There was much gnashing and rending when the Cowboys selected Arkansas running back Felix Jones22nd overall with Rashard Mendenhall still on the board.
In fact, the complaints started rolling in approximately 30 seconds after commissioner Roger Goodell announced the pick. The Dallas Morning News' Jean-Jacques Taylor wrote that, "You don't draft a complementary player in the first round when you have an opportunity to select a franchise back. Ever. But that's what the Cowboys did Saturday."
And Taylor's then-colleague, Albert Breer, added this: "Remember, none of this is anything against Felix Jones. I'm guessing he'll be a good addition to the Cowboys offense. But Rashard Mendenhall will be better. Much better."
Of course, Mendenhall played in four games, and rushed for just 58 yards on 19 carries before landing on injured reserve with a broken collar bone. Jones, on the other hand, scored on his very first carry of the season, and prior to being hobbled by a balky hamstring, he was averaging almost nine yards a carry.
Now, though, Jones has gone the way of Mendenhall: he's done for the year.
...Jones will be placed on the injured reserve and will have surgery to repair a torn ligament underneath his left big toe. ... Jones suffered a partially torn hamstring on a 14-yard run in the loss to the Cardinals and hasn't played since. He suffered the toe injury while rehabbing his hamstring during the bye week.
So, basically, both first-round picks didn't really have much of an impact as rookies. It happens. Ironically, Jonathan Stewart, who had foot surgery a month before the draft, is healthy and has appeared in all 10 games for the Panthers. He's sharing time with DeAngelo Williams, has six touchdowns, and is averaging 4.3 yards per carry. Weird.
Felix Jones Joins Rashard Mendenhall on Injured Reserve originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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