Unsigned Felix Jones still thinks he will play in 2014

Dec 15, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Felix Jones (23) runs over Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Adam Jones (24) during the second quarter at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 15, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Felix Jones (23) runs over Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Adam Jones (24) during the second quarter at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports

Hope springs eternal in the bosom of one Felix Jones. The former Cowboys and Steelers RB hasn’t gotten so much as a sniff this year in free agency but despite this Jones still believes that he will find an NFL home and be on the field in 2014.

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Jones told the Tulsa World:

"I know something is going to happen, I have a gut feeling. I just have to stay prepared for it."

Jones says he is keeping in shape so that when the phone rings he will be ready to jump right in and resume his NFL career.

That’s nice Felix, it really is. But let’s look at reality now shall we?

Felix Jones is 27 years old in a league where running backs lose value at an almost exponential rate as they approach 30. Last year, Felix got 48 carries for the Steelers and ran for 148 yards. So the Steelers didn’t exactly look at him as a workhorse.

Yes, Felix has over 5,000 yards in the NFL, mostly from his early days with the Cowboys, but he is 27 in a league where teams regard running backs the same way the Chinese regard gymnasts: get them while they’re young, wear them out fast and throw them away without mercy.

So, unless your name is Adrian Peterson or Frank Gore, I wouldn’t count on much. It’s nice that Felix Jones has his gut feeling but my gut is telling me something else. It’s telling me that Felix Jones is ’bout done.

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