Only 10 days ago, former first-round draft pick Felix Jones was losing his bid for the Eagles' No. 3 running back job, trailing not only starter LeSean McCoy but also backups Chris Polk and Bryce Brown. Now, in a curious twist that resulted from a rare Steelers trade, Jones temporarily may have secured a starting position in Pittsburgh. Coach Mike Tomlin hasn't made it official but it appears Jones — whose NFL future was in doubt earlier this month — might start the Steelers' opener Sept. 8 against Tennessee as rookie Le'Veon Bell remains out with a mid-foot sprain. Jones, a disappointment during most of his five-season Cowboys career, appeared to vault ahead of Jonathan Dwyer, the idle Isaac Redman and LaRod Stephens-Howling by running for 56 yards on 14 carries during a 25-10 preseason loss at Carolina on Thursday night. That effort, along with a 29-yard performance the week before against the Chiefs that occurred after he had only one ballroom walk-through in which to learn the plays, clearly impressed Tomlin. “I thought Felix Jones helped himself,†Tomlin said. “I thought his pedigree showed. His natural run instincts showed. We'll just continue to look at it and go through the process in the proper manner.†Asked if he thought he might start, Jones said, “We'll see how things go. ... You've got to let things play out.†Source: Pittsburgh Tribune Review
