We just traded for Felix Jones

I'm wondering if this means that Bell's and Redman's availablility may be limited the next X weeks.

 

LOL Yeah Mac, but that's kind of my point, we're bringing in a guy that hasn't exactly been the epitome of health. I also seem to recall him not being overly motivated and getting over weight. Maybe that's changed now and he finally 'gets it'.

On the bright side we have a former first round pick that I believe, at one time, had 4.4 speed.

 

Here's a little blurb about his lack of motivation etc via Ken Laird.

/edit

I just read that the trade isn't finalized until both players pass a physical.

 

I'm quite sure Tomlin will clear that all up in his next presser.

 

Take it easy guys, because the reason why we signed this guy is simple. Has zero to do with Bell as he will be back sooner than later, but its the pending release of Baron Batch. This all but assures me that he is gone come Monday.

 

Well that should make HinesWardHOF happy at least.

 

I agree about Batch's imminent release.I really rooted for him to succeed but Felix Jones just has a better skill set and I think improves the steelers. If injuries forced a back up to start at RB I would rather that player be Jones rather than Batch

 

If it only means the release of Batch I'm ok with it. I just think Dwyer,Redman,Bell and LSH are all better than Jones and I really hope his arrival doesn't signal the release of Red. Or Dwyer. That would be a mistake salary hit or not. Not much encouraging news around either about what Jones has left in the tank.

 

I wouldn't make much of this yet. He still has to make the 53

 

Felix is the guy the Cowboys took in front of us that allowed us Mendy.
He spent time on the FA wire, only thing he heard was crickets. Has played little.

Good news? Has played little. 26 yrs old w/ relatively small amount of recent carries, maybe, just maybe he finds his destiny here w/ the Steelers (Cue music) where we should have taken him, instead of Mendy, in that now fatetul draft.

 

"Rent-A-Wreck Backfield" - Part Duex.

 

I hope Jones doesn't end up like the last Eagles running back that came to the Steelers Duce Staley who spent more time in sweatpants on the sideline than on the field.

 

with the way haley likes RB by committee, none of our guys would be overused. this whole year may be about rotation, rotation, rotation. OLB,ILB,DE,NT,WR,RB,TE,CB,S. all these positions have some backups that could play significant plays a game.

 

I dunno, most of what I was wondering has already been said.
Felix Jones looks like a slightly above average rb for his size, when healthy...
Why take him when we already have Howlings, who absolutely SHINED against the Giants 1st string?
Pretty much the same skill set, IMHO...
How many rb`s we plan on keepin?
Does this mean they forsee a spot on the roster, because Bell is at least temporarily gonna be on IR???
He`s not really competion for Dwyer/Redman/Bell, so where exactly does he fit in?
If they keep him and Larod...
They can`t seriously be thinking about keeping Batch,(which is probably a good thing, IMHO)...
But, if La`Veon, is NOT on IR to start the season,
We have Bell, Redman, Dwyer, Howlings, Jones, Alvester Alexander, and Jaret Wright(or whatever that one`s name is)...
The last 2 may get P.S., And I am ASSUMING Batch gets let go...
That still leaves Bell, Redman, Dwyer, Howlings, Jenkins,...
Do we normally carry 5 rbs?
Esp, now that we have a "fullbak", again???
As long as Bell doesn`t wind up on IR... I`m thinkin that leaves Either Redman/Dwyer, and/or Howlings as the odd men out?
Seems strange they would cut Howlings after just adding him.
Do they think Felix is that much better?
Hard to keep them both...
Also hard to keep all 3 of the "big backs"...
Without looking up past rosters, it seems like we usually keep 2 "big backs", and a "3d down back"...
That`s three...
Right now, I am seeing a minimum of 5 that they really seem like they would like to have here...
Who stays, Who goes?
If I was in charge, the biggest thing would be Bell`s health.
If I truly thought he wasn`t gonna get healthy this year, he could go on IR for the year, allowing me to keep Dwyer, AND Redman, and either Howlings or Jones.
I would have to go with Jones, only `cause I am more familiar with him. Howlings really made a case for himself, tho, against the Giants.
I have a hard time believing either of those two can stay healthy, given their size, but as a "occasional/3d down back"? Maybe...
Of course, none of us really know how bad Bell`s foot is...
I am hopin he could be ready to start the season...
Then, I would keep Bell, Redman, and Jenkins...
Who knows?
I really don`t wanna get rid of any of the last 5 I narrowed it down to, but we don`t know Bell`s injury status, and I don`t know that they won`t keep more than 3 outta the 5.
What do y`all think?

 

Well I'd say he's better than Davis and Russell were so it's not like he's the biggest head scratcher we've ever had but I'm still pretty baffled by this.

 

bell is the big back with wiggle and a good receiver.

LSH runs well in this blocking scheme, has wiggle and is a good receiver for screens and in the flats.

felix jones is a good receiver with some speed and wiggle that will run well in this blocking scheme. very similar to LHS.

they may like this type player much better with this offense. they want to run better then the plain pounding type back, more in line with dwyer and redman. felix is insurance if LSH goes down and we won't have that type of back on the team. dwyer and redman just do not have the moves and quickness of the other 3 guys in this system and new scheme.

what we did before is changing in TH's system. which may require a different type of back. bell has a little of both and so does jones. none will be a feature type guy I believe. at least to the extent we were used to in prior years. I believe that's haleys goal anyway.

 

Blast, if we traded for him, we got his contract too? I didn't read the article though

 

Mac, I agree with what you`re sayin. Makes sense to me...
EXCEPT since when do we run effective screens to our runningbacks???



Not that we SHOULDN`T... just, when DO WE???!!

 

I think he wants to make it part of this offense in a bigger way. it spreads the defense and makes them chase. keeping them from blitzing.

under noll and cowher at least the earlier part of cowher, the steelers were one of, if not the best screen running team in the NFL. we had mobile linemen then. we have them again to an extent. gilbert and foster may be the exceptions, though not totally as bad as with starks and colon and foster and gilbert. we couldn't run them with that group and didn't.

now we can bring some of this back and jones,bell and LSH are guys that are good out in space. it just brings a another wrinkle to defend and helps keep ben upright. ben's not very good at throwing over a guy to the running backs though and it wasn't in BA's arsenal.

 

The injury situation at RB made the Steelers make this move. I don't believe the Steelers can afford to trade any RB at this point.

 

how many can we keep? you usually don't trade for a guy if he's just going to be cut soon after the season starts. we would have to pay jones I believe if he starts the season on the roster.

dwyer, redman, LSH, bell, jones, batch, wright, alexander. they will keep 3. will Johnson makes 4. wright and alexander are the only two that have practice squad eligibility. you don't trade for a guy of jones' caliber just for a couple of preseason games, really only one that he will practice for. no, he and LSH are not feature backs, but I don't think 1 feature guy is going to be used like in the past, with haley at the controls.

 

I tend to go with Bob Labriola's take on this: