Felix Jones hype (1 Viewer)

[switz]

I'm intrigued by Felix Jones, too, but why is it that no one has yet mentioned what Phillips said about Marion Barber in the very same article:

"I think last year was his year, and he proved himself," coach Wade Phillips said. "Obviously, we feel comfortable with him carrying the load. The other guys, we'll see how they fit in, but he's our bell cow."

Probably because in the same article he also says they are going to give the other RBs as much work as they can handle. I'm not sure what Phillips definition of bellcow is either... It really only means lead back... doesn't determine workload. 15 carries a game would be my expectation.

 

[Manster]

i'm not ready to crown Felix just yet. although it's good to hear the buzz, even if it's mostly hype.

all i'm wanting to see in Felix's 1st yr, is better instincts as a runner than JJ. if he shows us that, then theres something to build on.

 

[switz]

Add this article to the hype arsenal

Then along comes Felix Jones with the team's first of two first-round picks, the running back who played Tonto to Darren McFadden at Arkansas last season. He has been considered the specialty back, the guy who can run inside a little, run sweeps, catch screens, go down field as a receiver and return kicks.

But tell you what, after just a little more than a week here at training camp, this Cat, 6-0, 212, is a running back. One who continues showing an ability to run between the tackles, something those who intimately watched Arkansas football over the past few years keep insisting he's capable of doing.

Not meaning to scare you, but Felix reminds me of that other guy from back when. When he runs, he runs hard but doesn't seem to lose a step when cutting, Yep, just like a Cat. And, he's been known during his days to be called "Felix The Cat." You know the sing song:

Felix the Cat,

The wonderful, wonderful cat!

Whenever he gets in a fix,

He reaches into his bag of tricks!

Listen to Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips talk about Felix Jones from just the other day: "He just makes so many good plays, sees the field so well."

Several times over the past few practices Felix Jones' best runs have been those between the tackles, making one quick cut and getting into the defensive backfield where a tackler's wrong angle on any play can mean six.

He had one of these for what would have been a touchdown the other day, and I promise, even though they weren't tackling, no one had an opportunity to do so. I think this is the run Phillips referred to here on Sunday when saying, "Broke the line, he saw the linebacker, but he was on to the safety already."

That is what you want to hear about your running back, even if he's probably going to play second fiddle to Barber, that he has good vision and anticipation. That he instinctively knows who he is going to beat initially and already is on to the second line of defense.

Exactly what made Emmitt so good.

"You know, you have a good feel for when you can get away from tacklers, and sometimes I feel like, yeah, I can get away here. And then there are other times, you know, I don't have a hole to run through," said Felix here Monday afternoon, the only thing detracting from his radio interview - he's so polite and soft-spoken - was the listeners inability to actually see his wide smile.

So, do not think Felix can't run inside or that he's unwilling to run inside. Maybe just the opposite, because somewhere along the way he's learned the shortest distance between two points is a straight line.

"People are really surprised I don't mind running through the tackles," Felix said. "I really prefer that (because it helps you) to get up the field real fast."

And he has a pretty good idea of who he is. To me, that's good.

For when asked to give a scouting report of himself, he said, without little hesitation, "Very elusive, fast, once he sees the hole he gets in there as fast as he can, makes the first person miss and is very explosive."

Now, along with his ability to catch the football - and boy, that sure looks good when they line up Barber and Felix Jones in the same backfield, then motion Felix out wide into the pass pattern, forcing the defense to decide if they will cover the lightning fast running back with a corner, a safety or a linebacker, ha! - here is something else I like.

Jones doesn't seem afraid to follow his instincts, to venture a little bit away from the prescribed hole if he thinks there is, or will be no hole. Some guys will just pound up in there, no matter what, simply doing what they are told to do. The other Jones did that far too many times last year when the backside cut was available.

Of course, this can be a good thing and a bad thing for a rookie running back because sometimes they give up on the play far too soon, losing the patience to ride their blockers until the hole opens. That gets you in trouble with the coaching staff, especially if your decision is the wrong decision.

As Jones says, "Yeah, I have ventured out, and that wasn't where I was supposed to go . . . Coach made it clear this play is designed to go in this certain spot and you need to go there. So I have ventured out and it wasn't really a place I needed to be. Coach [skip] Peete is (big) on hitting the hole and staying with the blocks."

Yeah, well, but the good ones know when to hit the hole and when to venture out. Those are the ones with good vision and the ability to not start making any moves until they get through the line of scrimmage. Jones knows on most running plays it's his responsibility to make someone miss. There is usually one more defender than the running back has blockers, so that's a prerequisite to running in the NFL.

So yeah, I know they aren't tackling out here, just tagging up the running backs. That is why there is great anticipation by this staff, and probably you guys, too, about Saturday's first preseason game in San Diego. Then we'll see if what we think we're seeing is really what we're seeing.

I do like that Spagnola also comments on this being non-contact football, and wait til the preseason... pretty balanced.One of the big knocks on Jones was "could he break a tackle" which we won't find out in camp. But Saturday we should find out.

 

[texasbirdfan]

I'm intrigued by Felix Jones, too, but why is it that no one has yet mentioned what Phillips said about Marion Barber in the very same article:

"I think last year was his year, and he proved himself," coach Wade Phillips said. "Obviously, we feel comfortable with him carrying the load. The other guys, we'll see how they fit in, but he's our bell cow."

Because we know what we're getting in MBIII, Jerry has said the exact same thing about Jones "we feel comfortable with him carrying the load." I believe he said this with the thought if MBIII went down to injury. People are overlooking Jones because of DMac and are passing on him for different reasons this will prove to be a mistake.Jones is showing something MBIII can't do with his moves, moves the E. Smith couldn't do. If he is wowing people now which he is, just wait til things start to slow down for him and begins to feel more comfortable.

Here in Dallas the Jerry Jones hype machine is huge and spreads to all corners of the media. Felix is good but is being given every courtesy in the beginning here because he is a number one pick and Jerry can't be wrong about the rare 1st round RB pick and #2 they are both Razorbacks. Definitely tap the breaks until the 3rd pre-season game.....

 

[Jason Wood]

I'm intrigued by Felix Jones, too, but why is it that no one has yet mentioned what Phillips said about Marion Barber in the very same article:

"I think last year was his year, and he proved himself," coach Wade Phillips said. "Obviously, we feel comfortable with him carrying the load. The other guys, we'll see how they fit in, but he's our bell cow."

Probably because in the same article he also says they are going to give the other RBs as much work as they can handle. I'm not sure what Phillips definition of bellcow is either... It really only means lead back... doesn't determine workload. 15 carries a game would be my expectation.

That sounds about right. As you probably know switz, my projections for the two are currently as follows:
Marion Barber III: 250 carries for 1150 yards (4.6) / 11 TDs / 40 receptions / 305 yards receiving (7.6) / 1 TD = 217.5 fantasy points
Felix Jones: 120 carries for 600 yards (5.0) / 4 TDs / 15 receptions / 150 yards receiving (10.0) / 1 TD = 105.0 fantasy points
Tashard Choice: 40 carries for 135 yards (3.4) / 1 TDs / 5 receptions / 40 yards receiving (8.0) / 0 TD = 23.5 fantasy points

 

[Andy Herron]

I'm intrigued by Felix Jones, too, but why is it that no one has yet mentioned what Phillips said about Marion Barber in the very same article:

"I think last year was his year, and he proved himself," coach Wade Phillips said. "Obviously, we feel comfortable with him carrying the load. The other guys, we'll see how they fit in, but he's our bell cow."

Probably because in the same article he also says they are going to give the other RBs as much work as they can handle. I'm not sure what Phillips definition of bellcow is either... It really only means lead back... doesn't determine workload. 15 carries a game would be my expectation.

That sounds about right. As you probably know switz, my projections for the two are currently as follows:
Marion Barber III: 250 carries for 1150 yards (4.6) / 11 TDs / 40 receptions / 305 yards receiving (7.6) / 1 TD = 217.5 fantasy points
Felix Jones: 120 carries for 600 yards (5.0) / 4 TDs / 15 receptions / 150 yards receiving (10.0) / 1 TD = 105.0 fantasy points
Tashard Choice: 40 carries for 135 yards (3.4) / 1 TDs / 5 receptions / 40 yards receiving (8.0) / 0 TD = 23.5 fantasy points

Speaking of cows, how about a "holy cow!"I thought you were going to adjust those receiving numbers for Felix Jason? Didn't this come up before?

