Seattle is 10x better than Dallas

Seahawker 562 · #1 (**permalink**) 05-10-2008, 03:13 PM

By CLARE FARNSWORTH
P-I REPORTER
KIRKLAND -- Julius Jones was interested in the Seahawks long before the team decided to make a run at him in free agency.
That quickly became very apparent Thursday, when the former leading rusher for the Dallas Cowboys did his first interview since agreeing to a four-year, $11.8 million contract with the Seahawks on March 7.
Jones' curiosity with all things Seahawks and Seattle began during a Monday night game at Qwest Field in 2004, when he rushed for a career-high 198 yards and three touchdowns in the Cowboys' 43-39 victory.
The appeal only increased during the Cowboys' playoff loss to the Seahawks at Qwest after the 2006 season, when Jones ran for 112 yards.
By the time he arrived for his free-agent visit eight weeks ago, Jones-to-the-Seahawks was all but a done deal in his mind.
"By the time I got here, I was finished," said Jones, who made stops in Detroit and Tennessee before coming to Seattle. "I didn't want to go anywhere else.
"I like it here. This is one of my favorite places to play, so I was excited about it."
Credit the Seahawks' winning tradition, coach Mike Holmgren's hybrid of the West Coast offense and even the new headquarters on the shores of Lake Washington that the team will move into this summer.
"This was definitely the best fit for me," said Jones, sporting a mohawk and flashing a smile.
But the ultimate hook was shaped like a Q.
"I love playing here," he said. "The atmosphere, it's 10 times better than Dallas.
"It's intimidating. Before the game, raising the 12th Man flag, and then the 12th Man. It's a lot. It gives you the chills."
Jones was told that he would compete for the starting job with the Seahawks. But the question remained: With whom?
Not Shaun Alexander. The franchise's all-time leading rusher was released last week.
Not one of the top backs from last weekend's NFL draft. The Seahawks waited until the seventh round to select Cal's Justin Forsett.
That leaves incumbent backup Maurice Morris and T.J. Duckett, who also was added in free agency to give the Seahawks a bigger option in short-yardage situations.
Jones did cross paths with Alexander on a few occasions during this peculiar period when Alexander was still around, but everyone knew he was on his way out.
"Shaun has been a standup guy," Jones said. "We didn't really talk about anything but where I'm living and things like that. He invited me to his church. So it wasn't awkward at all."
After seven seasons of tweaking his pass-first philosophy to accommodate Alexander, Holmgren has said that he'll now use a running-backs-by-committee approach
Just how this plays out will start to unfold Friday morning, when the team opens a three-day, five-practice minicamp.
"We're going to have to get some things sorted out and see where it lands," Jones said.
Jones lost his role as the feature back in Dallas last season to Marion Barber, a bigger, more powerful back.
While Barber rushed for 975 yards and was voted to the Pro Bowl, Jones' numbers slipped to career lows in yards (58

, carries (164), per-carry average (3.6) and rushing touchdowns (two).
"Things changed, and they wanted to go in a different direction," he said. "There was no explanation, and I didn't ask. It was just time for me to go."
The Seahawks offense should be a better fit for his talents because he's a willing blocker and good receiver in addition to possessing a running style that makes him more similar to Morris than Alexander.
"I've always been a fan of this offense," said Jones, pointing out that he will be playing for an offensive-oriented coach for the first time in his NFL or college career.
"I'm excited about that."
Asked if there was a best part to his game, or whether the best was his ability to run, catch and block, Jones offered, "It's all the stuff I can do. I pride myself on being an every-down back. I can block. I can run the ball. I can catch. So hopefully I'll get a chance to show that here."