Mavs Man
04-24-2004, 11:55 PM
Chad Peters
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
April 24, 2004, 11:45 p.m. (CDT)
IRVING, Texas - After maneuvering out of the first round and into the middle portions of the second round, the Cowboys did something they have not done since selecting Sherman Williams in the 1995 NFL Draft.
They selected a running back with as high as a second-round draft choice.
Meet Notre Dame's Julius Jones, the running back the Cowboys were willing to live with once the Buffalo Bills made an offer they couldn't refuse: The Bills' second-round pick, their fifth-round pick AND their 2005 first-round pick for the right to use the Cowboys' 22nd pick Saturday in the first round.
"They wanted to get me and I wanted to be there," Jones said. "I am going down there to prove something to a lot of people."
The Cowboys raised some eyebrows by passing on the two backs that were widely considered to be the draft's best, Oregon State's Steven Jackson and Virginia Tech's Kevin Jones. But the Cowboys still were able to get the back they probably thought they would be happy with in the second round before the draft even began.
Ironically, the Cowboys got Julius Jones with the 43rd pick, just three picks earlier than they acquired Williams with their first pick in the 1995 draft. Now they must hope this next running back is more productive.
"I thought something was going on when they had a chance to take Steven Jackson, Kevin Jones, and those guys," Jones said. "So I felt something was going on in my favor. I waited and didn't get down, and I finally got that phone call."
The Cowboys felt comfortable with passing on those backs and taking the chance that a quality player would still be available in the second round.
"We had six running backs there that we thought could immediately help us," said owner and general manager Jerry Jones. "Running back, as we know, can really be hit or miss. Julius brings us the opportunity to work him out of the backfield in the passing game and does bring us some real good skills relative to finding holes and creating some yards even if it's not blocked."
Jones, at 5-9 and 217 pounds, has tremendous balance and compelling speed. He is a shifty runner with a knack for breaking tackles. While considered short by some standards, his strong frame makes up for his lack of height.
"I think he's pretty quick and elusive," head coach Bill Parcells said. "He sees (the field) well. He's a high-character player and that's important to me in all the players we draft. He has football in his family and I think he's a pretty well rounded back."
Ineligible to play in 2002 due to academic reasons, Jones started the final seven games of the 2003 season at Notre Dame. He rushed for 1,341 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior, including three 200-yard performances.
While he came on particularly strong late in the year, there was some initial concern over his lack of sustained productivity as a result of missing the 2002 season.
"His senior year, under all of those circumstances, was really impressive," Jerry Jones said. "That gave us a very positive feeling that he could come in here and maybe do the job for us as well as any back on the board."
Selecting Jones is the Cowboys' first significant attempt toward filling the large shoes left empty by the release of Emmitt Smith last off-season. Prior to that, they only nibbled, giving Troy Hambrick and opportunity to start; signing free-agent fullback Richie Anderson, a versatile back; trading last year's seventh-round pick for Aveion Cason; and bringing in two rookie free agents, ReShard Lee and Erik Bickerstaff.
That didn't work out so swell. Hambrick, who rushed for 972 yards last season, averaged just 3.5 yards per carry and scored only five touchdowns. Anderson gives the position versatility, but is not a pure tailback. Cason suffered a torn ACL and is coming back from reconstructive knee surgery. The two rookie free agents were no factors.
Indeed, running back was a need for the Cowboys/
"I feel confident I can come in and contribute to the team," Julius Jones said. "I have to learn the plays - there is a lot to learn, I know that. If I learn the system, I can step in and play."
According to Jerry Jones, the Cowboys plan on giving the Notre Dame product the opportunity to be the team's every-down back, but will not rush him into the role. He will also be more active in the passing game than past running backs have been.
"He will get the chance to be a much-used receiver out of the backfield," Jerry Jones said. "He could be real good with screens."
Ironically, Julius Jones was impacted by the Cowboys' opinion of his older brother, Chicago Bears running back Thomas Jones, the former seventh overall selection in the 2000 draft by the Arizona Cardinals.
"We evaluated Thomas Jones throughout free agency and while we know that brothers don't have to be like brothers, these guys have a lot of similarities," Jones said. "We have a lot of respect for Thomas Jones."