He'll have those numbers by October!

Are you kidding me?

 

[PahtyTom]

It's good that he seems to be doing well but he still has a ton to prove considering he ran a 4.49 forty at 200 lbs and was part of a gimmicky offense at Arkansas

 

[switz]

It's good that he seems to be doing well but he still has a ton to prove considering he ran a 4.49 forty at 200 lbs and was part of a gimmicky offense at Arkansas

#1 - he weighed 207 at the combine, and weighs 212 now.#2 - he's run faster 40s at other times, don't put all your stock in that one#3 - the gimmick aspect of the Ark offense is really overrated, Felix didn't even run out of the Wildcat all that often.The knocks on this guy remind me of the knocks against LT when he came out.

 

[Andy Herron]

he ran a 4.49 forty at 200 lbs and...

...it means absolutely nothing.Football speed and straightline speed are two completely different things, especially for running backs.What did Emmitt run at the combine? A 4.7?Either you can play football or you can't. Speed is for track.

 

[Andy Herron]

I liked LB Kevin Burnett's evaluation from his blog yesterday covering the rookie report-offense:

#28- Very, very fast. Can run through holes sideways and has enough wiggle to hit the home run. Good hands out of the backfield.

http://kevinburnettblog.dallasnews.com/

I'll take that from a linebacker that's actually on the field with him over guys with stopwatches and notebooks at the combine any day.

 

[Steady Mooobin]

he ran a 4.49 forty at 200 lbs and...

...it means absolutely nothing.Football speed and straightline speed are two completely different things, especially for running backs.What did Emmitt run at the combine? A 4.7?Either you can play football or you can't. Speed is for track.

And how many times was Emmitt caught from behind? Jerry Rice ran something like a 4.5 or 4.6 when he came out. Then he went on to outrun defenses for 15+years.I know one or two guys have given you a lot of flak this past year, but I enjoy your insight. Thanks

 

[Andy Herron]

he ran a 4.49 forty at 200 lbs and...

...it means absolutely nothing.Football speed and straightline speed are two completely different things, especially for running backs.What did Emmitt run at the combine? A 4.7?Either you can play football or you can't. Speed is for track.

And how many times was Emmitt caught from behind? Jerry Rice ran something like a 4.5 or 4.6 when he came out. Then he went on to outrun defenses for 15+years.I know one or two guys have given you a lot of flak this past year, but I enjoy your insight. Thanks

Appreciate it Frank. I know at times that I come across a little strong, but I have a real passion for football, the Cowboys, and writing about what I see.I'm only here to share it. I'm not selling anything. People can take it or leave it.As to the post, football is more about angles, vision and trajectory. If you don't have those talents/tools/instincts, speed won't get you far.On the other hand, if you have those qualities, speed won't catch you very often either.

 

[Andy Herron]

As of 10 minutes ago-

... Felix Jones showed his big-play potential as receiver, lining up in the slot and running past (Pro Bowler) FS Ken Hamlin after releasing to the outside. Brad Johnson lofted the ball to Jones in stride for what would have been a long TD.

It seems he's making plays on a daily basis at this point. If Brad Johnson can find him...

 

[switz]

As of 10 minutes ago-

... Felix Jones showed his big-play potential as receiver, lining up in the slot and running past (Pro Bowler) FS Ken Hamlin after releasing to the outside. Brad Johnson lofted the ball to Jones in stride for what would have been a long TD.

It seems he's making plays on a daily basis at this point. If Brad Johnson can find him...

This is what I'm noticing... And the "rave reviews" are not of the generic "wow, he's fast" type, but rather specific plays he's making.Of course we'll see what happens when the defense can tackle.

 

[PahtyTom]

It's good that he seems to be doing well but he still has a ton to prove considering he ran a 4.49 forty at 200 lbs and was part of a gimmicky offense at Arkansas

#1 - he weighed 207 at the combine, and weighs 212 now.#2 - he's run faster 40s at other times, don't put all your stock in that one

#3 - the gimmick aspect of the Ark offense is really overrated, Felix didn't even run out of the Wildcat all that often.

The knocks on this guy remind me of the knocks against LT when he came out.

Let me preface this reply by saying that nfl.com and nfldraftscout.com have conflicting #s on Jones and his workout. Nfl.com has him at 200 lbs running a 4.47. Nfldraftscout.com has him at 207 lbs running a 4.44. I am not sure which one is correct, but I do lean towards nfl.com.Points taken, but LT ran a 4.46 at 221 lbs. Felix ran a 4.47 at 200 lbs. That is a GIGANTIC difference. 40 times are not the end-all-be-all but when looked relative to a runner's build, they are one of the best stats we have to try to predict success (or failure) in the NFL. Just because guys like Emmitt and Jerry Rice succeeded with subpar speed does not mean that we should discard useful data. They are RARE EXCEPTIONS, not the rule. When compared with other RBs drafted this year, his numbers really look sub-standard for a 1st rounder.

Jonathan Stewart 4.48 at 235 lbs (35 lbs more than Felix!)

Jalen Parmele 4.47 at 222 lbs

Matt Forte 4.46 at 222 lbs

Mendenhall 4.45 at 210 lbs

Jamal Charles 4.38 at 200 lbs

McFadden 4.33 at 210 lbs

Chris Johnson 4.24 at 195 lbs

If you don't take any stock in these #s then so be it. But if you do, then they could be extremely telling. If the Cowboys want Felix Jones to be this speedy back that they can split out wide and run funky plays to get him in space, it seems like Chris Johnson would have been better. If they wanted a combination back they could have grabbed Mendenhall. Or, at the very least it seems, they could have waited and grabbed someone later in the draft for much better value.

Maybe the Cowboys got it right and Felix Jones is another exception and has the intangibles that made guys like Westbrook, Emmitt, and Jerry Rice succeed at an elite level. But, I don't think we have enough to say that based off camp reports. I'd put more stock in his combine numbers than preseason hype, and that may mean that I will miss the boat on him, but I'll take my chances.

 

[Ridgelake]

Many of you all know that I was very anti-Felix at draft time. As a huge Cowboy fan, I did not believe in using a 1st rounder on a complementary player. But all the reports have been very positive about him. So I have to say that I'm intrigued.

The thing that has me most interested are reports of his vision. Multiple coaches have talked about how he sees the whole field and is setting up the safety before he even gets past the linebacker. He already knows he's past the LB and the safety is the last one to beat. Felix mentions seeing things like how the WRs are moving and blocking to know how the defenders are coming at him. Vision. Its going to be fun watching how this plays out.

Felix will definitely be used as a receiver. They will use both him and Barber in the game, splitting either or both of them out and causing all kinds of headaches for defenses.

I have 2 concerns though. 1) Can he pass block effectively? Dallas won't risk Romo because the season is over if he goes down. The initial reports are that he has a lot to learn, but that he most definitely will give it his all. He's planted Zach Thomas on the turf in one drill. I'll still withhold judgement on this. We'll know if the team trusts him as the lone RB behind Romo.

2) How does he do once the tackling starts? Several have already mentioned this point, so I won't belabor it.

Call this Cowboy fan "Cautiously Optimistic" on the potential that Jones presents.

 

[Andy Herron]

It's good that he seems to be doing well but he still has a ton to prove considering he ran a 4.49 forty at 200 lbs and was part of a gimmicky offense at Arkansas

#1 - he weighed 207 at the combine, and weighs 212 now.#2 - he's run faster 40s at other times, don't put all your stock in that one

#3 - the gimmick aspect of the Ark offense is really overrated, Felix didn't even run out of the Wildcat all that often.

The knocks on this guy remind me of the knocks against LT when he came out.

