NOTE TO READER - If you only get one thing from this post let it be to copy the link to Chris Johnson’s highlights. They will make you elated if we get him, or sick if we don’t.

There is no doubt that the Cowboys already have a great running back on their roster. Marion Barber is a straight out stud! He explodes through the line and down the field vertically. Avoid contact? Heck no!! He seeks it out!! When he gets through the linebacker level I swear he seeks out the Strong Safety. I think he feels that if he can run him down now—-he won’t have to try to run away from him later. Marion is known as MB3 (as he is the 3rd in the line of Marion Barbers) and my favorite coined by TO—–Marion the Barbarian!!! Its fantastic to watch him play!!

The only problem is, how many backs can you think of that are able to maintain that style of play without injury? Or worse, how many can maintain it without shortening their careers?? Earl Campbell anyone? Marion is special. He can be the lead back, but he will be much more effective with the help of an explosive back field mate to share duties with. Julius Jones is off to Seattle. Julius just did not fit in the Cowboys blocking schemes. He was a good character guy with a lot of talent. With Seattle’s blocking schemes he may be a fantasy football stud next year. BUT as for real football for the Boys—-its time to find the right guy. Its a definite need, and the Cowboys may look to get that player at #22 or #28 in round 1.

Who should we pick up? Great question!! Keep in mind my spotty record in the draft, but I do have some ideas…

Darren McFadden is being compared to Adrian Peterson. That is very high praise, and it may end up being the case. DMac is widely considered the can’t miss guy in the draft. He is almost definitely a top 5 pick—-and will certainly go in the top 10. Would I love to see Dallas trade up into the top 5 to get him? My heart says yes—-my mind says NO WAY!! This is a deep draft for backs, and the Cowboys can address too many other needs by staying put and letting McFadden go elsewhere. Based on the original premise of using the picks we have—-lets go ahead and eliminate Darren from the list. Too bad #5. We never got to know you…

So lets look at guys the Cowboys may consider in the first round:

Rashard Mendenhall—great career at Illinois. Forget about him also. Long gone by the 22nd pick, and honestly I am not sure there is enough benefit to trade up for him. Big, powerful back. Pete Carroll at USC labeled him the best back they faced in 2007, and they played against Arkansas (McFadden and Jones) and Oregon (Jonathan Stewart). Expect him long gone by the mid teens.

#1 and my personal favorite IF they choose to go for a back at #22—that would be McFadden’s college backfield mate #25 Felix Jones. Felix Jones projects to be a very solid complimentary back. In the 2nd version of Barber/Jones in Dallas - Felix provides the Lightening to MB3’s Thunder! He was overshadowed by McFadden at Arkansas(who wasn’t), but Felix Jones can flat out play! Jones averaged 7.7 yards a carry during his college career! Think about that—nearly 8 yards every time he touched the ball. I know, I know. Some of you are thinking McFadden wore out the opposing defense before Felix Jones got his carries. Ok, maybe. Oh yeah—wouldn’t the same be true of running after Marion Barber got his shots at the defense? You certainly can’t expect 8 yards a carry in the NFL (Jim Brown was the best ever at about 5.5), but keep in mind that Jones did that playing in the SEC—–not in the Pac 10 (um-hum Reggie Bust—I mean Bush!!). He is also a game changer as a kick returner. How would you feel about having 2 very solid running backs to platoon in and out—-and also someone with the potential of advancing the ball 25 - 30 yards up field on every kick return. To me when you add all of that up Jones at #22 makes a lot of sense!

#2 on my personal board of projected first round backs we have a shot at is Jonathan Stewart. I should point out that if not for a toe injury requiring surgery, Stewart would be battling with Mendenhall for second back taken after McFadden. He has HUGE upside. NFL scouts compare his play to a guy you may have heard of—-some LT guy that went to TCU. He COULD be that good. He is 5′11″, 235 pounds of speed and power. He runs through the tackles well, has an ability to bounce it outside, and makes people miss without a lot of juking and shaking. He is just a shifty runner that can wiggle through and by tacklers. I watched him play several times this past year, and was blown away by how great he was with the ball. He can catch it out of the backfield, picks up the blitz in protection, and like Felix Jones is a very good kick returner. So why 2 on my list? Well, first is his injury history. He is coming off of toe surgery that may keep him off the field until training camp. Not an ideal situation for a team that needs someone ready to go week 1. Thats on top of some ankle issues that have nagged him off and on. Just kind of Julius Jonesish to me a little—-I love Julius, but we just did that. Second, I am not in love with the competition he faced in the Pac 10. USC is great, but other than that—its powder puff football. I believe Stewart in time will be a Pro Bowl back—I just don’t like him as much as Felix Jones for the here and now. All that being said, if Jones is off the board and the Boys pick Stewart up—–I will be doing cartwheels.

You want some good news? One of these 2 guys will definitely be there at #22 and probaly even at #28, and either would help this team if not immediately—-pretty quickly. Honestly though—I could argue that our needs at WR and CB outweigh the need for a first round running back. Like I said—this is a deep draft at running back and there are some very good guys that will be there in round 2 and beyond. The bad news—the Boys aren’t back on the clock after pick #28 again until pick #61. If the Boys are willing to trade out of #28 in the first round for a mid 2nd round pick (and obviously some other pick consideration), or if they are willing to give up a few picks to move up (and keep in mind we may have less picks to bargain with if we truly do use some late picks to get Pacman) in round 2—–well there are 2 more guys that can fill our needs. I would love to have either of them. One I watched and cheered for at Texas for 3 years as a Longhorn. The other is just pure, evil, crazy, ridiculous, blinding speed!!!!

