Fix it Felix?
The career of a player in a dynasty league can have an amazing number of both highs and lows. Some players seem destined for stardom during the early stages of their careers, then sink down into the nexus of the oblivion before you know it. Some of them show flashes that give you hope, if only to seemingly tease you enough to keep them on your roster .
Such is the case with Felix Jones.
Jones was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys as the 22nd pick of the 2008 NFL Draft. You know, the same one that saw Rashard Mendenhall, Chris Johnson, Ray Rice and Jamaal Charles all taken after that pick (in defense of the Cowboys, Darren McFadden and Jonathan Stewart were both taken ahead of Jones and neither has put together the type of consistency anyone is happy with so far).
In his five year career with the Cowboys, Jones has shown both flashes of brilliance and a maddening tendency to get injured. In his 64 games played, he was able to post 2,728 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on 569 carries for Dallas, good for an average of 4.8 yards per carry. On the surface, that looks pretty solid, but anyone who saw Jones play over the past few seasons can plainly see he’s lost that trademark burst that made him look like the next big thing at the position just five short years ago.
The Eagles signed Jones to a one-year deal today in order to shore up their running back position. While some could point to this as a sign Chip Kelly may not be happy with Bryce Brown as the backup to LeSean McCoy, that’s likely not the case. McCoy is still just 24 years old and will be the unquestioned featured back in this new up tempo offense. Brown will likely get his touches as a change of pace back and at best, Jones is going to find himself in a battle with Chris Polk and Miguel Maysonet for a roster spot. In fact, he may find his best chance to make an impact could be as a kick returner, though it’s doubtful he still has the wheels to be effective in that capacity. He simply looked done last season filling in for DeMarco Murray as he was only able to muster a mere 402 rushing yards on 111 carries, good for a pedestrian 3.6 average yards per tote.
In the end, this is simply not the 2008 version of Felix Jones we saw average a ridiculous 8.9 yards per carry as an explosive and dynamic rookie. Injuries have taken their toll and he’s clearly lost more than a step since his days as the electric change of pace back to Marion Barber. If you suddenly have an urge to pick Jones up off waivers in hopes of a renaissance, feel free – the problem is the happiest people to see you do that are likely the other coaches in your league. If they’re anything like me, they love to see their opponents burn a roster spot on an aging veteran who won’t give them much of anything even in a best case scenario.
The fantasy life of a running back is an odd thing. At any given time over the past five years, you could make a case for Jones, McFadden or even Peyton Hillis each being the most valuable running back taken from the University of Arkansas that year. One thing is crystal clear now – Hillis and Jones are most certainly nearing the end of the line. It’s up to McFadden to carry the torch for the Razorbacks of that class now.
As for Jones, this may be his last chance in the NFL. Let’s hope he has some “Fix it Felix” in him and doesn’t turn out to be a wreck for the Eagles. In any case, he shouldn’t be anywhere close to your dynasty roster.
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Ken is on Twitter at DLF_KenK