Let me preface this reply by saying that nfl.com and nfldraftscout.com have conflicting #s on Jones and his workout. Nfl.com has him at 200 lbs running a 4.47. Nfldraftscout.com has him at 207 lbs running a 4.44. I am not sure which one is correct, but I do lean towards nfl.com.Points taken, but LT ran a 4.46 at 221 lbs. Felix ran a 4.47 at 200 lbs. That is a GIGANTIC difference. 40 times are not the end-all-be-all but when looked relative to a runner's build, they are one of the best stats we have to try to predict success (or failure) in the NFL. Just because guys like Emmitt and Jerry Rice succeeded with subpar speed does not mean that we should discard useful data. They are RARE EXCEPTIONS, not the rule. When compared with other RBs drafted this year, his numbers really look sub-standard for a 1st rounder.

Jonathan Stewart 4.48 at 235 lbs (35 lbs more than Felix!)

Jalen Parmele 4.47 at 222 lbs

Matt Forte 4.46 at 222 lbs

Mendenhall 4.45 at 210 lbs

Jamal Charles 4.38 at 200 lbs

McFadden 4.33 at 210 lbs

Chris Johnson 4.24 at 195 lbs

If you don't take any stock in these #s then so be it. But if you do, then they could be extremely telling. If the Cowboys want Felix Jones to be this speedy back that they can split out wide and run funky plays to get him in space, it seems like Chris Johnson would have been better. If they wanted a combination back they could have grabbed Mendenhall. Or, at the very least it seems, they could have waited and grabbed someone later in the draft for much better value.

Maybe the Cowboys got it right and Felix Jones is another exception and has the intangibles that made guys like Westbrook, Emmitt, and Jerry Rice succeed at an elite level. But, I don't think we have enough to say that based off camp reports. I'd put more stock in his combine numbers than preseason hype, and that may mean that I will miss the boat on him, but I'll take my chances.

Dude, let me tell you what you can do with those combine numbers, regardless of whether or not Felix Jones or anybody else pans out.Print them off or write them down. Crumble them up and light them on fire. That's how good they are.

 

[Banger]

It's good that he seems to be doing well but he still has a ton to prove considering he ran a 4.49 forty at 200 lbs and was part of a gimmicky offense at Arkansas

#1 - he weighed 207 at the combine, and weighs 212 now.#2 - he's run faster 40s at other times, don't put all your stock in that one

#3 - the gimmick aspect of the Ark offense is really overrated, Felix didn't even run out of the Wildcat all that often.

The knocks on this guy remind me of the knocks against LT when he came out.

Let me preface this reply by saying that nfl.com and nfldraftscout.com have conflicting #s on Jones and his workout. Nfl.com has him at 200 lbs running a 4.47. Nfldraftscout.com has him at 207 lbs running a 4.44. I am not sure which one is correct, but I do lean towards nfl.com.Points taken, but LT ran a 4.46 at 221 lbs. Felix ran a 4.47 at 200 lbs. That is a GIGANTIC difference. 40 times are not the end-all-be-all but when looked relative to a runner's build, they are one of the best stats we have to try to predict success (or failure) in the NFL. Just because guys like Emmitt and Jerry Rice succeeded with subpar speed does not mean that we should discard useful data. They are RARE EXCEPTIONS, not the rule. When compared with other RBs drafted this year, his numbers really look sub-standard for a 1st rounder.

Jonathan Stewart 4.48 at 235 lbs (35 lbs more than Felix!)

Jalen Parmele 4.47 at 222 lbs

Matt Forte 4.46 at 222 lbs

Mendenhall 4.45 at 210 lbs

Jamal Charles 4.38 at 200 lbs

McFadden 4.33 at 210 lbs

Chris Johnson 4.24 at 195 lbs

If you don't take any stock in these #s then so be it. But if you do, then they could be extremely telling. If the Cowboys want Felix Jones to be this speedy back that they can split out wide and run funky plays to get him in space, it seems like Chris Johnson would have been better. If they wanted a combination back they could have grabbed Mendenhall. Or, at the very least it seems, they could have waited and grabbed someone later in the draft for much better value.

Maybe the Cowboys got it right and Felix Jones is another exception and has the intangibles that made guys like Westbrook, Emmitt, and Jerry Rice succeed at an elite level. But, I don't think we have enough to say that based off camp reports. I'd put more stock in his combine numbers than preseason hype, and that may mean that I will miss the boat on him, but I'll take my chances.

So does that mean that Chris Johnson will be the best back, followed by McFadden, then Charles....? 40 speed is a piece in a puzzle, an often over rated piece IMO.

 

[Andy Herron]

Many of you all know that I was very anti-Felix at draft time. As a huge Cowboy fan, I did not believe in using a 1st rounder on a complementary player. But all the reports have been very positive about him. So I have to say that I'm intrigued.The thing that has me most interested are reports of his vision. Multiple coaches have talked about how he sees the whole field and is setting up the safety before he even gets past the linebacker. He already knows he's past the LB and the safety is the last one to beat. Felix mentions seeing things like how the WRs are moving and blocking to know how the defenders are coming at him. Vision. Its going to be fun watching how this plays out.Felix will definitely be used as a receiver. They will use both him and Barber in the game, splitting either or both of them out and causing all kinds of headaches for defenses. I have 2 concerns though. 1) Can he pass block effectively? Dallas won't risk Romo because the season is over if he goes down. The initial reports are that he has a lot to learn, but that he most definitely will give it his all. He's planted Zach Thomas on the turf in one drill. I'll still withhold judgement on this. We'll know if the team trusts him as the lone RB behind Romo. 2) How does he do once the tackling starts? Several have already mentioned this point, so I won't belabor it. Call this Cowboy fan "Cautiously Optimistic" on the potential that Jones presents.

Ridgelake, you've seemed to entrusted your thoughts in my observations before, so let me tell you, before his NFL career is over, you may very well find yourself contemplating the idea of going out and buying his jersey. He's going to be that good. Think of Reggie Bush in the Cowboys offense, and that should give you an idea of where things are going here with this guy.

 

[Ridgelake]

Think of Reggie Bush in the Cowboys offense, and that should give you an idea of where things are going here with this guy.

Its actually Reggie Bush that scares me. Reggie can't pass block. The Saints MUST use a different playbook when he's in the game versus when Deuce is in. No, the guy that I'd LOVE for Felix to imitate is Marshall Faulk. Marshall COULD block adequately and the offense was much more dynamic as a result. Of course, Faulk was also a great runner and an outstanding receiver. He's the gold standard that I'd love Felix to measure up to. Not Bush.

 

[PahtyTom]

It's good that he seems to be doing well but he still has a ton to prove considering he ran a 4.49 forty at 200 lbs and was part of a gimmicky offense at Arkansas

#1 - he weighed 207 at the combine, and weighs 212 now.#2 - he's run faster 40s at other times, don't put all your stock in that one

#3 - the gimmick aspect of the Ark offense is really overrated, Felix didn't even run out of the Wildcat all that often.

The knocks on this guy remind me of the knocks against LT when he came out.

Let me preface this reply by saying that nfl.com and nfldraftscout.com have conflicting #s on Jones and his workout. Nfl.com has him at 200 lbs running a 4.47. Nfldraftscout.com has him at 207 lbs running a 4.44. I am not sure which one is correct, but I do lean towards nfl.com.Points taken, but LT ran a 4.46 at 221 lbs. Felix ran a 4.47 at 200 lbs. That is a GIGANTIC difference. 40 times are not the end-all-be-all but when looked relative to a runner's build, they are one of the best stats we have to try to predict success (or failure) in the NFL. Just because guys like Emmitt and Jerry Rice succeeded with subpar speed does not mean that we should discard useful data. They are RARE EXCEPTIONS, not the rule. When compared with other RBs drafted this year, his numbers really look sub-standard for a 1st rounder.

Jonathan Stewart 4.48 at 235 lbs (35 lbs more than Felix!)

Jalen Parmele 4.47 at 222 lbs

Matt Forte 4.46 at 222 lbs

Mendenhall 4.45 at 210 lbs

Jamal Charles 4.38 at 200 lbs

McFadden 4.33 at 210 lbs

Chris Johnson 4.24 at 195 lbs

If you don't take any stock in these #s then so be it. But if you do, then they could be extremely telling. If the Cowboys want Felix Jones to be this speedy back that they can split out wide and run funky plays to get him in space, it seems like Chris Johnson would have been better. If they wanted a combination back they could have grabbed Mendenhall. Or, at the very least it seems, they could have waited and grabbed someone later in the draft for much better value.

