Free agent Felix Jones is the poster child for the short career span of NFL running backs.
Viewed as a future superstar after averaging an eye-opening 8.9 yards per carry as a first-round rookie in 2008, Jones finds himself waiting by the phone six years later.
"I know something is going to happen, I have a gut feeling," Jones said last Saturday, via the Tulsa World. "I just have to stay prepared for it."
Among Jones' misfortunes are a litany of injuries and getting caught between eras.
He was never viewed as durable enough to handle a three-down role when those jobs were being handed out. By the time the backfield-by-committee craze swept the league, nagging leg injuries had sapped his playmaking ability.
Jones spent all of last season with the Steelers but never saw more than a handful of carries in a game once Le'Veon Bell got healthy in October. Still just 27 years old, the former Arkansas star is hoping his experience will attract a suitor before training camps open later this month.
"I played the game for a few years," Jones explained. "I kinda got the hang for what's going on in the NFL at my position. I know I can teach younger guys. Obviously I still got some gas in my motor."
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