Felix Jones Could Make Big Impact In Big D

Fantasy Football Blog

I expect Felix Jones to be one of the few rookies that can be expected to be an impact player in his first year. Dallas’ #22 pick was expected, but wise. With Jones, the Cowboys have a complete change of pace back to compliment Marion Barber. Jones contrasts Barber in that he has great speed and is very proficient at catching passes out of the backfield whereas Barber is more of a straightfoward, power runner that absorbs contact and punishes defenders.

This is very exciting news for the Cowboys offense. Jones will fit seemlessly into their scheme as he is already acclimated to splitting carries after running behind Darren McFadden at Arkansas. Expect Felix to be a marked improvement over the somewhat soft Julius Jones who only got better as he got jealous of Marion Barber’s success and increased role.

Barber benefits because his style doesn’t lend itself to being a complete feature back. While the talent is there, if Barber logged 20 carries a game, he would be on the verge of retirement in three years. Furthermore, the prolific Dallas offense will alleviate any initial pressure from Felix Jones as he won’t be relied upon to carry the burden of being the main weapon on offense (ala Marshawn Lynch in Buffalo).

Early Prediction: 750 yards, 4 TDs rushing, 2 TDs receiving

Should Barber go down, Jones would probably be a great start as far as speculation prior to summer. Definitely handcuff Barber with Jones.