I'm just so impressed with Julius Jones...

[Eskimo]

It just seems that all the fast players the Cowboys have had seem to have no quickness, only speed. This includes Joey Galloway, Deion Sanders, Rocket Ismail, and even Terence Newman. All of those guys are/were super fast, but none possess quickness. Hence the reference to "closing speed" when it comes to Sanders and Newman.

I would agree with most of what you said but Ismail had great quickness, too. It is what made him such a great punt returner in college. He was just fragile and frequently injured.

 

[LaTunaNostra]

This is why Terry Glenn is a better receiver than Joey Galloway.

He is quick as well as fast.

(Hi Ravi

 

[burmafrd]

The Rocket in college was blindingly fast and quick- the best punt returner I have seen since Billy White Shoes Johnson in the 70's. By the time he got to us he still had most of his speed but he had bulked up some to take the pounding and had lost some of his quickness- but he could still cut on a dime and leave change- only with us he gave back 3 cents instead of 7 when he was in college.
JJ can flat out embarras defenders- the Giant game the announcers were talking about a couple of the Giant defenders being embarrassed by JJ faking them out and blowing by them. His great acceleration and ability to cut without losing speed is VERY rare; I am thinking that THAT is what BP saw in him that made him draft JJ.

 

[2much2soon]

I think when BP is done the thing we will be most thankful from his time here will be using his eye for RB talent by selecting Julius.

 

[zagnut]

The scary (great) thing is hearing Parcells talk about how much Julius has improved in regards to the more subtle RB skills that are rarely noticed. Also, how much stronger Julius appears in the upper body and improvements in blocking and catching.

Last year, I was just looking for a good RB that would provide some competent play at the position. Now I'm thinking...do we have one of the top backs in the league? What he did last year was, at times, awesome.

 

[cannonball44]

but he could still cut on a dime and leave change-

beautiful.

 

[Mash]

I just hope his Julius body can take the pounding he will recieve....he has the talent...the speed,quickness and moves....I just wanna see it thru 16 games before I get excited.

 

[Wezsh0T]

One thing I was a bit worried about was that most of JJ's big runs seem to start inside and then get bounced outside. Not being a real football mind, is this a good thing? It just seems like if teams spread out the defense a bit more, that would force him to run up the middle, which doesn't seem like a great place for him to run. Additionally, alot of the big runs came on draw plays.

Do you guys think Julius will be consistent enough to get the tough yards up the middle? I have no doubt that he can juke anyone once he gets to open space.

 

[Alexander]

One thing I was a bit worried about was that most of JJ's big runs seem to start inside and then get bounced outside. Not being a real football mind, is this a good thing? It just seems like if teams spread out the defense a bit more, that would force him to run up the middle, which doesn't seem like a great place for him to run. Additionally, alot of the big runs came on draw plays.

Do you guys think Julius will be consistent enough to get the tough yards up the middle? I have no doubt that he can juke anyone once he gets to open space.

I don't think he has to.

We have two other backs who can share the load and leave him fresh. That is the best thing that we have to look forward to.

If he could do what he did shouldering the whole load, imagine how he will do with a breather now and then?

 

[Banned_n_austin]

Mikey, you've liked JJ since we drafted him ...

I also thought it was a great move to pick up an extra 1st round pick, but as the preseason went on and as Eddie George got more playing time, I started to have doubts. I even thought Lee was going to be a good back, but my doubts were abruptly put to rest when he stepped on the field after his injury.

 

[lane]

julius is a very special person..............on and off the field.

 

[Eskimo]

The scary (great) thing is hearing Parcells talk about how much Julius has improved in regards to the more subtle RB skills that are rarely noticed. Also, how much stronger Julius appears in the upper body and improvements in blocking and catching.

Last year, I was just looking for a good RB that would provide some competent play at the position. Now I'm thinking...do we have one of the top backs in the league? What he did last year was, at times, awesome.

There was something Ron Wolf said last TC that I'll never forget - Parcells is the EF Hutton of RB analysis - when he talks, everybody listens. If he sees something, it means something.

