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Fraley: Here's why Felix Jones isn't getting more carries for Cowboys
Column by GERRY FRALEY / The Dallas Morning News
gfraley@dallasnews.com
IRVING – A week from today, Felix Jones of the Cowboys and Tennessee's Chris Johnson are scheduled to be on the same field.
It could be an uncomfortable time for Jones and the Cowboys.
In the 2008 draft, the Cowboys used the 22nd overall pick to select Jones over Johnson. More than two years later, Johnson is the NFL's defending rushing champion, while Jones is not even among the top 10 in rushing for the 2008 draft class.
That draft has become known for its running backs.
Johnson won the rushing title last season, and Baltimore's Ray Rice and Carolina's Jonathan Stewart finished among the top 10. Four of this season's top seven runners are from the class of '08: Johnson, Oakland's Darren McFadden, Pittsburgh's Rashard Mendenhall and Kansas City's Jamaal Charles.
Johnson and Rice were the only players with more than 2,000 combined rushing and receiving yards last season.
Chicago's Matt Forte has been called the next Marshall Faulk because of his running and receiving skills.
Then there is Jones, the third back selected. He is found wanting when compared to many of the backs from that draft.
"Not necessarily," Jones said when asked if he follows the progress of his fellow 2008 draft picks. "I focus on my team and what we're doing here. I don't have time to pay attention to a bunch of other people. I try to stay on top of what we're doing."
It is too soon to call Jones a bust. But it is appropriate to ask if the Cowboys have figured out what they have in Jones. Should he be handled like other top backs, as his draft status suggests? Or will Jones always be limited to the role of luxury back, given only a handful of chances per game?
As the 2008 first round unfolded, it became clear the Cowboys would have their choice of Jones, Johnson or Mendenhall.
The Cowboys grabbed Jones. Pittsburgh went next and took Mendenhall. Tennessee selected Johnson with the 24th pick.
"We had all three of them on the board and hoped that one of them would be there," Tennessee coach Jeff Fisher said on a conference call. "We had one of them higher than the others. We were lucky, as was Pittsburgh, as was Dallas."
Johnson became a starter by the first game of his rookie season and has played a vital role in the Titans' offense. He has handled the football an average of 23 times per game.
Jones walked into a different situation. The Cowboys set up a time-sharing arrangement with Marion Barber and Tashard Choice, – another 2008 draft choice.
Jones has handled the ball nine times or fewer in 15 of his 23 games with the Cowboys. His totals this season are 10, nine and seven. Asked if he deserved more chances, Jones said, "I'm enjoying it," before dashing into an off-limits area.
What makes this season's use of Jones puzzling is the way he ended last season. With Barber limping to the finish, Jones dazzled in the final six games, including the playoffs. He averaged more than 15 chances and produced 94.8 yards from scrimmage per game. Jones was a big-play threat on every snap.
Has the window of opportunity closed on Felix Jones?
"We love Felix Jones," Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett said. "He's going to get plenty of opportunities as the season goes on. ... Different opportunities have come for different guys. We talk about that with the players all the time."
Garrett said the Cowboys are not holding Jones back to follow last season's pattern, when his fresh legs made a difference down the stretch. Chances are divided on a game-by-game basis, Garrett said.
There is always the risk of injury with Jones, who has had problems staying healthy since college. Jones' pass-blocking skills have improved, but he is not at Barber's level. Jones is also a better runner outside the tackles. Defenses know that.
"Certainly we want to get him out there and give him his chances," Garrett said. "There are only so many plays in a game. You can't draw it up beforehand and say, 'This guy is going to get it 12 times. This guy is going to get it 14 times.' You can't do it that way."
Jones reported to training camp about eight pounds heavier than last season. Upper-body strength could only help, Jones said.
Not in this case. Jones did not run with his usual electricity in the preseason, gaining 21 yards on nine carries.
The first two regular-season games were much the same: 83 yards from scrimmage. Jones could not get free against Chicago and managed 7 yards on seven runs. Coach Wade Phillips said he saw Jones running with the same sizzle, but said perhaps there was a need for plays to get him to the outside.
Jones showed more in the win at Houston. He had 43 yards on seven carries, two of which went for more than 10 yards. Jones had only one run of 10-plus yards in his first 15 carries. Last season, Jones had 19 runs of 10-plus yards.
"We have games when we run good, and some games when we don't," Jones said. "It was good to do that."
On the same day Jones ran for 43 yards against Houston, Johnson gained 125 in Tennessee's win and Mendenhall was piled up 143 in Pittsburgh's victory. Both had more carries than Jones.
Try as he might, Felix Jones keeps losing ground in the race of 2008 draft choices.
Head of the class
A look at the leaders in combined rushing and receiving yards among running backs selected in the 2008 NFL draft:
Player, team Rush yds. Rec. yds. TD Comb.
Chris Johnson, Tennessee 3,535 790 30 4,325
Matt Forte, Chicago 2,275 1,150 19 3,425
Ray Rice, Baltimore 2,003 1,040 8 3,043
Steve Slaton, Houston 1,776 797 17 2,573
Kevin Smith, Detroit 1,723 701 13 2,424
Jamaal Charles, Kansas City 1,715 661 10 2,376
Jonathan Stewart, Carolina 2,037 204 22 2,241
Tim Hightower, Arizona 1,206 714 20 1,920
Darren McFadden, Oakland 1,201 610 7 1,811
Rashard Mendenhall, Pittsburgh 1,498 296 10 1,794
Felix Jones, Cowboys 1,039 167 6 1,206
Justin Forsett, Seattle 769 406 5 1,175
• • •
Column by GERRY FRALEY / The Dallas Morning News
gfraley@dallasnews.com
IRVING – A week from today, Felix Jones of the Cowboys and Tennessee's Chris Johnson are scheduled to be on the same field.
