Now that Tiki Barber has made it known that he intends on returning to the NFL despite missing the last four years and being 36 years old, we can turn our attention to the potential suitors for Barber.
Buccaneers & Steelers
Early reports suggested that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Pittsburgh Steelers could two possible options for Barber but very little momentum has gained behind wither idea. In fact, the Steelers have already downplayed any interest in the idea which basically means that you can cross them off of the list.
SI.com’s Peter King wrote yesterday that “I think I’d put my money on Tiki Barber being in training camp with either Tampa Bay, Oakland, New England or the Jets.”
New York Jets
Ok, we’ve already mentioned that the Buc’s are a long shot and the New York Jets will have Shonn Greene and LaDainian Tomlinson come next season so it would be surprising to see them add another veteran running back to their backfield.
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders could be an option because Michael Bush is set to become a free agent depending on the unrestricted free agent rules. As of now, Darren McFadden is their main running back but the problem is that no one know how affective Barber can be which makes it even less likely that any NFL team will be willing to commit to him as a consistent No. 2 running back.
New England Patriots
Of the listed options, the New England Patriots make the most sense mainly because of Bill Belichicks tendency to go with veteran running backs that he sees as smart players. The problem for Barber is that the Patriots tend to use several running backs and do not like to over pay for the position.
The more that I look at the situation the more I think that it’s a ridiculous idea. I’m willing to say that there’s no chance that Tiki Barber is going to secure a solid contract and find a team willing to give him enough playing to make him a intrical part of their offense. If he’s able to either, I’m more than willing to admit that I was wrong and give him credit. Good luck Tiki.
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