I have high hopes for Marion Barber. Perhaps Parcells can do here what Wolf did at GB with QBs. Develop one as a backup and then trade him on for a high draft pick and then develop another one.

 

[JDSmith]

I think the only reason JJ bounced so many runs outside is because there was penetration on the inside of our line - particularly from the right side. He was forced to bounce things outside once the hole closed in the middle - and in some cases there was never any hole there, although it looked as if he was trying to run to a spot expecting a hole. When there was nothing there, only then did he bounce things outside with his amazing quickness and burst. I think if we get him some good blocking he'll have great success running up the middle as well as bouncing things outside from time to time.

 

[jimmy40]

I have the same thoughts about JJ...he really seems like a mix of Dorsett and Emmitt. He has the vision and moves of Emmitt, then has the acceleration of TD. I don't think he has Dorsett's top end speed though. Just think if we could throw Herschel's top speed into the mix.

It's all fine and well to be exited about JJ but to say he has Emmitt's vision is getting a little carried away.

 

[Fla Cowpoke]

It's all fine and well to be exited about JJ but to say he has Emmitt's vision is getting a little carried away.

You can go get exited about anybody you want, I'll get EXCITED about our RB's skills. Do you think Emmitt cornered the market on vision? Emmitt had other skills as well, plus he had the GREATEST heart of any RB there has ever been.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Do you guys think Julius will be consistent enough to get the tough yards up the middle?

No problemo. The extra muscle he put on this offseason will help him in that exact case.

 

[Sportsbabe]

Michael, you can than Big Bill for that. People were bashing him for his choice. He was right and they were wrong.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Michael, you can than Big Bill for that. People were bashing him for his choice. He was right and they were wrong.

There's a lot to be said for that.

 

[THUMPER]

Julius shows the attributes that all great RBs must have:

1. Excellent vision - The ability to "see" holes, to know when you can shoot through the line and when to bounce it outside or to cut it back inside. Emmitt was one of the best ever in this area and Julius seems to be just as good.

2. Outstanding balance - The ability to maintain your balance when hit or when cutting. Again, this was one of Emmitt's greatest strengths and JJ's as well. Not as good as Emmitt in this area as he tends to go down fairly easily from ankle tackles but he can improve that over time.

3. Acceleration - The ability to go from zero to 60 in a split second. Barry Sanders, Sayers, and Dorsett had this and Julius has it even more, comparable to Sayers IMO. His acceleration is simply amazing! Lots of guys can see the hole but to be able to hit it and get through it before it closes is rare.

4. Cutting ability - To be able to change direction without losing your balance or slipping is what sets truly great RBs apart from good ones. Gale Sayers was the best I ever saw at this followed closely by Sanders. Julius showed some real "ankle-breakers" in the video, particularly against the Giants. As I said, he has outstanding balance and it shows when he cuts back.

5. Strength - This shows in the player's ability to break tackles or strain for extra yardage. Emmitt was one of the best ever in this area and it showed in his TD record which is 41 (164-123) ahead of 2nd place Marcus Allen. Julius is not as strong as Emmitt was but still shows good strength and determination to gain those extra yards. He does need to work on his "stiff-arm" and spin out of tackles a bit more, but again those are things he can improve over time.


A few comments about what he needs to work on:

1. It seems that he carries the ball in his right hand almost exclusively. This will cost him over time as DCs will look to exploit this and have their players knock the ball out if they know it will always be in his right hand. He needs to learn when to shift it to his left and when not to.

2. Breaking ankle tackles. This is a tough one becasue part of what gives him such excellent balance is that he keeps his feet under him but that also leaves him vulnerable to having them trapped together by a tackler and brought down fairly easily. He needs to learn when to high-step or spread his feet to avoid getting trapped like that.

3. He does a pretty good job of avoiding solid hits but he does take a few of them which will shorten his career. This was something that Emmitt was especially good at. He also needs to work on delivering the blow rather than accepting it, Payton was the best at this one and developing a good "stiff-arm" will do wonders for lengthening his career.

