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During a podcast with NFL Network's Rich Eisen scheduled to air Thursday, The Triplets -- Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin -- talked about the 20th anniversary of the 1992 Super Bowl title, the first for Jerry Jones, and various other subjects.

Smith, the Hall of Famer and NFL's career leading rusher with 18,355 yards, likes the Cowboys' running backs but made some interesting comments about backup Felix Jones.

"And then when you look at the running back corps, they have two good guys – very good guys – and either one of them can shoulder the load and shoulder the burden at any point in time," Smith said. "We need Felix Jones to step up because we know DeMarco Murray can make it happen. We need Felix to step up a little bit – that’s a true statement."

Now, let's repeat, Smith said the Cowboys, "have two good guys, very good guys" as running backs. Yet his comments about Jones are worth looking into.

When you look back on that 2008 draft, we can think about at least five running backs selected after Jones who have produced better numbers. Jones has rushed for 2,326 yards on 458 carries. He's got only eight rushing touchdowns. By the way the five backs we thought about were Rashard Mendenhall, Chris Johnson, Matt Forte, Ray Rice and Jamaal Charles. When the Cowboys drafted Jones, it was mainly to back up Marion Barber.

But do you really waste a first-round pick on a backup?

Jones is a terrific running back, someone who can make defenders miss in space. He doesn't have the speed of, say, Johnson, but he's a running back who is hard to chase down at times.

The Cowboys have always described Jones as a complementary back and with good reason. He backed up Barber since he came into the NFL and when given the chance to become the full-time starter last season, he lost the gig to DeMarco Murray due to injury.

Jones has played 16 games in a season only once in his career.

Yes, running back is a tough position and few teams go with just one back, but Jones' durability is something that has been an issue for him throughout his career.

And as he enters the final year of his contract, you begin to wonder if he'll get a second deal with the Cowboys.

On Monday, Cowboys players can voluntarily report to Valley Ranch for the first of the offseason workouts.

Let's say this again. It's voluntary. But every player is expected to show up.

At least the ones with signed contracts.

Anthony Spencer, the talented outside linebacker, has not signed his $8.8 million franchise tag. The Cowboys have until July to get a long-term deal with him signed.

It's not known if Spencer will report to the offseason workout.

As of Thursday, that decision hadn't been made. His agent, Roosevelt Barnes, didn't respond for comment Friday regarding Spencer's decision.

Spencer can work out a financial settlement with the Cowboys beforehand should he get hurt during the offseason exercises and be unable to play in 2012.

In 2009 when the Cowboys placed the first-and-third-round tender on Miles Austin, he got a similar arrangement worked out with the Cowboys. But Austin didn't report to the voluntary workouts for about a week, until Tony Romo called him.

If Spencer doesn't show up for the workouts, will another player do the same?

Should Spencer show up for the workouts?

It's his right not to.

But to continue developing team chemistry, Spencer should get his Cowboys shorts on.

It's nothing new. Ray Rice and Drew Brees are two other franchised players who are not expected to arrive for voluntary workouts. It happens across the league, but it's an interesting debate.

Spencer has said he wants to play for the Cowboys long term, but if that can't be worked out, he understands the business side of the NFL.

Right now the business is blending into the on-the-field product.

This is the second-part of a 12-part series on the Cowboys roster. Today we look at the running backs.


Players: Felix Jones (signed through 2012), Tony Fiammetta (free agent), Shaun Chapas (signed through 2014), Sammy Morris (free agent), Chauncey Washington (free agent), DeMarco Murray (signed through 2014), Phillip Tanner (signed through 2013).

Top free agents: Matt Forte, Chicago Bears; Arian Foster, Houston Texans; Peyton Hillis, Cleveland Browns; Marshawn Lynch, Seattle Seahawks; Ray Rice, Baltimore

Top draft prospects: Trent Richardson, Alabama; Lamar Miller, Miami (FL); David Wilson, Virginia Tech; LaMichael James, Oregon; Doug Martin, Boise State.

2011 review: The season started off with uncertainty as Jones took over the starting role after Marion Barber was released. An injury to Jones opened the door for Murray, a rookie, who set a franchise record with a 253-yard rushing performance against St. Louis. Murray's season ended with a fractured ankle, but he rushed for 897 yards. He will become the starter in 2012 and Jones will go back to coming off the bench. Murray is the future and has the skills and mindset to have a bigger season. Fiammetta burst onto the scene as a strong fullback that cleared the way for Murray and Jones to pick up big yards. Tanner has a future as Murray's backup but must have a strong training camp to make the roster again.

Offseason preview: Should the Cowboys consider trading Jones this offseason? It's hard to accomplish a trade with Jones entering the final year of his contract. The Cowboys should explore whether a fourth-or fifth-round pick is available for the former first-round pick. The team doesn't trust Jones to become a 20-down back in the NFL. He's a solid backup, which leads us to Tanner. He should compete with Jones for more playing time. If he makes the roster, he should get more game-day carries and special teams snaps. The Cowboys need to re-sign Fiammetta to maintain the chemistry he developed with Murray. Fiammetta was the glue to a solid running attack in the middle of the season. If Fiammetta's health issues (inner ear infection) are solved, then his return should be considered a positive.

Bryan Broaddus' Scout's Eye: Running back will be a position of strength for the Cowboys going into the 2012 season. Murray was outstanding when given the opportunity to start for the club, which allowed Jones to return to the role for which he is better suited -- backup off the bench. Tanner was a nice fit as a third back who contributes on special teams -- a role that Jerry Jones likes.