Maybe the Cowboys got it right and Felix Jones is another exception and has the intangibles that made guys like Westbrook, Emmitt, and Jerry Rice succeed at an elite level. But, I don't think we have enough to say that based off camp reports. I'd put more stock in his combine numbers than preseason hype, and that may mean that I will miss the boat on him, but I'll take my chances.

So does that mean that Chris Johnson will be the best back, followed by McFadden, then Charles....? 40 speed is a piece in a puzzle, an often over rated piece IMO.

No, it means that Felix Jones is not fast for his size. Potentially, not fast enough to run away from linebackers or big enough to break tackles and avoid injury. I don't mean to hurt feelings for the guys in here who love Felix, but at least have the decency to read the entire post if you are going to reply to it.

 

[Andy Herron]

Think of Reggie Bush in the Cowboys offense, and that should give you an idea of where things are going here with this guy.

Its actually Reggie Bush that scares me. Reggie can't pass block. The Saints MUST use a different playbook when he's in the game versus when Deuce is in. No, the guy that I'd LOVE for Felix to imitate is Marshall Faulk. Marshall COULD block adequately and the offense was much more dynamic as a result. Of course, Faulk was also a great runner and an outstanding receiver. He's the gold standard that I'd love Felix to measure up to. Not Bush.

Well, I was talking more recent. Faulk came into the league far more polished than Bush to begin with. I was never overly sold on Bush as a pro, but it's his dynamics that I was trying to point out as a receiver out of the backfield.

 

[Ridgelake]

Interesting timing on this report of Dallas' practice today by Rafael Vela:

The Cowboys showed some of their more creative plays today, all designed to get Felix Jones and Marion Barber the ball in space. The team tried them in their initial sessions, where the plays are shown to the team on note cards and run against nobody.

They were later implemented in the 11-on-11 drills to end the session, and worked effectively. Mostly, they showcased the elusiveness, speed and receiving skills of the rookie running back from Arkansas.

Three plays were out of the ordinary in the initial drills. On the first, Dallas went four wides, with Isaiah Stanback as the split end and Patrick Crayton, Sam Hurd and Miles Austin on the opposite side. On the snap, Stanback ran a slant towards the center of the field. Tony Romo took a semi-roll right towards the trio of receivers, stopped and threw left, where Felix Jones had three linemen leading him in a screen down field.

On the next play, Dallas put Terrell Owens as the split end, with Jason Witten, Hurd and Crayton on the opposite side. Before the snap, Owens came in motion right. He continued into the backfield, as if to take a reverse right. Romo faked to T.O. pivoted left and threw a throwback screen, this time to Marion Barber, who followed his escourt to an imaginary touchdown.

On the last play, Dallas had Stanback and Owens left, with T.O. in the slot. Jason Witten was flexed off the left tackle, giving Dallas three receiving options upfield. Felix Jones was alone in the backfield with Crayton on the right. Owens again motioned towards the backfield and this time lined up as the tailback behind Jones. At the snap, T.O. flared to the right, and Romo feignted a throw in his direction. On the left side, Witten and Stanback both angled towards the post, clearing out the left side. After Romo completed his fake right to T.O., he again turned left and threw back to Jones.

The offense tried these plays in their final drill, with the throwback to Barber off the T.O. I-formation look working for an effective gain on Romo’s next-to-last series.

On the final series of the day, Brad Johnson and Jason Garrett called three consecutive plays for Jones, and they hinted at the explosiveness the rookie can add. On the first series play, Jones caught a throwback screen after the fake reverse to Owens and took the ball far upfield.

On the next play, he ran a draw left and slithered back towards the right for a healthy gain.

On Felix’ final play he again lined up as the lone back and ran a wheel route up the left sideline. Felix got far behind his linebacker and caught what would have been a touchdown in a real game.

We likely won’t see these plays until the regular season, but we can see Jones’ raw skills on display Saturday against the Chargers.

Get your popcorn ready…

Edit: Link http://www.blueandsilverreport.com/2008/08...t-5th/#comments

 

[Blackjacks]

Think of Reggie Bush in the Cowboys offense, and that should give you an idea of where things are going here with this guy.

Its actually Reggie Bush that scares me. Reggie can't pass block. The Saints MUST use a different playbook when he's in the game versus when Deuce is in. No, the guy that I'd LOVE for Felix to imitate is Marshall Faulk. Marshall COULD block adequately and the offense was much more dynamic as a result. Of course, Faulk was also a great runner and an outstanding receiver. He's the gold standard that I'd love Felix to measure up to. Not Bush.

You obviously don't know what your talking about.

 

[Andy Herron]

It's good that he seems to be doing well but he still has a ton to prove considering he ran a 4.49 forty at 200 lbs and was part of a gimmicky offense at Arkansas

#1 - he weighed 207 at the combine, and weighs 212 now.#2 - he's run faster 40s at other times, don't put all your stock in that one

#3 - the gimmick aspect of the Ark offense is really overrated, Felix didn't even run out of the Wildcat all that often.

The knocks on this guy remind me of the knocks against LT when he came out.

Let me preface this reply by saying that nfl.com and nfldraftscout.com have conflicting #s on Jones and his workout. Nfl.com has him at 200 lbs running a 4.47. Nfldraftscout.com has him at 207 lbs running a 4.44. I am not sure which one is correct, but I do lean towards nfl.com.Points taken, but LT ran a 4.46 at 221 lbs. Felix ran a 4.47 at 200 lbs. That is a GIGANTIC difference. 40 times are not the end-all-be-all but when looked relative to a runner's build, they are one of the best stats we have to try to predict success (or failure) in the NFL. Just because guys like Emmitt and Jerry Rice succeeded with subpar speed does not mean that we should discard useful data. They are RARE EXCEPTIONS, not the rule. When compared with other RBs drafted this year, his numbers really look sub-standard for a 1st rounder.

Jonathan Stewart 4.48 at 235 lbs (35 lbs more than Felix!)

Jalen Parmele 4.47 at 222 lbs

Matt Forte 4.46 at 222 lbs

Mendenhall 4.45 at 210 lbs

Jamal Charles 4.38 at 200 lbs

McFadden 4.33 at 210 lbs

Chris Johnson 4.24 at 195 lbs

If you don't take any stock in these #s then so be it. But if you do, then they could be extremely telling. If the Cowboys want Felix Jones to be this speedy back that they can split out wide and run funky plays to get him in space, it seems like Chris Johnson would have been better. If they wanted a combination back they could have grabbed Mendenhall. Or, at the very least it seems, they could have waited and grabbed someone later in the draft for much better value.

Maybe the Cowboys got it right and Felix Jones is another exception and has the intangibles that made guys like Westbrook, Emmitt, and Jerry Rice succeed at an elite level. But, I don't think we have enough to say that based off camp reports. I'd put more stock in his combine numbers than preseason hype, and that may mean that I will miss the boat on him, but I'll take my chances.

So does that mean that Chris Johnson will be the best back, followed by McFadden, then Charles....? 40 speed is a piece in a puzzle, an often over rated piece IMO.

No, it means that Felix Jones is not fast for his size. Potentially, not fast enough to run away from linebackers or big enough to break tackles and avoid injury. I don't mean to hurt feelings for the guys in here who love Felix, but at least have the decency to read the entire post if you are going to reply to it.

There's one linebacker that says you're wrong-I liked LB Kevin Burnett's evaluation from his blog yesterday covering the rookie report-offense:

#28- Very, very fast. Can run through holes sideways and has enough wiggle to hit the home run. Good hands out of the backfield.

http://kevinburnettblog.dallasnews.com/

I'll take that from a linebacker that's actually on the field with him over guys with stopwatches and notebooks at the combine any day.

 

[BigTex]

It's good that he seems to be doing well but he still has a ton to prove considering he ran a 4.49 forty at 200 lbs and was part of a gimmicky offense at Arkansas

Didn't Emmitt run a 4.52????

