Article on Julius - Dallas Cowboys Weekly

RB Jones Seeks Injury-Free Season
Parcells Wants to Expand Barber's Role
By Nick Eatman


His critics call him injury-prone.

He prefers the word "unfortunate."

Any way you slice it, Cowboys running back Julius Jones has been limited by injuries the past two seasons, missing 11 total games.

He sat out eight with a fractured shoulder blade as a rookie, and then three more and parts of others last year with a high-ankle sprain. The injures have taken their toll.

More importantly, they've kept Jones on the sidelines more than he and the Cowboys would like.

So as Jones enters his third pro season, one in which expectations for the Cowboys and the offense couldn't be any higher, the running back has toned down his goals for 2006.

"I just want go a whole season without getting hurt," says Jones, who rushed for 993 yards and five touchdowns last season. "All I want to do is make it through 16 games. If I can do that, then I'll be fine."

Just playing 16 games is quite simplified for Jones, who was rather blunt in his expectations for 2005, stating he wanted to rush for 1,700 yards and 20 touchdowns.

But those goals went out the window early in the season when Jones suffered the ankle injury in the fifth game of the year - a 33-10 victory over the Eagles.

While it appeared Jones might have been able to play the second half, he was held out, mainly because of the lopsided score. However, Jones would not only miss the next three games, but never fully returned to the lineup until early December.

"When I did it, I thought it was just an ankle sprain and I'd be back in a couple of plays," Jones says. "I went out and the next couple of days, I couldn't walk on it. It's definitely something different if you've never had it before. It's much worse than breaking your ankle - because it doesn't heal. If you break it, it heals. The high ankle sprain doesn't heal.

"Every now and then you'll have some problems with it. I've had a couple of guys tell me they still have some problems with it a couple of years later. So we'll see how it turns out."

Jones seemed to have recovered from the injury around Christmas, when he finally resembled the second half of his rookie season, rushing for 194 yards and two touchdowns in a much-needed Christmas Eve win over Carolina.

But even at that, Jones says he still wasn't at full strength.

"It wasn't 100 percent then," Jones says of his ankle. "For some reason, I was able to go on it. But some days you can go and other days you'll twist it and you're out for the rest of the game. It's a weird injury and I wouldn't wish it on anybody."

This year Jones is wishing for an injury-free season. He hears the whispers claiming he's injury prone. He heard about the trade rumors that surfaced on draft day back in April, although Jones says those rumors went "in one ear and out the other."

While he says he wasn't worried about a possible trade, he might want to keep a close eye on his backup Marion Barber.

If one good thing came out of Jones' injury last season, it was that Barber was able to step in and contribute as a rookie.

The fourth-round pick in 2005 came on strong in Jones' absence, rushing for 95 yards in his first extensive playing time against Seattle. He followed that up the next game, in his first career start, rushing for 127 yards and two touchdowns in a victory over Arizona.

Barber went on to rush for 538 yards and five touchdowns - ranking fifth in the NFL among rookie backs in both categories.

More than just his running ability, Barber has caught Bill Parcells' eye in other categories. The son of a football coach, Barber impressed the coaching staff with his versatility in many areas.

"I like Barber a lot," Parcells says. "He doesn't have great speed but he's a very, very good blocker, he's a very, very good receiver and he has very good vision as a runner. He's just not a breakaway guy. And if you look at the stats for NFL rookie backs last year...he was just a part-time player. He didn't really play anywhere near the majority of the time and he was still (fifth) in yards total for rookies. So I think his role will be expanded."

Expanded to the point where he competes with Jones? Possibly.

Remember, Parcells hasn't been one to play favorites. And just because Jones is considered the starter doesn't mean he gets any special treatment from his head coach.

While Parcells acknowledges Jones' accomplishments, he doesn't shy away from the obvious.

"Julius is, I think, a good back. He's had a little bit of a durability problem here and there his first two years," Parcells says. "And, as you know, if they can't stay out there, like the Giants have Tiki (Barber) - he never goes off the field. He's really an amazing guy and has had a wonderful run here with the Giants. But those are the kind of guys you look for, like Tiki, like Ottis Anderson, guys that can stay out there. And I think Julius still has that to answer just a little bit but he's working very hard and he's very competitive and hopefully the combination of those two will be good enough."

While Jones will likely begin camp as the starter, expect Barber to at least serve as the third-down back.

The Cowboys certainly haven't forgotten about Tyson Thompson, one of the team's fastest players. The second-year back played just a handful of offensive snaps last year, but could also have an expanded role in 2006.

If anything, the Cowboys know they have a solid kick return specialist in Thompson, who broke several club records last year in that category.

Thompson not only smashed all of the rookie records in kick returns, but then the overall records as well, breaking single-season marks in return attempts (57) and return yards (1,399).

However, Thompson's longest return was just a 49-yard runback against the Redskins in Week Two. The Cowboys would like to see him develop into a more aggressive returner this year.

Thompson should have the inside track for the third running back spot, but might get some competition from both Keylon Kincade and rookie Demetris Summers.

Kincade has spent the last two years on the practice squad and is not eligible this year, which means it's the 53-man roster or nothing for him.

As for Summers, the practice squad might be an ideal fit for the former South Carolina tailback. Summers had some off-the-field issues that led to him being removed from the team after his junior season. He went undrafted, but the Cowboys gave him an opportunity, letting him try out with the team during the rookie mini-camp in early May.

Summers showed enough potential there, as well as in the veteran mini-camp, to sign a one-year contract.

Another player who could get some reps at the tailback position is Lousaka Polite, who was the team's only fullback on the roster last season.

With the Cowboys planning to use more two-tight end sets this year, the fullback position is nearly becoming obsolete from the offense.

Even Jerry Jones said the Cowboys might not have a fullback on this year's roster. But that doesn't mean the Cowboys are showing Polite the door.

Parcells, who calls Polite one of the "strongest" and "brightest" players on the team, says he wants to see if he can serve as a "thumper" back in a one-back set. Parcells has had success with bigger backs in the past and Polite certainly would be a change of pace from Jones, Barber and Thompson.

Along with having to play more of an H-back role, Polite will also need to perform well on special teams, including running down on kickoffs and possibly on punt coverage.

While the Cowboys have three young, but experienced tailbacks returning in 2006, one might say the position is settled. But don't tell that to the other young backs on the outside looking in.

And even among the top three, if Jones can't prove he can stay healthy, then expect Barber to be waiting in the wings.

Running back is one of the most cut-throat positions in the NFL. Hell, just look at Thomas. Had one of the best seasons in the league last year and now he's chopped liver.

Makes you wonder why they want to bust their butts for the team at all. Oh, you had over 1300 yards last year? Big whoop!

Just another nail in the coffin for the old NFL. They reward hard work with a knife in the back. makes you wonder how long they can keep doing crap like that to people.

Thomas finally gets a halfway decent line to run behind, shows the whole world what he can do, and gets treated like a sub. Just aint right, man.

It's hard for a 5'9" or a 5'10" running back to take the kind of pounding these guys face week in-week out for 16 weeks.

I agree. [img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

Hmmm...Emmitt Smith......wasn't very big either.