4. Pass receiving. He could be a better receiver both in running his routes and catching the ball. The reports are that he worked on this a lot in the offseason so hopefully he should be much improved in this area. Not that he was horrible but he dropped some easy passes and didn't sell his routes very well.

5. Blocking. Again, they say that he has been working on this during the offseason so hopefully he has improved in this area. He will probably never be near as good as Emmitt was in this area but being good at it will be enough.


Overall, I believe Julius has all the attributes to be a truly great RB in the line of Perkins, Dorsett, and Emmitt. It would be pretty cool to have a 3rd Cowboys RB in the top-10 all-time list and I think he could do it. He certainly has the skills but it remains to be seen if he can stay healthy long enough.

 

[Jarv]

Julius shows the attributes that all great RBs must have:

1. Excellent vision - The ability to "see" holes, to know when you can shoot through the line and when to bounce it outside or to cut it back inside. Emmitt was one of the best ever in this area and Julius seems to be just as good.

2. Outstanding balance - The ability to maintain your balance when hit or when cutting. Again, this was one of Emmitt's greatest strengths and JJ's as well. Not as good as Emmitt in this area as he tends to go down fairly easily from ankle tackles but he can improve that over time.

3. Acceleration - The ability to go from zero to 60 in a split second. Barry Sanders, Sayers, and Dorsett had this and Julius has it even more, comparable to Sayers IMO. His acceleration is simply amazing! Lots of guys can see the hole but to be able to hit it and get through it before it closes is rare.

4. Cutting ability - To be able to change direction without losing your balance or slipping is what sets truly great RBs apart from good ones. Gale Sayers was the best I ever saw at this followed closely by Sanders. Julius showed some real "ankle-breakers" in the video, particularly against the Giants. As I said, he has outstanding balance and it shows when he cuts back.

5. Strength - This shows in the player's ability to break tackles or strain for extra yardage. Emmitt was one of the best ever in this area and it showed in his TD record which is 41 (164-123) ahead of 2nd place Marcus Allen. Julius is not as strong as Emmitt was but still shows good strength and determination to gain those extra yards. He does need to work on his "stiff-arm" and spin out of tackles a bit more, but again those are things he can improve over time.


A few comments about what he needs to work on:

1. It seems that he carries the ball in his right hand almost exclusively. This will cost him over time as DCs will look to exploit this and have their players knock the ball out if they know it will always be in his right hand. He needs to learn when to shift it to his left and when not to.

2. Breaking ankle tackles. This is a tough one becasue part of what gives him such excellent balance is that he keeps his feet under him but that also leaves him vulnerable to having them trapped together by a tackler and brought down fairly easily. He needs to learn when to high-step or spread his feet to avoid getting trapped like that.

3. He does a pretty good job of avoiding solid hits but he does take a few of them which will shorten his career. This was something that Emmitt was especially good at. He also needs to work on delivering the blow rather than accepting it, Payton was the best at this one and developing a good "stiff-arm" will do wonders for lengthening his career.

4. Pass receiving. He could be a better receiver both in running his routes and catching the ball. The reports are that he worked on this a lot in the offseason so hopefully he should be much improved in this area. Not that he was horrible but he dropped some easy passes and didn't sell his routes very well.

5. Blocking. Again, they say that he has been working on this during the offseason so hopefully he has improved in this area. He will probably never be near as good as Emmitt was in this area but being good at it will be enough.


Overall, I believe Julius has all the attributes to be a truly great RB in the line of Perkins, Dorsett, and Emmitt. It would be pretty cool to have a 3rd Cowboys RB in the top-10 all-time list and I think he could do it. He certainly has the skills but it remains to be seen if he can stay healthy long enough.

Great point on the "stiff-arm". If you watch the slow-mo vids of Emmitt in his prime you see him literally grabbing defenders hands and arms and pushing them away from him. Emmitt was better at this than ANY RB I have ever seen.