It could be an uncomfortable time for Jones and the Cowboys.
In the 2008 draft, the Cowboys used the 22nd overall pick to select Jones over Johnson. More than two years later, Johnson is the NFL's defending rushing champion, while Jones is not even among the top 10 in rushing for the 2008 draft class.
That draft has become known for its running backs.
Johnson won the rushing title last season, and Baltimore's Ray Rice and Carolina's Jonathan Stewart finished among the top 10. Four of this season's top seven runners are from the class of '08: Johnson, Oakland's Darren McFadden, Pittsburgh's Rashard Mendenhall and Kansas City's Jamaal Charles.
Johnson and Rice were the only players with more than 2,000 combined rushing and receiving yards last season.
Chicago's Matt Forte has been called the next Marshall Faulk because of his running and receiving skills.
Then there is Jones, the third back selected. He is found wanting when compared to many of the backs from that draft.
"Not necessarily," Jones said when asked if he follows the progress of his fellow 2008 draft picks. "I focus on my team and what we're doing here. I don't have time to pay attention to a bunch of other people. I try to stay on top of what we're doing."
It is too soon to call Jones a bust. But it is appropriate to ask if the Cowboys have figured out what they have in Jones. Should he be handled like other top backs, as his draft status suggests? Or will Jones always be limited to the role of luxury back, given only a handful of chances per game?
As the 2008 first round unfolded, it became clear the Cowboys would have their choice of Jones, Johnson or Mendenhall.
The Cowboys grabbed Jones. Pittsburgh went next and took Mendenhall. Tennessee selected Johnson with the 24th pick.
"We had all three of them on the board and hoped that one of them would be there," Tennessee coach Jeff Fisher said on a conference call. "We had one of them higher than the others. We were lucky, as was Pittsburgh, as was Dallas."
Johnson became a starter by the first game of his rookie season and has played a vital role in the Titans' offense. He has handled the football an average of 23 times per game.
Jones walked into a different situation. The Cowboys set up a time-sharing arrangement with Marion Barber and Tashard Choice, – another 2008 draft choice.
Jones has handled the ball nine times or fewer in 15 of his 23 games with the Cowboys. His totals this season are 10, nine and seven. Asked if he deserved more chances, Jones said, "I'm enjoying it," before dashing into an off-limits area.
What makes this season's use of Jones puzzling is the way he ended last season. With Barber limping to the finish, Jones dazzled in the final six games, including the playoffs. He averaged more than 15 chances and produced 94.8 yards from scrimmage per game. Jones was a big-play threat on every snap.
Has the window of opportunity closed on Felix Jones?
"We love Felix Jones," Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett said. "He's going to get plenty of opportunities as the season goes on. ... Different opportunities have come for different guys. We talk about that with the players all the time."
Garrett said the Cowboys are not holding Jones back to follow last season's pattern, when his fresh legs made a difference down the stretch. Chances are divided on a game-by-game basis, Garrett said.
There is always the risk of injury with Jones, who has had problems staying healthy since college. Jones' pass-blocking skills have improved, but he is not at Barber's level. Jones is also a better runner outside the tackles. Defenses know that.
"Certainly we want to get him out there and give him his chances," Garrett said. "There are only so many plays in a game. You can't draw it up beforehand and say, 'This guy is going to get it 12 times. This guy is going to get it 14 times.' You can't do it that way."
Jones reported to training camp about eight pounds heavier than last season. Upper-body strength could only help, Jones said.
Not in this case. Jones did not run with his usual electricity in the preseason, gaining 21 yards on nine carries.
The first two regular-season games were much the same: 83 yards from scrimmage. Jones could not get free against Chicago and managed 7 yards on seven runs. Coach Wade Phillips said he saw Jones running with the same sizzle, but said perhaps there was a need for plays to get him to the outside.
Jones showed more in the win at Houston. He had 43 yards on seven carries, two of which went for more than 10 yards. Jones had only one run of 10-plus yards in his first 15 carries. Last season, Jones had 19 runs of 10-plus yards.
"We have games when we run good, and some games when we don't," Jones said. "It was good to do that."
On the same day Jones ran for 43 yards against Houston, Johnson gained 125 in Tennessee's win and Mendenhall was piled up 143 in Pittsburgh's victory. Both had more carries than Jones.
Try as he might, Felix Jones keeps losing ground in the race of 2008 draft choices.
Head of the class
A look at the leaders in combined rushing and receiving yards among running backs selected in the 2008 NFL draft:
Player, team Rush yds. Rec. yds. TD Comb.
Chris Johnson, Tennessee 3,535 790 30 4,325
Matt Forte, Chicago 2,275 1,150 19 3,425
Ray Rice, Baltimore 2,003 1,040 8 3,043
Steve Slaton, Houston 1,776 797 17 2,573
Kevin Smith, Detroit 1,723 701 13 2,424
Jamaal Charles, Kansas City 1,715 661 10 2,376
Jonathan Stewart, Carolina 2,037 204 22 2,241
Tim Hightower, Arizona 1,206 714 20 1,920
Darren McFadden, Oakland 1,201 610 7 1,811
Rashard Mendenhall, Pittsburgh 1,498 296 10 1,794
Felix Jones, Cowboys 1,039 167 6 1,206
Justin Forsett, Seattle 769 406 5 1,175
• • •