The learning curve for Murray was not that steep and he was able to do things as a pass protector that allowed him to stay on the field for more than two downs. The Cowboys were a different offense with Murray in the lineup, and Garrett was a better playcaller. If the Cowboys try to upgrade the position, it will most likely be for Tanner, but he will be tough to replace. I don't see the club using a draft pick on this spot unless it's late and it's a height, weight and speed player with high-quality traits.

Need meter (0-5): 2.

IRVING, Texas -- There is this debate regarding Felix Jones, the Cowboys third-year running back, and whether he should have been drafted ahead of some other stellar players at his position.

In some ways we forget just what was said about the 2008 running back class.

In Mel Kiper Jr.s 2008 draft report, the top rated running backs in order was Darren McFadden, Rashard Mendenhall and Jones.

Here's what Kiper said about the Top 3.

On McFadden: "With his natural athleticism, determination and versatility, he is one tremendously talented performer who should turn heads immediately in the NFL this fall. You just don't have many RB's in the NFL that are capable of taking it 40-plus yards at any time."

On Mendenhall: "It's amazing how highly he's regarded right now, when you stop to consider that he had just 126 total carries in his first two seasons in the Big Ten." Later on, Kiper writes, "He'll keep offenses in the NFL on schedule, since he heads north-south at all times and is rarely in danger of being tackled for negative yards."

On Jones: "Like Reggie Bush, he can't take much of a pounding, so he's not going to step in and be a workhorse or feature back. With a complimentary performer in place, Jones presents one heck of a change of pace."

However, Chris Johnson, who was the 24th pick of the first round, has better career numbers than the top three with 703 carries for 3,588 yards and 27 touchdowns.

You could say the following players, Jonathan Stewart, Ray Rice, Jamaal Charles, Matt Forte, Steve Slaton and Johnson are better than Kiper's Top 3 players.

Which brings us to Jones.

Did the Cowboys make a mistake in drafting Jones, No. 22 overall in 2008?

Some would say yes, just based on what happened after Jones was drafted.

Five players drafted after Jones have more yards and carries than him.

And seven of the last eight running backs overall that were drafted between Jones and Tashard Choice, a fourth-round pick, who was selected at No. 122, have more yards and carries than Jones.

So what gives?

At the time the Cowboys were deciding between Mendenhall and Jones.

"More Felix than anybody," coach Wade Phillips said. "We discussed all the backs that year and how we wanted them and we picked the guy who would help us the best."

The Cowboys picked a player who would be a good No. 2 to Marion Barber. Jones was supposed to be a third-down back and a change of pace to make the defense off balance.

In three seasons, Jones has just 168 carries and only 25 receptions.

Jerry Jones said Friday afternoon he wants the Cowboys to give Felix Jones more carries, but not if it means messing up the entire offense.

Jerry Jones understands the issues here espeically this weekend with the Cowboys taking on the Titans, the team Johnson plays for.

"We feel that Felix has the ability to challenge the defenses and make the defenses think about what he's doing just as we're thinking about what Chris is doing, and believe yo me we're thinking about it," Jerry Jones said. "When you have to focus in on a back like Johnson then you have to adjust and take away from some other players at other positions. Well, we got other players at other positions that we would like a chance to get the ball to. So all of it puts a spotlight on Felix and Felix gives us a chance to have some of the kinds of plays that Chris Johnson does."

Jones could have a longer career than Johnson because running backs to take a pounding don't last in today's NFL. Jones can also do more things. He's a better blocker than Johnson and if given the chance is better at catching the ball. Johnson's speed and ability to make people miss gives him an overall edge on Jones right now.

In the short term, the Cowboys look like they made the wrong choice at running back. In the long-term, maybe Jones might pan out afterall.

"He was a smaller guy [and] nobody could catch him," said Phillips, who also liked Johnson coming out of the draft. "So, it was a great draft class. You can say Felix hasn’t done well and I think he has."

The running back crop in the 2008 draft will probably go down as one of the greatest in NFL history.

The Cowboys feel good about Felix Jones, who is likely to take over as the lead horse after a season and a half as an electrifying change-of-pace back. But it's tough to argue that he was the best possible pick at No. 22 overall.

The debate at the time was Felix vs. Rashard Mendenhall, who was selected by the Steelers with the next pick. And that's still worthy of an argument after Mendenhall rushed for 1,100 yards last season, when Jones averaged 5.9 yards per carry, 1.3 more than Mendenhall with a workload half as heavy.

But two years and one 2,000-yard season later, there's no question that Tennessee's Chris Johnson is the best of the bunch despite lasting until No. 24 overall.

You could make a strong case that Baltimore's Ray Rice, who lasted until late in the second round, is the second-best back in class. All he did last season was account for more than 2,000 total yards for a passing-challenged playoff team.

Third-rounder Jamaal Charles, the Texas product picked by Kansas City, has to be somewhere in the conversation. He rushed for 1,120 yards despite getting only 190 carries, matching Jones' yards per pop. Carolina's Jonathan Stewart, who has rushed for 20 touchdowns in two seasons as a part-timer, also merits mention, although he was long gone by the time the Cowboys went on the clock.

At least the Cowboys didn't trade into the top five to get Darren McFadden, who has been a dud in Oakland.

If Jones stays healthy, the Cowboys have no reason for regret. But we can still play the what-if game on a slow day in May.