other draft picks were used to move up and down the draft in getting players like Russell Maryland a few other supporting players that helped make the Cowboys a powerhouse in the 1990s.

Trading BOTH our 1st rounders and Marion Barber would render us a weaker team on BOTH sides of the ball, we would be taking this team in reverse in essence. You cannot trade away our premier Pro Bowl running back for an unproven rookie, leaving the backfield with a big question mark. McFadden may turn out to be a good running back, but nothing is guaranteed. We know that Barber is the real deal, and runs from no one, he’s a bad dude! In addition, the two 1st rounders would be a huge blow, we need to use them on the secondary and maybe a wide receiver.

So, the Walker Trade moved the Cowboys forward, a McFadden trade would move us backwards and thus trumping the infamous Walker trade, it would be a devastating blow to Jerry’s legacy in the views of Cowboys fans worldwide.

With the Cowboys early bounce from the playoffs, the Cowboys have spent zero time moping around, instead, the Cowboys have been very busy, and as always staying in the news because everyone wants to be a Cowboy at heart…

With Jason Garrett deciding to stay in Dallas, the Cowboys will be plenty ready for another go in 2008, and if anything, this team can only get better. Another year in the Phillips 34 and the Garrett High Octane attack, the sky is the limit. We’re young, and we’re on our way up, we have not peaked.

Jerry Jones, and the rest of the Cowboys Braintrust are in Mobile, Alabama attending this year’s Senior Bowl. The first topic of interest is the re-signing of Marion Barber III. Barber is part of the Quadruplets, he demands the best in his fans, and he fills seats. Jerry knows that Barber is explosive and a main component in this years success, and will be a staple on offense. Barber will be re-signed soon. Jerry has talked with Drew Rosenhaus and the deal will get done soon.

Trade Rumors are always part of the offseason, often these rumors are just that - rumors; however, this does help the average die hard bide their time with interesting rumor topics galore on their favorite blogs and message boards.

The latest rumor has Jerry shopping Marcus Spears and Bobby Carpenter. Trading Spears is good for the team. Its time to get Hatcher in there next to fellow playmaker Jay Ratliff, these two guys on the D-line will be very disruptive. Spears had another typical year, and is now a certified bust, so knowing this, I don’t expect higher than a 3-4th rounder for him.

Carpenter being shopped is risky to me. He’s a solid tackler, he made plays all year long on special teams, and he provides solid depth at LB. If you’re going to trade Carpenter, we better draft another good linebacker on day one because you cannot depend on the health of an aging star in Greg Ellis, and the oft injured Kevin Burnett. This being said, I’d rather trade Spears over Carpenter.

New Coaches

The Cowboys have not wasted anytime in replacing their coaches that have bounced to Miami. The Cowboys have signed Todd Grantham , a former Defensive Coordinator of the Browns (2005) and Coach with the Texans (2002-2004), just seeing these two teams on his resume does not excite me much considering how bad those defenses were during those time spans. He does provide NFL experience, and Wade has always had a strong group of defensive assistants on his squads, so his blessing on this new hire should be ok. We will see.

Condition Guru, Joe Jurasek was also extended a new contract and will remain in Dallas. Good job keeping him here.

Jerry acted fast, and stopped the bleeding by keeping Garrett, and Phillips is staying on top of his staff by hiring “his” type of coaches. We could see an even better defense with his own hirings.

With Jason Garrett returning to the Cowboys, all attention will now return back to player contracts, and atop the must-do’s is signing Marion Barber to a new deal. Part of Garrett’s decision to return to Dallas is because of certain players, and having MB3 as “his” running back is paramount, not some rookie or free agent scrub. Barber is a proven back, tough, and runs with authority. Pounding the rock into the endzone is his mission each time he gets his hands on the ball. Who what not want a running back like Barber on their team

Signing Barber is a now brainer. Barber’s agent Drew Rosenhaus will meet with Cowboys executives at the Senior Bowl and talks will officially begin there. Below is the article I wrote earlier in the season, but a reprint was in order considering Barber is on everyone’s mind right now. The Cowboys are comprised of Quadruplets, and Barber is a cornerstone of this core.

Barber has voided the last year of his rookie contract, so he will be a Restricted Free Agent at the end of the season if he is not given a new contract sometime before then. Getting Barber a new deal should be a high priority. If the Cowboys wait until the offseason, the Cowboys will give Barber the highest tender. This would mean if the Cowboys did not match an offer from another team, then the Cowboys would get a 1st and 3rd round pick. You can just about guarantee there will be some teams that will give that up for Barber at this stage of his career. Last season, it was rumored that some teams were considering giving up such draft picks to get San Diego’s Michael Turner when he was a RFA. Barber is a better back than Turner, so you can just imagine that outcome.

