Cbz40
The Grand Poobah
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Dr. Strangehog… By Rafael Vela
… or how I learned to stop worrying and love Felix Jones.
Mockers have been gifting Jones to Dallas because he’s an Arkansas Razorback and Jerry Jones is a Razorback. That’s stupid logic and its absurdity has made me hate this prediction.
Dallas is going to draft a running back high. In the late first, I think they’ll get their choice of Jones and Jonathan Stewart. I like Stewart’s size better but there’s one nagging aspect of his game that has made me waffle on him — he’s been hurt every year he’s played.
Running back is a blow-absorbing position. If a guy can’t stay healthy in a college spread offense, can we trust him to suddenly become durable in the NFL, where the defenses will be bigger, faster, hit harder and be stacked closer to the line of scrimmage?
And is Stewart’s toe injury that minor? Stewart’s agents would like everyone to think so, but I was talking to a surgeon who specializes in hand reconstructions recently and when I told him about Stewart’s turf toe surgery he said, “I wouldn’t touch him. Players need their toes and if your big toe is damaged, you’re done. With so many other good backs in this draft, let somebody else take the risk with him…”
On the plus side, I’ve read some reports on Jones that say he’s a tough inside runner. They note his speed and superior receiving skills and say he could be a dominant NFL starter in a year or two. (One said his game was more versatile than his teammate Darren McFadden’s.) I’ve seen Jones’ style compared to Frank Gore’s and Tiki Barber’s.
That last name got my attention. Imagine what a young Tiki Barber would add to the Cowboys’ offense.
The Cowboys are so close they can’t afford to miss with their first round picks, and right now I think Felix Jones is the surest thing at running back where the Cowboys draft.
The mockers can be right for the wrong reasons and I’m beginning to think they’re right.
– Today, I’d take Jones at 28 and hope that Mike Jenkins is available at 22. He’s the CB I want from the top tier. If Jenkins slides a little, I’d consider a modest move up, perhaps to Houston at pick 18. I know the Eagles at 19 and the Bucs at 20 are strong candidates to take him.
Update: I forgot a funny line my surgeon friend had about Felix Jones. He was flying through DFW a few weeks ago and said the Julius Jones jerseys were being sold at a steep markdown in the Cowboys’ Gift Shop. “If Jerry wants to save a few bucks, he could draft Felix Jones, give him the number 21, and have all the gift shops take the J. off the back of the jerseys and replace them with an F…”
… or how I learned to stop worrying and love Felix Jones.
Mockers have been gifting Jones to Dallas because he’s an Arkansas Razorback and Jerry Jones is a Razorback. That’s stupid logic and its absurdity has made me hate this prediction.
Dallas is going to draft a running back high. In the late first, I think they’ll get their choice of Jones and Jonathan Stewart. I like Stewart’s size better but there’s one nagging aspect of his game that has made me waffle on him — he’s been hurt every year he’s played.
Running back is a blow-absorbing position. If a guy can’t stay healthy in a college spread offense, can we trust him to suddenly become durable in the NFL, where the defenses will be bigger, faster, hit harder and be stacked closer to the line of scrimmage?
And is Stewart’s toe injury that minor? Stewart’s agents would like everyone to think so, but I was talking to a surgeon who specializes in hand reconstructions recently and when I told him about Stewart’s turf toe surgery he said, “I wouldn’t touch him. Players need their toes and if your big toe is damaged, you’re done. With so many other good backs in this draft, let somebody else take the risk with him…”
On the plus side, I’ve read some reports on Jones that say he’s a tough inside runner. They note his speed and superior receiving skills and say he could be a dominant NFL starter in a year or two. (One said his game was more versatile than his teammate Darren McFadden’s.) I’ve seen Jones’ style compared to Frank Gore’s and Tiki Barber’s.
That last name got my attention. Imagine what a young Tiki Barber would add to the Cowboys’ offense.
The Cowboys are so close they can’t afford to miss with their first round picks, and right now I think Felix Jones is the surest thing at running back where the Cowboys draft.
The mockers can be right for the wrong reasons and I’m beginning to think they’re right.
– Today, I’d take Jones at 28 and hope that Mike Jenkins is available at 22. He’s the CB I want from the top tier. If Jenkins slides a little, I’d consider a modest move up, perhaps to Houston at pick 18. I know the Eagles at 19 and the Bucs at 20 are strong candidates to take him.
Update: I forgot a funny line my surgeon friend had about Felix Jones. He was flying through DFW a few weeks ago and said the Julius Jones jerseys were being sold at a steep markdown in the Cowboys’ Gift Shop. “If Jerry wants to save a few bucks, he could draft Felix Jones, give him the number 21, and have all the gift shops take the J. off the back of the jerseys and replace them with an F…”
I love how Vela said that everyone thinks we'll pick Jones because of Jerry's connections. And who was the guy who said Felix was more versatile than DMac
