Jean-Jacques Taylor

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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.

Q: Against one of the best defenses in the league (Tennessee), the Cowboys moved the ball with ease as Tony Romo connected with nine different receivers. Do you think they can maintain this throughout the season and keep everyone happy now that T.O. is gone?

Ron Guerra, Santa Monica, Calif.

TAYLOR: Among the reasons the Cowboys released T.O. is because they wanted Romo to spread the ball around to several different receivers. They really want Romo to throw the ball to the backs in the flat and let Marion Barber and Felix Jones gain five or six yards instead of forcing the ball downfield. Besides, Jones has the ability to turn a short pass into a long gain as he showed with his 42-yard catch-and-run against Tennessee. Without Romo and offensive coordinator Jason Garrett trying to make T.O. happy, the Cowboys should be able to use this approach much of the season.

Q: Everyone still seems worried about the lack of a vertical game. If the Cowboys can dominate teams with high percentage short throws and runs the way they've done in the preseason so far, won't defenses have to play closer to the line of scrimmage, opening up the potential for players to make long plays, much like the way Jerry Rice used to turn a 5-yard slant into a long touchdown?

J. David Green, Galveston

TAYLOR: I'm not sure it's going to work that way because aside from Felix Jones, the Cowboys don't have players who can consistently make defenders miss in space and turn a short pass into a long gain. Teams will give you short throws all day because they don't want to get beat deep, and they figure you'll make a mistake – penalty, missed assignment, a dropped pass, etc. – along the way to short-circuit the drive.

Q. Any word on how the coaches evaluated Julius Crosslin's performance Friday night? What are his chances of making the final roster?

Ron Ramming

TAYLOR: He has a terrific chance to make the team because Deon Anderson is out for the rest of the preseason after having arthroscopic knee surgery. I like Anderson because he's the type of fearless player who brings attitude to the team. That said, this is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately business. Crosslin caught the ball well against Tennessee and did a solid job blocking. Anderson has had issues staying healthy, in part, because he's so physical. Right now, I'd give Crosslin the edge, especially since I expect the Cowboys to keep only one fullback.

Q: I have had an eye on Kevin Ogletree for the first two games, and from what I see, he returns kicks fearlessly and has far better receiving skills than Isaiah Stanback. Is it time to cut the project of Stanback and keep a true WR like Ogletree who really has been far more impressive than Stanback?

Eddie Arnold

TAYLOR: How do you really feel? Ogletree has done what every rookie must do: make plays and get the attention of the coaches. He made several nice plays during training camp practices, and that was a nifty touchdown pass he caught against Tennessee.

Right now, I'd say he has an edge over Stanback. Never forget, though, it might be hard for Dallas to give up on a draft pick with all of the athletic ability Stanback possesses as opposed to an undrafted free agent.

Q: What was Michael Irvin's yards per catch. I don't remember him catching many bombs.

Bud Edmondson

TAYLOR: Don't sleep on Irvin. He averaged 15.9 yards per catch on 750 receptions, which is excellent. He did a lot of his damage on the skinny post, which was just about unstoppable with Troy Aikman throwing the ball.

Here's a look at how Irvin's average per catch compares to some of the terrific receivers of the last 15 years: Tim Brown (13.7), Cris Carter (12.6), Andre Reed (13.9), Jerry Rice (14.8), Marvin Harrison (13.2) and Terrell Owens (14.8).

Q: The Cowboys have enough talent to win the NFC East and advance to the Super Bowl, but it's all dependant on how much they care and want to win. I think the Cowboys will end up with a playoff win.

Chris Hall

TAYLOR: I love your optimism Chris, but you're going to have to provide me with some tangible reasons for why you think the Cowboys will do something this collection of core players has never done. Like you, I think this team has talent. The question is whether it will have any more character than it did last season. This has been a mentally soft team, which is among the reasons it has faded in December, when the games are the most important. We have no idea how this team will perform until it gets popped in the face and we see how it responds.

Q: You recently wrote that the Cowboys made a mistake in not considering signing Michael Vick, but in another article you said he would be a distraction. So what is your stance on Mr. Vick?

Robert S. Kline, Binghamton, NY

TAYLOR: That's not really an accurate assessment of what I've written about Michael Vick. I wrote that I understood why Jerry didn't even think about signing him since he spent the off-season getting rid of players such as T.O, Tank Johnson and Pacman Jones, even though I think he'll eventually rue the day. A few days later, I wrote the Cowboys had a boring, uneventful training camp while teams like Philadelphia signed the league's most notorious player. The Eagles could do it because of their strong infrastructure.

Q: What are coaches referring to when they state that a certain running back is "not an every-down back" or a "third-down back." It has to be more that physical build. Is this just coach-speak for a runner not being tough enough?

Jay Edwards, Rogers, Ark.

TAYLOR: That's a good question. Some runners may be short, but their hamstrings and glutes are thick and powerful. That enables them to take the physical pounding of playing running back and carrying the ball 20 times a game. It's not about toughness. It's much more about body size. You can have two players who each weigh 212 pounds but are built very differently.