Dorsett critical of Romo .

David Smoak

Cowboys fans: Felix Jones is going to be exciting to watch
Column by JEAN-JACQUES TAYLOR / The Dallas Morning News

Felix Jones is the most electric runner the Cowboys have had since Tony Dorsett. He’s the most exciting player the Cowboys have had since Deion Sanders.

Here’s why: You can feel the anticipation and excitement in the stadium every time Jones touches the ball because you never know when he’s about to do something spectacular.

Obviously, Emmitt Smith, the NFL’s all-time leading rusher was superb.

But he was a grinder, a battering ram. His genius was in the subtle cuts he made to make defenders miss and his unquestioned toughness, which why we all remember the Giants game. But you could miss a couple of plays with Smith on the field without feeling like you were going to miss something you might not see again.

Herschel Walker was terrific for a couple of seasons.

He did it with power and speed because he couldn’t make me miss in the open field. But if he hit the hole and found a seam, you couldn’t catch him when he was in his prime.

That’s how Walker wound up with an 84-yard touchdown run and an 84-yard touchdown catch in the same game.

Dorsett’s speed was breathtaking. So were his moves. He could make anyone look bad, and if you missed him in space, he was gone.

Jones brings back those memories because he has tremendous speed and just enough wiggle to make guys miss.

He turned a 12-yard pass into a 42-yard gain against Tennessee because he made two guys miss before making the kind of cut usually only seen in video games to get outside. Jones’ gift is that he can make a hard cut and seemingly be back at top speed within a step or two.

He averaged 8.9 yards on only 30 carries last year with runs of 33 and 60 yards. He also returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown.

Jones is going to be one of the league’s most exciting players this season – and for years to come.