 

[BigTex]

As of 10 minutes ago-

... Felix Jones showed his big-play potential as receiver, lining up in the slot and running past (Pro Bowler) FS Ken Hamlin after releasing to the outside. Brad Johnson lofted the ball to Jones in stride for what would have been a long TD.

It seems he's making plays on a daily basis at this point. If Brad Johnson can find him...

This is what I'm noticing... And the "rave reviews" are not of the generic "wow, he's fast" type, but rather specific plays he's making.Of course we'll see what happens when the defense can tackle.

They just don't get how special this guy is....................they really don't.

 

[PahtyTom]

It's good that he seems to be doing well but he still has a ton to prove considering he ran a 4.49 forty at 200 lbs and was part of a gimmicky offense at Arkansas

#1 - he weighed 207 at the combine, and weighs 212 now.#2 - he's run faster 40s at other times, don't put all your stock in that one

#3 - the gimmick aspect of the Ark offense is really overrated, Felix didn't even run out of the Wildcat all that often.

The knocks on this guy remind me of the knocks against LT when he came out.

Let me preface this reply by saying that nfl.com and nfldraftscout.com have conflicting #s on Jones and his workout. Nfl.com has him at 200 lbs running a 4.47. Nfldraftscout.com has him at 207 lbs running a 4.44. I am not sure which one is correct, but I do lean towards nfl.com.Points taken, but LT ran a 4.46 at 221 lbs. Felix ran a 4.47 at 200 lbs. That is a GIGANTIC difference. 40 times are not the end-all-be-all but when looked relative to a runner's build, they are one of the best stats we have to try to predict success (or failure) in the NFL. Just because guys like Emmitt and Jerry Rice succeeded with subpar speed does not mean that we should discard useful data. They are RARE EXCEPTIONS, not the rule. When compared with other RBs drafted this year, his numbers really look sub-standard for a 1st rounder.

Jonathan Stewart 4.48 at 235 lbs (35 lbs more than Felix!)

Jalen Parmele 4.47 at 222 lbs

Matt Forte 4.46 at 222 lbs

Mendenhall 4.45 at 210 lbs

Jamal Charles 4.38 at 200 lbs

McFadden 4.33 at 210 lbs

Chris Johnson 4.24 at 195 lbs

If you don't take any stock in these #s then so be it. But if you do, then they could be extremely telling. If the Cowboys want Felix Jones to be this speedy back that they can split out wide and run funky plays to get him in space, it seems like Chris Johnson would have been better. If they wanted a combination back they could have grabbed Mendenhall. Or, at the very least it seems, they could have waited and grabbed someone later in the draft for much better value.

Maybe the Cowboys got it right and Felix Jones is another exception and has the intangibles that made guys like Westbrook, Emmitt, and Jerry Rice succeed at an elite level. But, I don't think we have enough to say that based off camp reports. I'd put more stock in his combine numbers than preseason hype, and that may mean that I will miss the boat on him, but I'll take my chances.

So does that mean that Chris Johnson will be the best back, followed by McFadden, then Charles....? 40 speed is a piece in a puzzle, an often over rated piece IMO.

No, it means that Felix Jones is not fast for his size. Potentially, not fast enough to run away from linebackers or big enough to break tackles and avoid injury. I don't mean to hurt feelings for the guys in here who love Felix, but at least have the decency to read the entire post if you are going to reply to it.

There's one linebacker that says you're wrong-I liked LB Kevin Burnett's evaluation from his blog yesterday covering the rookie report-offense:

#28- Very, very fast. Can run through holes sideways and has enough wiggle to hit the home run. Good hands out of the backfield.

http://kevinburnettblog.dallasnews.com/

I'll take that from a linebacker that's actually on the field with him over guys with stopwatches and notebooks at the combine any day.

Fair enough. Maybe you guys have the next Westbrook. Or maybe he's the next Trung Canidate. Or maybe more likely than either of those comparisons, he's a Leon Washington type. I don't discard combine stats completely, and I certainly don't do it for preseason hype. But, the name of this thread is Felix Jones hype so I'm probably in the wrong place lol.

 

[Andy Herron]

It's good that he seems to be doing well but he still has a ton to prove considering he ran a 4.49 forty at 200 lbs and was part of a gimmicky offense at Arkansas

#1 - he weighed 207 at the combine, and weighs 212 now.#2 - he's run faster 40s at other times, don't put all your stock in that one

#3 - the gimmick aspect of the Ark offense is really overrated, Felix didn't even run out of the Wildcat all that often.

The knocks on this guy remind me of the knocks against LT when he came out.

Let me preface this reply by saying that nfl.com and nfldraftscout.com have conflicting #s on Jones and his workout. Nfl.com has him at 200 lbs running a 4.47. Nfldraftscout.com has him at 207 lbs running a 4.44. I am not sure which one is correct, but I do lean towards nfl.com.Points taken, but LT ran a 4.46 at 221 lbs. Felix ran a 4.47 at 200 lbs. That is a GIGANTIC difference. 40 times are not the end-all-be-all but when looked relative to a runner's build, they are one of the best stats we have to try to predict success (or failure) in the NFL. Just because guys like Emmitt and Jerry Rice succeeded with subpar speed does not mean that we should discard useful data. They are RARE EXCEPTIONS, not the rule. When compared with other RBs drafted this year, his numbers really look sub-standard for a 1st rounder.

Jonathan Stewart 4.48 at 235 lbs (35 lbs more than Felix!)

Jalen Parmele 4.47 at 222 lbs

Matt Forte 4.46 at 222 lbs

Mendenhall 4.45 at 210 lbs

Jamal Charles 4.38 at 200 lbs

McFadden 4.33 at 210 lbs

Chris Johnson 4.24 at 195 lbs

If you don't take any stock in these #s then so be it. But if you do, then they could be extremely telling. If the Cowboys want Felix Jones to be this speedy back that they can split out wide and run funky plays to get him in space, it seems like Chris Johnson would have been better. If they wanted a combination back they could have grabbed Mendenhall. Or, at the very least it seems, they could have waited and grabbed someone later in the draft for much better value.

Maybe the Cowboys got it right and Felix Jones is another exception and has the intangibles that made guys like Westbrook, Emmitt, and Jerry Rice succeed at an elite level. But, I don't think we have enough to say that based off camp reports. I'd put more stock in his combine numbers than preseason hype, and that may mean that I will miss the boat on him, but I'll take my chances.

So does that mean that Chris Johnson will be the best back, followed by McFadden, then Charles....? 40 speed is a piece in a puzzle, an often over rated piece IMO.

No, it means that Felix Jones is not fast for his size. Potentially, not fast enough to run away from linebackers or big enough to break tackles and avoid injury. I don't mean to hurt feelings for the guys in here who love Felix, but at least have the decency to read the entire post if you are going to reply to it.

There's one linebacker that says you're wrong-I liked LB Kevin Burnett's evaluation from his blog yesterday covering the rookie report-offense:

#28- Very, very fast. Can run through holes sideways and has enough wiggle to hit the home run. Good hands out of the backfield.

http://kevinburnettblog.dallasnews.com/

I'll take that from a linebacker that's actually on the field with him over guys with stopwatches and notebooks at the combine any day.

Fair enough. Maybe you guys have the next Westbrook. Or maybe he's the next Trung Canidate. Or maybe more likely than either of those comparisons, he's a Leon Washington type. I don't discard combine stats completely, and I certainly don't do it for preseason hype. But, the name of this thread is Felix Jones hype so I'm probably in the wrong place lol.

LOL! Fair enough indeed. All in good nature.

 

[Banger]

It's good that he seems to be doing well but he still has a ton to prove considering he ran a 4.49 forty at 200 lbs and was part of a gimmicky offense at Arkansas

#1 - he weighed 207 at the combine, and weighs 212 now.#2 - he's run faster 40s at other times, don't put all your stock in that one

#3 - the gimmick aspect of the Ark offense is really overrated, Felix didn't even run out of the Wildcat all that often.

The knocks on this guy remind me of the knocks against LT when he came out.

