Gene Chamberlain of AOL.SportingNews confirms Marion Barber's calf is not serious. Per Chamberlain, the injury is not a reason to keep Chester Taylor around. Barber will be held out of the preseason finale, but he should be fine to enter the season as Matt Forte's primary backup.

Chester Taylor's impending release is a sign that Marion Barber's calf injury is not serious. Barber has a history of leg injuries, but the Bears are apparently confident he can help solve their short-yardage woes. He projects to vulture some goal-line carries from workhorse Matt Forte.

Marion Barber left Saturday's preseason game with a calf injury. His night is done. Not good news for a player with a lengthy history of lower-body injuries. Barber had carried the ball just one time for two yards before going down. For the preseason, he's gone 96 yards on 21 carries.

Marion Barber rushed for 49 yards on 13 carries and caught five passes for 31 yards in the Bears' second preseason game Monday night. Barber was again a battering ram on power runs, also excelling in all facets of the passing game. Now 100 percent after battling groin and leg injuries in Dallas, Barber could be something of a drain on Matt Forte's fantasy stock, especially at the goal line and one some third downs. MB3 is still only 28 years old, and from all indications in August, he's got his legs back.

One NFL scout tells the Chicago Tribune that Marion Barber will have a bigger impact for the Bears this year than Roy Williams. It's not a knock on Williams, either. The scout was simply impressed with Barber's 45-yard outing against the Bills last week. At this point, Barber is not just going to make the team but is also the favorite to handle short-yardage and goal-line work. If that happens, it takes a bit of the shine off Matt Forte's fantasy value.

Marion Barber carried the ball seven times for 45 yards in the Bears' preseason opener on Saturday. A surprisingly explosive showing from the powerful Bears backup. It's important to note, however, that all seven of Barber's carries came in the second quarter against the second string of a Bills run defense that ranked dead last (by a wide margin) in the NFL last year. Barber will be a short-yardage specialist with extremely limited fantasy value this season if he can't nab a meaningful amount of goal-line carries.

The Bears envision Marion Barber as the "ideal short-yardage back," according to the Chicago Tribune. All of Barber's explosiveness and burst has been sapped, but it would be hard for him to perform worse than Chester Taylor did in 2010. Taylor, last year's short-yardage back, converted just 11 of 23 third-and-1 attempts. While Barber won't take many carries away from Matt Forte, the ex-Cowboy figures to vulture goal-line work.

Bears signed RB Marion Barber to a two-year contract. The Bears have found some Matt Forte insurance, though it comes in the form of an injury-prone back who's averaged just 3.9 yards per carry over the past two seasons. Of course, that's 1.48 more yards per carry than Chester Taylor averaged during his disastrous first season in Chicago last year.

The Dolphins are interested in Marion Barber, who will be released by the Cowboys later this week. No shocker here considering the Dallas-to-Miami pipeline. A move on Barber wouldn't preclude the Dolphins from going after a scatback such as Reggie Bush or Darren Sproles. Barber would be insurance for rookie Daniel Thomas.

The Cowboys have informed RB Marion Barber of his impending release.