NFL Draft 2011: Stevan Ridley of LSU Should Scare Dallas Cowboys RB Incumbents

Stevan Ridley could be the one player that shakes up the Dallas Cowboys’ running back depth chart.

Every year we see the same thing—a promising rookie is drafted, and it causes a veteran to lose his spot on the depth chart or even the team.

Ridley, who is seen as a mid-round draft pick, is coming off a solid collegiate career with Louisiana State University.

The hard-nosed running back made the All-SEC First Team last season after rushing for 1,100 yards and 15 touchdowns.

More importantly, his style of play is what Jason Garrett loves in his running backs. He runs up the middle between the tackles and isn’t afraid to take on defenders.

Until his midseason injury, Marion Barber held on to the starting spot even after many believed the faster Felix Jones would be awarded the position after the preseason. Barber had a career-low yards-per-carry average ever since being named the starter in 2008.

Barber is due $4.25 million this season, as well as a $500,000 roster bonus in the summer.

That’s a lot of money for a player in his decline, let alone a player who’s arguably performing the worst from the backfield.

That’s the equivalent of your high school cafeteria worker being paid more than the history teacher.

So it’s obvious why many feel Barber won’t be a Cowboy when (or if) the team takes the field in 2011.

So why should the Cowboys running backs be worried if the Cowboys draft Ridley?

Ridley has the ability to push the pile, something that Jones lacks and Tashard Choice hasn’t proven he can do consistently.

Jones’ key to short-yard success is his lateral movement and ability to dodge a defender if he gets into the backfield early. However, if he’s hit head-on, he doesn’t have the ability to break a tackle.

That’s where Ridley can shine. His ability to both move laterally and take on a tackle makes him a more versatile back.

Ridley is built as a compact power runner (measuring in at 5'11" and 230 pounds). Garrett has shown that he'd rather start someone like Ridley than a speedy back like Jones.

Jones got that clue last offseason and put on some extra weight to try to take the starting role from Barber, but to no avail.

Ridley visited Cowboys headquarters earlier this month, and Garrett has ties to Tigers coach Les Miles. Miles’ three-year stint overseeing the Cowboys’ tight ends overlapped the years where Garrett played for the Cowboys. The two have stayed in tough, and Garrett even spoke at an LSU coaching clinic this month.

The friendship between the two coaches may help land the Cowboys a new weapon in the backfield—one that could unseat the Cowboys’ current backs.

All signs look like the Cowboys have genuine interest in the LSU running back. Drafting him could see Barber’s jersey hit the clearance rack and Jones to be cemented as the second running back on the depth chart.