2007 Will Define Julius Jones

Julius Jones vows to impress Wade Phillips at the crossroads of his career in Dallas following a strong off-season of workouts in Arizona. 

The 2007 season will define his future with the Dallas Cowboys and how personnel people around the league slot him if he hits the open market. 

Jones is a very good athlete with quick feet and excellent burst to make big plays.  He’s very instinctive with the ball in his hands and naturally finds cutback lanes.  But Jones never completely earned the trust of Bill Parcells due to durability questions and a tendency to fumble at times.  Parcells often gave away a lot of Jones’ carries to Marion Barber last season – especially in short-yardage and red zone situations. 

Tiki Barber fought through this stage several years ago with the New York Giants before taking his career to another level. 

Now with a fresh start under Phillips this season, Jones hopes he can prove himself capable of being not only a more complete back, but also durable and tough enough to handle 300 carries this season.  Jones did show positive signs last season by playing in all 16 games and fumbling once. 

I believe we will see more production from Jones this season under Phillips.  Jason Garrett will allow the run game to be centered around the strengths of Jones.  That means Jones will be given more freedom to find the open hole and display more creativity with his quick feet. 

Look for Jones to given more of an opportunity to also make plays in the passing game.  Jones possesses the burst to create favorable matchups against most linebackers in the open field.  The only issue that could limit his opportunities in the passing game is if Marion Barber remains a superior pass blocker. 

1 Comment