Let me preface this reply by saying that nfl.com and nfldraftscout.com have conflicting #s on Jones and his workout. Nfl.com has him at 200 lbs running a 4.47. Nfldraftscout.com has him at 207 lbs running a 4.44. I am not sure which one is correct, but I do lean towards nfl.com.Points taken, but LT ran a 4.46 at 221 lbs. Felix ran a 4.47 at 200 lbs. That is a GIGANTIC difference. 40 times are not the end-all-be-all but when looked relative to a runner's build, they are one of the best stats we have to try to predict success (or failure) in the NFL. Just because guys like Emmitt and Jerry Rice succeeded with subpar speed does not mean that we should discard useful data. They are RARE EXCEPTIONS, not the rule. When compared with other RBs drafted this year, his numbers really look sub-standard for a 1st rounder.

Jonathan Stewart 4.48 at 235 lbs (35 lbs more than Felix!)

Jalen Parmele 4.47 at 222 lbs

Matt Forte 4.46 at 222 lbs

Mendenhall 4.45 at 210 lbs

Jamal Charles 4.38 at 200 lbs

McFadden 4.33 at 210 lbs

Chris Johnson 4.24 at 195 lbs

If you don't take any stock in these #s then so be it. But if you do, then they could be extremely telling. If the Cowboys want Felix Jones to be this speedy back that they can split out wide and run funky plays to get him in space, it seems like Chris Johnson would have been better. If they wanted a combination back they could have grabbed Mendenhall. Or, at the very least it seems, they could have waited and grabbed someone later in the draft for much better value.

Maybe the Cowboys got it right and Felix Jones is another exception and has the intangibles that made guys like Westbrook, Emmitt, and Jerry Rice succeed at an elite level. But, I don't think we have enough to say that based off camp reports. I'd put more stock in his combine numbers than preseason hype, and that may mean that I will miss the boat on him, but I'll take my chances.

So does that mean that Chris Johnson will be the best back, followed by McFadden, then Charles....? 40 speed is a piece in a puzzle, an often over rated piece IMO.

No, it means that Felix Jones is not fast for his size. Potentially, not fast enough to run away from linebackers or big enough to break tackles and avoid injury. I don't mean to hurt feelings for the guys in here who love Felix, but at least have the decency to read the entire post if you are going to reply to it.

I read your post I just don't agree with it. To say a guy isn't going to be an effective NFL runner due to a combine score is silly IMO. Every year we see combine workout warriors that test off the charts and fail miserably and we also see guys that tested poorly play very well. A 40 time can't test if you have vision, toughness, lateral quickness, ability to break tackles, a good burst and accerlation, ability to pass protect, receiving ability, ability to learn a playbook, ability to avoid hits, ability to stay healthy, etc.. Its one piece of a puzzle and some people put much too much emphasis on it as some kind of future predictor.

ETA...take a player like LT, after watching him for years I'd put the relevance of hid 40 time down far on the list because its not what makes him a successful back. It's his tremendous vision, his unbeleivable ability to set guys up and keep them off balance so they can't get good angles on him, ability to slide and accelerate and change directions in the hole, his ability to avoid hits, toughness, ability to stay healthy and take care of himself, desire to be the best, his receiving ability and I could go on. How do you measure all that?

 

[switz]

No, it means that Felix Jones is not fast for his size. Potentially, not fast enough to run away from linebackers or big enough to break tackles and avoid injury. I don't mean to hurt feelings for the guys in here who love Felix, but at least have the decency to read the entire post if you are going to reply to it.

Unfortunately, you are putting way way way too much stock in a 40 time. That's the bottom line.Anyone who watched Felix in college knows he's faster than Jonathan Stewart, Rashard Mendenhall, Forte, Smith, Rice, Parmale, etc. heck I'd even say McFadden from watching them run together enough. The kid can fly... in college they'd always say he was "turning on the turbo" because he's blistering fast. In pads, I think the only RB in this class that is legitimately faster is Chris Johnson, maybe Jamaal Charles.As for him being "not fast enough to run away from linebackers" - he's blown by LBs and safeties in camp, more than once.As for the "big enough to break tackles and avoid injury" comment - we don't know about tackles yet, but we'll find out soon enough. Avoiding injury? Are you kidding me? He was never injured in college. And the Cowboys already list him at 212, so he's putting on weight.Come on, be realistic. It's obvious you've never watched him play. You have a clear bias against him by some of you comments. That's fine, but your bias is clouding your judgement, and causing you to use really silly arguments - like saying he's not fast

 

[SayWhat?]

And the Cowboys already list him at 212, so he's putting on weight.

Yes, because clearly NFL teams never exagerate their players heights or weights.

 

[switz]

And the Cowboys already list him at 212, so he's putting on weight.

Yes, because clearly NFL teams never exagerate their players heights or weights.

Should I have added that in photos from camp he also looks bigger than the combine? Nah... we really ought to be skeptical and pessimistic about everything.

 

[BigRed]

my projections for the two are currently as follows:

Marion Barber III: 250 carries for 1150 yards (4.6) / 11 TDs / 40 receptions / 305 yards receiving (7.6) / 1 TD = 217.5 fantasy points
Felix Jones: 120 carries for 600 yards (5.0) / 4 TDs / 15 receptions / 150 yards receiving (10.0) / 1 TD = 105.0 fantasy points
Tashard Choice: 40 carries for 135 yards (3.4) / 1 TDs / 5 receptions / 40 yards receiving (8.0) / 0 TD = 23.5 fantasy points

I think your # of carries are about right for Barber and Jones (not sure about the rest) - ie about a 2/1 split.

 

[SayWhat?]

And the Cowboys already list him at 212, so he's putting on weight.

Yes, because clearly NFL teams never exagerate their players heights or weights.

Should I have added that in photos from camp he also looks bigger than the combine? Nah... we really ought to be skeptical and pessimistic about everything.

I'd love to see the photos from the combine vs at camp where you can tell that Felix has put on 5 pounds.

 

[Brasco]

It's good that he seems to be doing well but he still has a ton to prove considering he ran a 4.49 forty at 200 lbs and was part of a gimmicky offense at Arkansas

#1 - he weighed 207 at the combine, and weighs 212 now.#2 - he's run faster 40s at other times, don't put all your stock in that one#3 - the gimmick aspect of the Ark offense is really overrated, Felix didn't even run out of the Wildcat all that often.The knocks on this guy remind me of the knocks against LT when he came out.

Maybe an Ark fan can confirm for me, but didn't Ark lose quite a bit OL from '06 to '07 (like 3 starters), and Jones had an even better ypc in '07. The guy seemed to get better every year he was there (ypc improved every year). Plus, no teams respected Casey **** and he definitely was not much of a running threat. Seems like teams would have been going all out to stop McFadden and Jones.As a Cowboys fan, I was disappointed during the draft when Dallas passed on Mendenhall to draft Jones, but I'm starting to change my mind. As others have stated on this board, I think he can have a Reggie Bush like impact (rookie year) on this offense. It may be why the Cowboys haven't gone overboard trying to upgrade the #2 wr position?

 

[Manster]

Interesting timing on this report of Dallas' practice today by Rafael Vela:

The Cowboys showed some of their more creative plays today, all designed to get Felix Jones and Marion Barber the ball in space. The team tried them in their initial sessions, where the plays are shown to the team on note cards and run against nobody.

They were later implemented in the 11-on-11 drills to end the session, and worked effectively. Mostly, they showcased the elusiveness, speed and receiving skills of the rookie running back from Arkansas.

Three plays were out of the ordinary in the initial drills. On the first, Dallas went four wides, with Isaiah Stanback as the split end and Patrick Crayton, Sam Hurd and Miles Austin on the opposite side. On the snap, Stanback ran a slant towards the center of the field. Tony Romo took a semi-roll right towards the trio of receivers, stopped and threw left, where Felix Jones had three linemen leading him in a screen down field.

On the next play, Dallas put Terrell Owens as the split end, with Jason Witten, Hurd and Crayton on the opposite side. Before the snap, Owens came in motion right. He continued into the backfield, as if to take a reverse right. Romo faked to T.O. pivoted left and threw a throwback screen, this time to Marion Barber, who followed his escourt to an imaginary touchdown.

