Coachnorm
Moderator
Jones has bulked up to around 225 pounds, the Dallas Cowboys team site reports. Analysis: It's hard to know what to make of this. On one hand, the general assumption is that weigh and durability are positively correlated, and if that's true then Jones should be less injury prone in 2010. On the other hand, Jones' skill is as a big-play runner, and there's always the worry that adding weight will slow a player down (see: Steve Slaton). Jones insists he's not losing any speed, though he used to play in the 210-pound range.
I was being a bit of a wise ass with the title but the article brings up a good point. At what point does a little extra weight maybe become too much. During Jones rookie year he was blazing fast. you could pitch him the ball and he would beat everyone to the sideline and round the corner untouched.
Now after that he would be touched, pounded and maybe tackled. Point is he was blazing fast, on the field in pads football fast. This wasn't due to great blocking schemes by Dallas it was pure speed, Felix could beat the outside LB to the corner and turn it. Then he got injured and came back last year and did some very nice running for Dallas after sitting out for awhile with a tweeked knee. He was still dammed fast but did his damage by cutting back into holes before the corner instead of beating everybody around the corner. Still very fast and very effective but a fraction slower than that rookie speed. I would hope more weight will make him more durable but I wouldn't want him to lose another 1/2 or 1/4 step in the process.
I was being a bit of a wise ass with the title but the article brings up a good point. At what point does a little extra weight maybe become too much. During Jones rookie year he was blazing fast. you could pitch him the ball and he would beat everyone to the sideline and round the corner untouched.
Now after that he would be touched, pounded and maybe tackled. Point is he was blazing fast, on the field in pads football fast. This wasn't due to great blocking schemes by Dallas it was pure speed, Felix could beat the outside LB to the corner and turn it. Then he got injured and came back last year and did some very nice running for Dallas after sitting out for awhile with a tweeked knee. He was still dammed fast but did his damage by cutting back into holes before the corner instead of beating everybody around the corner. Still very fast and very effective but a fraction slower than that rookie speed. I would hope more weight will make him more durable but I wouldn't want him to lose another 1/2 or 1/4 step in the process.