Lets start with my boy, Jamaal Charles from THE University of Texas. Charles was a world class sprinter on the track. He is fast. Real fast. If not for Charles efforts, Texas would have lost 3 more games this years. He single handedly took over games against Oklahoma State and Nebraska last season with crazy, great games! He is a tough runner, but he is not so much of a stick your nose in the whole and fight for yards kind of back. He is a burner who prefers to run through the big whole, or bump it to the outside and let his afterburners do the rest. I can envison him making a living running between Gurode and Big Davis on draw plays. Charles could be really good! He is a solid bargain in the mid 2nd round. Why not a first rounder? I don’t mean to criticize, but there are times when he just doesn’t protect the ball!!!! I have seen him lose more fumbles at the most inopportune times!! Yes, I did watch him more than any other back in this draft, but a 3rd down complimentary back can NOT fumble!! No matter what. He has good hands, but I don’t think he could be considered in the same class as Felix Jones or Stewart as a pass catcher. Finally, he gives max effort which is what I love about him—but a max effort on a missed blitz pickup that gets Romo killed, well that makes me nervous. He will be a very solid pro. He is NOT the next Ced Benson. He will be a good pro. Getting Charles in the 2nd round is a big win if you are able to couple it with getting the CB and WR you need as well in the first round. You know what I say—-Hook ‘em! I will always cheer on a ‘Horn!

Now to my new real favorite player that I never watched play in a game. I admit it, but man this dudes highlights are out of this world!!!!
Check this out…

http://cowboysblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/03/dallas-cowboys-nfl-draft-series-east-car.html

Chris Johnson is just blazing, stupid, slippery what ever comes after fast!!!! Faster than Fast!! He consistently runs the 40 in the mid 4.2s!! Try even doing that in your Honda! Oh my gosh—-did you see the separation he gets on people in those highlights!!!! If you didn’t don’t cheat. Copy the link in a browser and watch them. I had some launch link troubles or you could just click them there. If he gets a seam in the return game, on a screen pass, or even on a running play just forget about it!! Its 6 points! I know he played at East Carolina. Its not like he played Florida, Ohio State, and USC week after week. But then again neither did LT at TCU. I mean just look at the guy!!! Can I honestly say I would rather have Johnson than McFadden, Felix Jones, Jonathan Stewart, and even Jamaal Charles? Honestly, yes. IF it means we are able to solidify the secondary and ensure the long term success of our passing game. Yes. Every kick off to Chris Johnson is an “oh no we have to kick off to that guy” moment for the opposition. And can you imagine a defense getting the heck pounded out of them by Barber on first and second down, and then having to deal with someone that burns vapor trails into the turf like this. Honestly, he looks like a video game in those clips!

Finally. to a guy that is one of my favorite college football players of all time. I think one thing that is killing his draft stock is the fact that he played at Michigan. When you think Michigan football you think 3 yards and a cloud of dust. That will change now with Rich Rodriguez, but historically that has been what it always was. That being said, UM running backs just never seem to become stars at the next level. I think my man Mike Hart will. I hope he will. Hart is the perfect name for him. He is all heart! For those that know me you know I would not make this statement lightly. I can’t bring myself to say his name in this comparison, but he reminds me of a soon to be HOFer who came to Dallas from the University of Florida. Wore a #22. Thats right. He is not super fast. He is football fast. He is not overly powerful in terms of knocking people over. He is football powerful in getting where he needs to go, one way or another. He just wills himself down the field. Play after play after play. Game after game after game. He doesn’t fumble, ever. I can count on 2 fingers the number of times I saw him miss on a 3rd or 4th and 1. He is projected to be a 3rd round guy, but wherever he ends up is going to get a football player that will move chains and break goal lines for the next decade. Just as reminder, the Barbarian was a 4th round pick. It won’t be flashy—-it will just be good, tough, dependable football. I bet he won’t even spike the ball. My kind of guy!

So with all of that said, rest comfortably that the Cowboys will find a quality player to team with Marion Barber in the backfield. Don’t freak out even if they wait until the 3rd round to do it. The players are there into early on the 2nd day of the draft. If it happens in the first round with Felix Jones or Jonathan Stewart the Boys offense just got even better. What keeps me awake at night though is our secondary’s inability at times to get other teams off the field—not our ability to move the ball on offense. For that reason I would probably rather see the Boys go for the CB in round 1 and trade out at 28 for more picks and Charles or Johnson (please Lord) Chris Johnson!. If all 4 of those guys are gone before Dallas gets their crack at it, Mike Hart should be the guy. And I can promise Jerry this—if Mike Hart becomes a Cowboy he a) won’t be sorry and b) the first #20 jersey he will get paid off of will be bought by my wife!

Well–those are my thoughts on the RB position and the best fits for Dallas. What do you all think? Let me know—I want to hear it! Differing views are always welcome!!

Next up—-Wide Receiver.