On the last play, Dallas had Stanback and Owens left, with T.O. in the slot. Jason Witten was flexed off the left tackle, giving Dallas three receiving options upfield. Felix Jones was alone in the backfield with Crayton on the right. Owens again motioned towards the backfield and this time lined up as the tailback behind Jones. At the snap, T.O. flared to the right, and Romo feignted a throw in his direction. On the left side, Witten and Stanback both angled towards the post, clearing out the left side. After Romo completed his fake right to T.O., he again turned left and threw back to Jones.

The offense tried these plays in their final drill, with the throwback to Barber off the T.O. I-formation look working for an effective gain on Romo’s next-to-last series.

On the final series of the day, Brad Johnson and Jason Garrett called three consecutive plays for Jones, and they hinted at the explosiveness the rookie can add. On the first series play, Jones caught a throwback screen after the fake reverse to Owens and took the ball far upfield.

On the next play, he ran a draw left and slithered back towards the right for a healthy gain.

On Felix’ final play he again lined up as the lone back and ran a wheel route up the left sideline. Felix got far behind his linebacker and caught what would have been a touchdown in a real game.

We likely won’t see these plays until the regular season, but we can see Jones’ raw skills on display Saturday against the Chargers.

Get your popcorn ready…

Edit: Link http://www.blueandsilverreport.com/2008/08...t-5th/#comments

It's good that he seems to be doing well but he still has a ton to prove considering he ran a 4.49 forty at 200 lbs and was part of a gimmicky offense at Arkansas

#1 - he weighed 207 at the combine, and weighs 212 now.#2 - he's run faster 40s at other times, don't put all your stock in that one

#3 - the gimmick aspect of the Ark offense is really overrated, Felix didn't even run out of the Wildcat all that often.

The knocks on this guy remind me of the knocks against LT when he came out.

Maybe an Ark fan can confirm for me, but didn't Ark lose quite a bit OL from '06 to '07 (like 3 starters), and Jones had an even better ypc in '07. The guy seemed to get better every year he was there (ypc improved every year). Plus, no teams respected Casey **** and he definitely was not much of a running threat. Seems like teams would have been going all out to stop McFadden and Jones.As a Cowboys fan, I was disappointed during the draft when Dallas passed on Mendenhall to draft Jones, but I'm starting to change my mind. As others have stated on this board, I think he can have a Reggie Bush like impact (rookie year) on this offense. It may be why the Cowboys haven't gone overboard trying to upgrade the #2 wr position?

sounds about right. if you read the above by Vela, you'll see that Jones will be incorporated in mult. different sets to try to utilize his skill set. they're gonna try to get him in space outside the tackles. we'll see MBIII and Jones on the field at the same time a lot. of course this is all dependent on how he picks up the offense. sounds like some fairly complicated sets, and he is a rook.what excites me, is the thought of another weapon at Romo's disposal. couple that with Garrett's innovative play calling, and defenses will tremble at the thought of going against this offense!

 

[PahtyTom]

No, it means that Felix Jones is not fast for his size. Potentially, not fast enough to run away from linebackers or big enough to break tackles and avoid injury. I don't mean to hurt feelings for the guys in here who love Felix, but at least have the decency to read the entire post if you are going to reply to it.

Come on, be realistic. It's obvious you've never watched him play. You have a clear bias against him by some of you comments. That's fine, but your bias is clouding your judgement, and causing you to use really silly arguments - like saying he's not fast

I watched him play in college. He looked good. I watched Deshaun Foster, William Green, Cedric Cobbs, Maurice Clarett, Brian Calhoun, etc. They looked good too. I have no bias against him, I have no reason to have one. I just stated facts. Like I've said numerous times, maybe I'm wrong and he has those intangibles that make him great. But, I'm not good enough to spot those intangibles in practices or through comments about practice. Edited to say: I'm not saying he won't be effective in a part time role in Dallas or that he doesn't have a role in the NFL. A lot of guys could be effective splitting carries and running trick plays in Dallas. I just don't think he was worth that 1st round pick, or worthy of comparisons to Emmitt Smith just yet lol

 

[switz]

No, it means that Felix Jones is not fast for his size. Potentially, not fast enough to run away from linebackers or big enough to break tackles and avoid injury. I don't mean to hurt feelings for the guys in here who love Felix, but at least have the decency to read the entire post if you are going to reply to it.

Come on, be realistic. It's obvious you've never watched him play. You have a clear bias against him by some of you comments. That's fine, but your bias is clouding your judgement, and causing you to use really silly arguments - like saying he's not fast

I watched him play in college. He looked good. I watched Deshaun Foster, William Green, Cedric Cobbs, Maurice Clarett, Brian Calhoun, etc. They looked good too. I have no bias against him, I have no reason to have one. I just stated facts. Like I've said numerous times, maybe I'm wrong and he has those intangibles that make him great. But, I'm not good enough to spot those intangibles in practices or through comments about practice.

That's fair, and I apologize if I came across a bit harsh. I just think you are jumping to negative conclusions based on very little and somewhat inaccurate data. I mean you didn't even choose to take the average of the reports, but went with the slowest 40 time, and the lightest weight. And then drew conclusions that were worst case scenarios, instead of realistic cases that were similar. I'm still not sure you REALLY watched him in college, if you base your opinion of his speed on one 40 time, and not on watching him outrun most of SEC competition. The kid is really really fast. I'm not sure how you can argue otherwise at all.

Just seems your intent to see only negatives about him. Are you this way about all rookies?

Edited to say: I'm not saying he won't be effective in a part time role in Dallas or that he doesn't have a role in the NFL. A lot of guys could be effective splitting carries and running trick plays in Dallas. I just don't think he was worth that 1st round pick, or worthy of comparisons to Emmitt Smith just yet lol

So you DO have a negative view of him already, which is why you're looking at the negative side of things for him. I'm not sure why you're so pessimistic about him, but he's player and will be an impact player. You're missing out if you discount him the way you are.

 

[ConstruxBoy]

No, it means that Felix Jones is not fast for his size. Potentially, not fast enough to run away from linebackers or big enough to break tackles and avoid injury. I don't mean to hurt feelings for the guys in here who love Felix, but at least have the decency to read the entire post if you are going to reply to it.

Come on, be realistic. It's obvious you've never watched him play. You have a clear bias against him by some of you comments. That's fine, but your bias is clouding your judgement, and causing you to use really silly arguments - like saying he's not fast

I watched him play in college. He looked good. I watched Deshaun Foster, William Green, Cedric Cobbs, Maurice Clarett, Brian Calhoun, etc. They looked good too. I have no bias against him, I have no reason to have one. I just stated facts. Like I've said numerous times, maybe I'm wrong and he has those intangibles that make him great. But, I'm not good enough to spot those intangibles in practices or through comments about practice.

That's fair, and I apologize if I came across a bit harsh. I just think you are jumping to negative conclusions based on very little and somewhat inaccurate data. I mean you didn't even choose to take the average of the reports, but went with the slowest 40 time, and the lightest weight. And then drew conclusions that were worst case scenarios, instead of realistic cases that were similar. I'm still not sure you REALLY watched him in college, if you base your opinion of his speed on one 40 time, and not on watching him outrun most of SEC competition. The kid is really really fast. I'm not sure how you can argue otherwise at all.

Just seems your intent to see only negatives about him. Are you this way about all rookies?

Edited to say: I'm not saying he won't be effective in a part time role in Dallas or that he doesn't have a role in the NFL. A lot of guys could be effective splitting carries and running trick plays in Dallas. I just don't think he was worth that 1st round pick, or worthy of comparisons to Emmitt Smith just yet lol

So you DO have a negative view of him already, which is why you're looking at the negative side of things for him. I'm not sure why you're so pessimistic about him, but he's player and will be an impact player. You're missing out if you discount him the way you are.

Aren't you the same guy that started a thread trying to draw negative conclusions on rookie RBs based on one or two negative plays in the press?

Come on.

 

[thenipper]

Everyone needs to use the awesome tools of this website. Use the player search tool for this debate. Search for Julius Jones and look at the news for 2007.

