Is Parcells losing patience with Julius Jones?

By Andy Targovnik  |   Thursday, May 18, 2006  |  Comments( 17 )

Dallas Cowboys
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One might assume that Julius Jones will definitely be the Dallas Cowboys featured running back this season. The common perception is that Jones is a better runner than Marion Barber, his main competition. But a look at the numbers doesn't substantiate that premise. In 2005, both players averaged 3.9 yards a carry while Jones averaged 6.2 yards per reception compared to Barber's 6.4. More importantly, since Barber is the better blocker and the Cowboys offensive line is anything but a sure thing, it is certainly not a foregone conclusion that Jones will be the main man.

As a matter of fact, one has to wonder if Bill Parcells hasn't soured on Jones altogether. In his 2004 rookie campaign, after missing seven games due to a shoulder injury, Jones burst on the scene and looked like the second coming of Emmitt Smith, not only in manner, but in the amount of yardage he gained.

But instead of building on that successful first year, Jones was surprisingly mediocre during the first month of the 2005 season. A high ankle sprain in Week 5 caused him to miss three more games and even after he came back, it was always a guessing game as to whether Jones was healthy enough to play.

Then during the offseason, rumors were rampant that the Dallas Cowboys were trying to trade Jones. At his press conference two weeks ago, Parcells denied it. But what may be more telling are Parcells' comments after the denial.

"Durability is a big thing in the running back position." Parcells said, "Those are the kinds of guys you look for, like Tiki (Barber), Ottis Anderson, guys that can stay out there. And I think Julius still has to answer that just a little bit, but he's working very hard and he's very competitive and hopefully the combination will be good enough."

The other half of the "combination" who Parcells was referring to is Barber, who had a better than expected rookie season. The second year running back out of the University of Minnesota appears to have the qualities that Parcells likes: He can block, catch passes out of the backfield, and most importantly, he stays on the field. Once he cracked the lineup in Week 4, he never left it. Compare that to Jones who has missed a whopping 35% of Cowboys games in his first two years.

Moreover, look at the successful running backs Parcells has coached in his career: Joe Morris, Ottis Anderson and Curtis Martin. These players rarely missed games and all of them could block, even the undersized Morris.

This is not to say that Jones won't get a chance to regain his 2004 form. With a new offensive line, he may perform well and Barber may end up being just a very good third down back. But it's getting to the point where Parcells' patience is running out. It would be wise for Jones to think twice before he comes running off the field hurt, because he may not get back out there so fast.

Visit Realfootball365.com for more Julius Jones and Marion Barber insights.
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