Jerry and Stephen Jones will not let this happen. We can expect to pay Barber a pretty good contract though. With Barber dominating in the running game and becoming one of the most popular players amongst fans, along with Drew Rosenhaus as his agent, he’ll be getting a nice contract. He’ll be known as Millionarion Barber, I coined it here first, so just remember that! (haha)

How much?

This is speculation on my part on the potential size of a new contract, but let’s look at some recent contracts from some of today’s “elite” running backs and make a guess.

Thomas Jones was traded to the Bears this offseason, and his contract was redone. With Drew Rosenhaus as his agent, Jones signed a 4yr deal for $20 million.

Larry Johnson held out this offseason and landed a deal at 6yrs for $45.05 million.

LaDainian Tomlinson has the fattest contract amongst running back at 8yrs for $60 million.

Clinton Portis also hit the jackpot, but Redskin’s fans are not getting the bang for the buck, more like, he’s banged up for the buck. Portis signed a 8yr deal for $50.5 million

Edgerrin James signed a 4yr deal for $30 million to play for the Cardinals

So, that’s a quick background on what some of these other guys are making. If I had to guess how much Barber would make, I would think it would be a 6yr deal for $35-45 million at the minimum, but could easily be higher than that. The whole two-back system may have some effect on the maximum size, just because he would be splitting carries with some other RB.

What About McFadden?

I don’t see Jerry making a big trade to get Darren McFadden, you can just about count that out. The Browns are playing alot better than we expected them to play; however, if we go all the way into the offseason without giving Barber a new contract, this will open the door for all the McFadden draft day trade rumors galore. For me though, I’d rather have Barber in Dallas any day. He’s proven, he’s tough as nails, and he’s the real deal at so many levels.

For now, I would tell Jerry to get Barber and Romo new contracts signed, sealed, and delivered during the bye week. These are core guys, guys that will be known as the Quadruplets. Witten, TO, Barber, and Romo are the Quadruplets that Jerry must keep together as long as possible.

Barber has a new official site up and running now, click it here!

Alright, Jerry Jones has made some genius offseason moves in signing Terrell Owens in 2006, and then in 2007 he signed Jason Garrett before a head coach was even hired. Now comes another defining moment in Cowboys lore. The latest news on Garrett has him leaving Atlanta without a contract signed, so that makes two stops: Baltimore and Atlanta, and no contract. This bodes well for Cowboys Nation. We want Garrett back, Jerry knows exactly what is at stake here.

Jerry will have his chance to meet with Garrett in a serious one-to-one meeting in which Jerry will make Garrett the highest paid Offensive Coordinator in NFL history, that I’m sure about. In addition, he’ll get the Assistant Head Coach title. Garrett is a very smart guy and this should be the right decision for him. Show consistency with a high powered offense, build upon this past season and improve its prowess even more. Signing Garrett will also surely guarantee Barber will be signed next. Garrett is going to have some more say so on offensive personnel and having his “Emmitt” will be a premium.
Jerry, you’re on the clock, make it happen sir! Git’r done.

Another so-so performance from the offense as far as points go, but a win is a win. This is not the type of performances we should be having this late in the season, and its definitely a concern. Romo looked to be back on track and the thumb did not seem to be a big factor, Marion Barber was back in form, and Witten continues to be clutch. The defense was shaky in the beginning, but they were able to ratchet down and shutdown the Panthers.

So, the Cowboys win and improve to 13-2, but they are still in a dogfight for homefield advantage with the surging Packers. The Cowboys will be on the road to close out the regular season against the much hated Redskins, who could also be battling for a wild card game, so this is going to be a huge game for both teams.

Historically, the Redskins have played the Cowboys tough, and this game will be no different. The Cowboys could be missing T.O. and this will be a big blow, I don’t care how other people may try to be optimistic, but get real. Without T.O. on the road, at Washington, a slowing offense…I don’t like those odds at all. I’m hoping for an upset from the Bears tomorrow so we can rest everyone against the Redskins and get that monkey off our back.

Players of the game (offense): Romo, Barber, and Witten

Players of the game (defense): Ware and Canty

This was a close game, and like last week, we mange to find ways to keep teams in the game. Gurode has his worst game in several seasons, what was all that about? Yes, Jason Campbell looked good, but the defense just floundered around in the 2nd half and let the Redskins in the game, very disappointing. The offense has the killer instinct, but the defense has some ways to go. Newman made a play at the end, but other than that, the 2nd half was too easy for the Redskins.

Don’t get me wrong, I love this win, I hate the Redskins, so let’s take this win and move forward to that “trap” game. The Jets are horrible, and we’re at home… Let’s play with some intensity, crush the Jets and have some momentum for the following week in a game that could be for homefield advantage against the Packers.

Player of the game: Terrell Owens

LVP: Andre Gurode