Dallas Cowboys News: Felix bulks up while The Barbarian goes lighter and quicker

(AP Photo/Cody Duty)

Who says barbarians had to be slow? By all accounts, Marion Barber has shed some pounds and looks more like the Marion Barber who pushed Julius Jones out of a starting job rather than the Marion Barber who had people calling for Felix Jones to start. It helps to have a healthy quad, even if there's still a hole in the muscle. But while getting healthy is important, gaining back some of that burst that made him one of the top backs will also go a long way in returning Marion to his barbarian ways. www.dal

And in what might be a reversal of roles, Felix Jones has put on some new muscle, bulking up from 218 lbs last year to and expected 225 this year. But don't think that extra weight will slow Jones down. The extra muscle should give him a little more push to break tackles, but he's still going to be a nightmare for defenders to get their hands on. Jones really came on during the last part of the season, averaging 6 yards a carry n the last six games. His performance combined with an unhealthy Barber led to calls for Felix to start this year.

But who starts the game is going to be largely irrelevant so long as both backs remain healthy. You can put Felix in the game at the beginning to wear the defense out chasing him around and have Marion finish by running over them late in the game, or you can have Marion pound the defense at the beginning until they are unable to keep up with Felix at the end. Either way, you need two good backs, and more than likely, we'll see a big dose of both of them throughout the game rather than having an opener and a closer.