Now, just change the Julius to Felix and 2007 to 2008 and does it sound any different than the hyped news you are reading today?!

Pretty obvious that Felix Jones will be used similar to Julius Jones. We saw the same thing last year. So, you will have a few good games, but MBIII is still their main workhorse.

And, who do you think will get the ball inside the 20. MBIII just smells the endzone and you can't keep him out! I love his work ethic!

Moral: Use all the footballguys tools available so you can get the whole picture!

 

[switz]

Aren't you the same guy that started a thread trying to draw negative conclusions on rookie RBs based on one or two negative plays in the press?

Come on.

No, I just asked if people were worried because the area that rookie was supposed to excel in right away is the area he's struggling, and the guy he is supposed to replace is excelling.

 

[ConstruxBoy]

Aren't you the same guy that started a thread trying to draw negative conclusions on rookie RBs based on one or two negative plays in the press?

Come on.

No, I just asked if people were worried because the area that rookie was supposed to excel in right away is the area he's struggling, and the guy he is supposed to replace is excelling.

Now you're cherry picking Mendenhall's situation. As I recall you also had McFadden, Stewart and Jones in that thread, right? To be clear, I'm not talking about the Mendenhall thread you started in which you did ask if people were worried.Edit to add: I'm talking about THIS post.

 

[switz]

Aren't you the same guy that started a thread trying to draw negative conclusions on rookie RBs based on one or two negative plays in the press?

...

Edit to add: I'm talking about THIS post.

Ah... no, that thread was not even meant as anything towards any of those rookies. My point with that thread was to see how people responded to those negative reports. There are TONS of positive reports about Felix Jones, some of substance, some not - but many (not all) disregard them as nothing but hype. I was wondering if negative reports would be just as swiftly dismissed.I'm not looking at any of the rookies with any desire to see them fail, or preconstrued opinions - outside of my projections for them prior to the draft. Even at that though...

If Matt Forte has an amazing preseason, I won't disregard it because it doesn't line up with me view... I'll take notice and adjust my rankings slightly. And if Felix Jones misses blitz pickup after blitz pickup, and falls efery time his shoelace is touched... I'll knock him down.

But I'm not going to ignore a body of work in college based on one time a guy runs a 40, or on differing opinions of his weight (especially when other successful NFL RBs are around the same BMI)

I'm probably rambling at this point...

 

[ConstruxBoy]

Aren't you the same guy that started a thread trying to draw negative conclusions on rookie RBs based on one or two negative plays in the press?

...

Edit to add: I'm talking about THIS post.

Ah... no, that thread was not even meant as anything towards any of those rookies. My point with that thread was to see how people responded to those negative reports. There are TONS of positive reports about Felix Jones, some of substance, some not - but many (not all) disregard them as nothing but hype. I was wondering if negative reports would be just as swiftly dismissed.I'm not looking at any of the rookies with any desire to see them fail, or preconstrued opinions - outside of my projections for them prior to the draft. Even at that though...

If Matt Forte has an amazing preseason, I won't disregard it because it doesn't line up with me view... I'll take notice and adjust my rankings slightly. And if Felix Jones misses blitz pickup after blitz pickup, and falls efery time his shoelace is touched... I'll knock him down.

But I'm not going to ignore a body of work in college based on one time a guy runs a 40, or on differing opinions of his weight (especially when other successful NFL RBs are around the same BMI)

I'm probably rambling at this point...

Fair enough. I thought you were trying to use that to have negative opinions of all those rookies, which would seem strange based on what you're saying in this thread. Thanks.

 

[Manster]

Everyone needs to use the awesome tools of this website. Use the player search tool for this debate. Search for Julius Jones and look at the news for 2007.Now, just change the Julius to Felix and 2007 to 2008 and does it sound any different than the hyped news you are reading today?!Pretty obvious that Felix Jones will be used similar to Julius Jones. We saw the same thing last year. So, you will have a few good games, but MBIII is still their main workhorse.And, who do you think will get the ball inside the 20. MBIII just smells the endzone and you can't keep him out! I love his work ethic!Moral: Use all the footballguys tools available so you can get the whole picture!

the difference is JJ was very ineffective. the hope is that FJ has better vision and instincts.

 

[JamesTheScot]

...even in a limited role, I think he is really going to surprise people.

I do to.Felix is the guy they wanted all along, and I'm so glad they didn't bite on Mendenhall when he "fell."

The nay-sayers will be proven wrong in that regard.

Agree, Mendenhall isn't in the same league as Felix. Mendy had one good year in a spread offense with a running QB who opened up big holes for the running game.

Uh, isn't the bold what happened at Arkansas when McFadden was at QB?

Juice Williams. The guy created huge running lanes for Mendenhall.And yes, Felix ran in some odd formations, but I don't think you'll find anyone on the planet who watched these two who would say Mendy was near as explosive.

When Mendy had a huge hole he would have some 10-15 yard runs, when Felix had that same kind of hole it was BYE BYE.

Oh sure, not saying that Mendenhall is more explosive than Jones. That's crazy. Just saying that the threat of McFadden opened more holes for Jones than the threat of Williams opened for Mendenhall.

It's funny how much credit is given to a formation that Felix ran less than 25% of his carries from. And when people say that Felix ran through wide open holes all the time it's apparent they didn't see any Arkansas games, just highlights.

I'll agree with you there to a certain extent.I saw amazing things from Barry Sanders on his 10-20 yard runs that never show up on his highlight reels. Too many "take it to the house" TD runs clutter up highlights reels.

 

[Buck Bradcanon]

Lets try to get this trainwreck back on track.

Switz and others, where would you draft this guy for FF? Lets assume PPR and tell me his RB rank. Like around RB30? Who are the RBs you would take him ahead of?

Im guessing bottomline he could wind up being a steal as someone's RB4 but can be a serviceable RB3 in PPRs? I also thinking his ADP might creep up over the next couple weeks..

 

[BlahBlah WoofWoof]

2 cents on him...

He'll probably be used like Bush, with splitting time at WR/Returner and then sometimes to carry the ball, to give Barber a breather. He'll probably excel in PPR leagues, for sure...

But let's not forget Tashard Choice. Barber clone and more of a pure RB to pound the rock, with decent speed. I think we will see him cut into Marion/Felix's carries as well, and vulture some goal-line carries. The Cowboys RB coach stated that Choice is a 'physical pass blocker', meaning at least he is decent with that, while supposedly Felix is not. That is very very important for an NFL RB, if you can do that...your going to get carries and snaps for sure.

I also saw somewhere else (on this site), that Choice quietly is the primary back-up to Marion = if something happened to Barber (possibly could with his running style), you should be jumping on Tashard.

 

[switz]

He'll probably be used like Bush, with splitting time at WR/Returner and then sometimes to carry the ball, to give Barber a breather. He'll probably excel in PPR leagues, for sure...

Yes, this is very true... Jones is going to be used very frequently, and his role is not dependent on how much or little Barber is used. I would expect their total touches to be nearly the same, though from very different situations

But let's not forget Tashard Choice. Barber clone and more of a pure RB to pound the rock, with decent speed. I think we will see him cut into Marion/Felix's carries as well, and vulture some goal-line carries. The Cowboys RB coach stated that Choice is a 'physical pass blocker', meaning at least he is decent with that, while supposedly Felix is not. That is very very important for an NFL RB, if you can do that...your going to get carries and snaps for sure.

The part I have italicized is blatantly false. Jones has reportedly done very well in blocking so far in camp, despite his technique not being at an NFL level yet. Choice has done well as well, but they are both rookies and learning the pickup techniques.

I also saw somewhere else (on this site), that Choice quietly is the primary backup to Marion = if something happened to Barber (possibly could with his running style), you should be jumping on Tashard.

That's a not so quiet truth. When they drafted Choice it was to be Barber's backup. If Barber were to be hurt, Choice would take his role, though Felix probably would also take some of Barber's role as well. When Choice does play, it will be at the expense of Barber, not Jones that he gets his touches.Whereas if Felix gets hurt, it would be Barber whose role in the passing game will increase, and Choice will be used in Barber's place for the grind it out stuff. I honestly don't see much value in Choice, barring a Barber injury.