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
April 24, 2004, 11:45 p.m. (CDT)
IRVING, Texas - After maneuvering out of the first round and into the middle portions of the second round, the Cowboys did something they have not done since selecting Sherman Williams in the 1995 NFL Draft.
They selected a running back with as high as a second-round draft choice.
Meet Notre Dame's Julius Jones, the running back the Cowboys were willing to live with once the Buffalo Bills made an offer they couldn't refuse: The Bills' second-round pick, their fifth-round pick AND their 2005 first-round pick for the right to use the Cowboys' 22nd pick Saturday in the first round.
"They wanted to get me and I wanted to be there," Jones said. "I am going down there to prove something to a lot of people."
The Cowboys raised some eyebrows by passing on the two backs that were widely considered to be the draft's best, Oregon State's Steven Jackson and Virginia Tech's Kevin Jones. But the Cowboys still were able to get the back they probably thought they would be happy with in the second round before the draft even began.
Ironically, the Cowboys got Julius Jones with the 43rd pick, just three picks earlier than they acquired Williams with their first pick in the 1995 draft. Now they must hope this next running back is more productive.
"I thought something was going on when they had a chance to take Steven Jackson, Kevin Jones, and those guys," Jones said. "So I felt something was going on in my favor. I waited and didn't get down, and I finally got that phone call."
The Cowboys felt comfortable with passing on those backs and taking the chance that a quality player would still be available in the second round.
"We had six running backs there that we thought could immediately help us," said owner and general manager Jerry Jones. "Running back, as we know, can really be hit or miss. Julius brings us the opportunity to work him out of the backfield in the passing game and does bring us some real good skills relative to finding holes and creating some yards even if it's not blocked."
Jones, at 5-9 and 217 pounds, has tremendous balance and compelling speed. He is a shifty runner with a knack for breaking tackles. While considered short by some standards, his strong frame makes up for his lack of height.
"I think he's pretty quick and elusive," head coach Bill Parcells said. "He sees (the field) well. He's a high-character player and that's important to me in all the players we draft. He has football in his family and I think he's a pretty well rounded back."
Ineligible to play in 2002 due to academic reasons, Jones started the final seven games of the 2003 season at Notre Dame. He rushed for 1,341 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior, including three 200-yard performances.
While he came on particularly strong late in the year, there was some initial concern over his lack of sustained productivity as a result of missing the 2002 season.
"His senior year, under all of those circumstances, was really impressive," Jerry Jones said. "That gave us a very positive feeling that he could come in here and maybe do the job for us as well as any back on the board."
Selecting Jones is the Cowboys' first significant attempt toward filling the large shoes left empty by the release of Emmitt Smith last off-season. Prior to that, they only nibbled, giving Troy Hambrick and opportunity to start; signing free-agent fullback Richie Anderson, a versatile back; trading last year's seventh-round pick for Aveion Cason; and bringing in two rookie free agents, ReShard Lee and Erik Bickerstaff.
That didn't work out so swell. Hambrick, who rushed for 972 yards last season, averaged just 3.5 yards per carry and scored only five touchdowns. Anderson gives the position versatility, but is not a pure tailback. Cason suffered a torn ACL and is coming back from reconstructive knee surgery. The two rookie free agents were no factors.
Indeed, running back was a need for the Cowboys/
"I feel confident I can come in and contribute to the team," Julius Jones said. "I have to learn the plays - there is a lot to learn, I know that. If I learn the system, I can step in and play."
According to Jerry Jones, the Cowboys plan on giving the Notre Dame product the opportunity to be the team's every-down back, but will not rush him into the role. He will also be more active in the passing game than past running backs have been.
"He will get the chance to be a much-used receiver out of the backfield," Jerry Jones said. "He could be real good with screens."
Ironically, Julius Jones was impacted by the Cowboys' opinion of his older brother, Chicago Bears running back Thomas Jones, the former seventh overall selection in the 2000 draft by the Arizona Cardinals.
"We evaluated Thomas Jones throughout free agency and while we know that brothers don't have to be like brothers, these guys have a lot of similarities," Jones said. "We have a lot of respect for Thomas Jones."