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Why are Dallas Cowboys trying out Felix Jones?

By Kevin Parvizi

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The Dallas Cowboys are busy working out veteran running backs, and I already wrote about why it’s hard to see Ben Tate, who was one of the players worked out by the ‘Boys today, making a notable impact if signed. But Tate isn’t a terrible option, and he looks like a fantastic option if you compare him to the other player the Cowboys are working out today at the running back position. Hint: His name is in the title and he used to play for the Cowboys.

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Yes, this is not a joke. According to Cowboys official site beat writer Bryan Broaddus, Jones is one of the players working out for the team today. This has to be one of the more bizarre stories this offseason, because it just doesn’t make sense for the Cowboys to even kick the tires on Jones. By all accounts, his showing at the Veteran Combine was dreadful, as his forty times were clocked at 4.79 and 4.85, respectively. Yeah, that’s terrible, especially for a player whose lone calling card early in his career was his explosiveness, which kept him around in Dallas as a quality change-of-pace guy.

Jones didn’t receive a single snap in 2014, and he last played in 2013 for the Pittsburgh Steelers with just 57 touches and 3.8 yards per carry to his credit. In fact, Jones averaged just 3.6 yards per carry in his final season with the Cowboys in 2012 and hasn’t been a legit back ever since his strong days from 2009-2011 as a change-of-pace guy who could average 4.5 or 5.9 yards per carry in a season.

Earlier in his career (his first stint with the Cowboys), Jones’s main knock was his proneness to injury, because he used to have  sub-4.5 wheels and had 800 rushing yards in a season. However, he could never manage more than 185 carries in a single season due to his proneness to injury.

At 28 (he’s actually younger than I thought) and a full year removed from any meaningful action, Jones no longer has that speed to fall back on. I just don’t see how he’s even worth working out, because he can’t be better than Joseph Randle, Lance Dunbar, Darren McFadden, or Ryan Williams. Although Williams is even more prone to injury than Jones, he’s also a lot more talented and is just 25.

Tate looked  washed up last year due to a paltry 3.1 yards per carry, but at least he played well in the 2012 and 2013 season as the Houston Texans change-of-pace back. The fact that Jones is a significantly more underwhelming option than Tate should tell you all that you need to know, though the name “Felix Jones” is enough to make it clear that this is a desperation move on the part of the Cowboys; this is a reunion that just doesn’t need to happen.

As I said in the Tate piece, the Dallas Cowboys have enough running backs on the roster who can play in a change-of-pace role, so what they’re looking for are pure rushers who can carry more of the load. Jones is not that guy, and they are much better off sticking with guys like McFadden and Williams. Although Williams has huge health questions, it’s not like Jones has turned in clean bills of health either.

Although Jones was a fun player to watch for a good three seasons in Dallas, nothing about this workout decision makes sense. Oh well, at least Jerry Jones hasn’t signed him or anything, so there’s always a chance that this is some elaborate troll on his part. In the meantime, the Cowboys need to find a veteran back capable of offering something, and it’s hard to shake off the thought that Chris Johnson, who averaged 4.3 yards per carry last season and put up 1,000 yards as recently as 2013, looks like their best free agent option, as long as he’s willing to take a minimum deal (I have a feeling he isn’t at this point in time).

Of course, it pays to relax a little bit, since a workout is definitely harmless, even if it’s the workout of a player who didn’t take a snap last year and runs a 4.8 forty. It’s just a workout.

Next: Can Ryan Williams surprise?

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