IRVING – Julius Jones wants the Cowboys, his peers and critics to love him. The Cowboys' starting running back isn't angry, but he does have a chip on his shoulder. He's out to prove he's an elite back. "This is my last year in my contract, and I do have a lot to prove," Jones said before practice Monday. "There are some doubts on me. You hear them not from inside the building but outside the building. So it's kind of my job to show the doubters what I can really do." Jones began this process in the offseason when his father, Thomas A., called to ask about trade rumors he was hearing and reading about. It was the second consecutive year Jones' name popped up in potential trade talks. Jerry Jones, the owner and general manager, dismissed the reports, saying the Cowboys never shopped Jones. However, that didn't prevent teams from calling the Cowboys. After the 2005 season, a year when Jones rushed for 993 yards and scored five touchdowns, his name was linked to a potential trade. A concerned Jones called his agent, Ken Kremer, about it. "I was told everything was cool," Jones said. Last season, Jones rushed for a career-high 1,084 yards with four touchdowns. Again, Jones' father called him to ask about the persistent trade rumors. Julius decided to head to Arizona to train with his brother, Thomas, instead of working here with his teammates. New coach Wade Phillips had no problem with the decision because Julius kept the lines of communication open. "I didn't read it, I heard about it," Julius Jones said of the trade talk. "It's a little bit upsetting because you don't know what's going on. I get phone calls from my father, and that's one of the reasons why I went to Arizona, to get away from it all and focus on football. I just wanted to get right for the season." Jones might be underappreciated in some ways. He is removed from the lineup on third downs and inside the 20 in favor of Marion Barber. The two have a good relationship, and Jones has accepted the situation. During training camp, Jones is getting carries inside the 20 and catching passes out of the backfield, something Barber does. Cowboys running back Julius Jones (right) has 2,896 career yards and 16 touchdowns. "[bill] Parcells didn't give me a chance to really do anything as far as short yardage and red zone," Jones said. "I'm fine with coming out sometimes, that's just the way it is. But I think they will give me an opportunity to try that in the red zone, third down and goal line and things like that." Jones is often compared to his fellow Class of 2004 running backs. Of the four running backs taken before Jones, only Steven Jackson, the 24th overall selection by St. Louis, has rushed for more yards. Jackson has 3,247 with 25 touchdowns. Jones has 2,896 yards with 16 touchdowns. The next-closest is Detroit's Kevin Jones, who has 2,486 yards with 16 touchdowns. Julius Jones doesn't want to be compared to Jackson; he would like to stand on his own. Maybe that's why he's been involved in two fights during training camp. He's fighting for everything he doesn't have. "It's showed already this year," Jones said. "It's a little heated, and I'm trying to show the people what I can do."
