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Jones has Cowboys thinking big
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/cowboys/Jones_has_Cowboys_thinking_big.html
By Chad Peters - Express-News
To maximize his ever-expanding role in the Dallas Cowboys' offense, Felix Jones has spent time lately looking at tape of versatile backs such as Philadelphia's Brian Westbrook.
But to wide receiver Sam Hurd, maybe it's Westbrook that should consider studying Jones.
“He's 10 times better than Brian Westbrook,” Hurd said. “And I like Brian Westbrook. I've always liked him. He's a great player. I mean, awesome.
“But Felix, man. Like I always say, I ain't ever seen nothing like Felix Jones.”
That might qualify as hyperbole at this stage, but Hurd isn't alone in his high opinion of the second-year tailback from Arkansas.
In a training camp where Jones entered with some question of how he might recover from season-ending toe surgery that helped stop his rookie season after six games, he has responded by continually wowing the Alamodome crowd with his electrifying — and unhampered — quickness.
Cowboys coach Wade Phillips even referred to Jones as a “Pro Bowl-caliber” player last week. It was a comment that left the soft-spoken Jones about as stunned as he's prone to make a defender look with a single cut of his feet.
“Wow,” the 6-foot, 212-pound Jones said. “Yeah, you know, that's — I mean, I don't know what to say.
“Yeah, I want to be a Pro Bowler. And I'm glad my coach has that belief in me. I love it.”
The fact the Cowboys see such potential in Jones all but guarantees an increased role from the one that rendered him forgotten when he didn't get a single offensive touch against Washington last season.
The game snapped Jones' rookie franchise-record streak of scoring a touchdown in each of his first three NFL games.
He averaged 8.9 yards a rush and ran for three TDs on 30 attempts, and also averaged 27.1 yards with a TD on kick returns before injuring his hamstring six games into the season. He suffered his season-ending toe injury while rehabbing the hamstring.
But for his many highlights while healthy, his involvement in the offense never exceeded that of a traditional tailback — certainly not to the multifaceted levels the Cowboys seemed to hope.
From the look of things in camp, that's set to change.
Though he didn't catch many balls in college, Jones — a receiver his freshman year in high school — figures to become a bigger factor in the Cowboys' passing game as part of an evolving role that should also see increased carries as Marion Barber's backup.
“We had a lot of time to do different things during the offseason, where they find me at different positions,” Jones said. “I believe they have the confidence in me to have a little bit more of the playbook.”
He has been flanked wide and sent out on routes at times in camp, while motioning back to the backfield at others. Some plays see him share the backfield with Barber.
Plus, there's the “Razorback” formation — the Cowboys' variation of the Wildcat — as another way to feature Jones.
“You can't really put your finger on what we're doing, and I like that,” Jones said.
Anything, it would seem, to make Jones more like Westbrook.
Maybe even better.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/cowboys/Jones_has_Cowboys_thinking_big.html
By Chad Peters - Express-News
To maximize his ever-expanding role in the Dallas Cowboys' offense, Felix Jones has spent time lately looking at tape of versatile backs such as Philadelphia's Brian Westbrook.
But to wide receiver Sam Hurd, maybe it's Westbrook that should consider studying Jones.
“He's 10 times better than Brian Westbrook,” Hurd said. “And I like Brian Westbrook. I've always liked him. He's a great player. I mean, awesome.
“But Felix, man. Like I always say, I ain't ever seen nothing like Felix Jones.”
That might qualify as hyperbole at this stage, but Hurd isn't alone in his high opinion of the second-year tailback from Arkansas.
In a training camp where Jones entered with some question of how he might recover from season-ending toe surgery that helped stop his rookie season after six games, he has responded by continually wowing the Alamodome crowd with his electrifying — and unhampered — quickness.
Cowboys coach Wade Phillips even referred to Jones as a “Pro Bowl-caliber” player last week. It was a comment that left the soft-spoken Jones about as stunned as he's prone to make a defender look with a single cut of his feet.
“Wow,” the 6-foot, 212-pound Jones said. “Yeah, you know, that's — I mean, I don't know what to say.
“Yeah, I want to be a Pro Bowler. And I'm glad my coach has that belief in me. I love it.”
The fact the Cowboys see such potential in Jones all but guarantees an increased role from the one that rendered him forgotten when he didn't get a single offensive touch against Washington last season.
The game snapped Jones' rookie franchise-record streak of scoring a touchdown in each of his first three NFL games.
He averaged 8.9 yards a rush and ran for three TDs on 30 attempts, and also averaged 27.1 yards with a TD on kick returns before injuring his hamstring six games into the season. He suffered his season-ending toe injury while rehabbing the hamstring.
But for his many highlights while healthy, his involvement in the offense never exceeded that of a traditional tailback — certainly not to the multifaceted levels the Cowboys seemed to hope.
From the look of things in camp, that's set to change.
Though he didn't catch many balls in college, Jones — a receiver his freshman year in high school — figures to become a bigger factor in the Cowboys' passing game as part of an evolving role that should also see increased carries as Marion Barber's backup.
“We had a lot of time to do different things during the offseason, where they find me at different positions,” Jones said. “I believe they have the confidence in me to have a little bit more of the playbook.”
He has been flanked wide and sent out on routes at times in camp, while motioning back to the backfield at others. Some plays see him share the backfield with Barber.
Plus, there's the “Razorback” formation — the Cowboys' variation of the Wildcat — as another way to feature Jones.
“You can't really put your finger on what we're doing, and I like that,” Jones said.
Anything, it would seem, to make Jones more like Westbrook.
Maybe even better.
