I think that Barlow has a home with the Jets, and that people are discounting the important role he plays for the team. Barlow will be given the chance to go through a full training camp and show what he can do.
I don't know, Z. I see Houston and Barlow as guys with similar styles and effective in short-yardage situations. However, Houston has a bit more wiggle and seems to break tackles better than Barlow. I don't see Barlow being retained, unless they ignore the RB position altogether in the draft.
Here are some reasons why Barlow will definitely be back, imo. First, he bought inot the team concept 100% and has been a stabilizing presence in a very young corps of runners. Second, though his stats look poor, he was the one doing all the rushing in the first half of the season, before the line had really gelled. Third, he has been excellent in short yardage and endzone situations. Houston has not proven that he can be as good yet. Fourth, Barlow is more versatile than Washington or Houston. I think people are missing that Barlow's inactivity this past week was not about his performance, but about a numbers game. Tim Dwight, who was lost for the season, is a special teams player. Barlow is not, but Houston is. Barlow will not be inactive the rest of the season, and I bet he's got another big game in him. Remember, it was Barlow who did the running when the Jets beat the Pats in bad weather. This guy is a mudder, and he's not going anywhere.