So we know the Cowboys now view Felix Jones as their primary back, a guy who should be able to carry the majority of the load but still break big plays.
The question is, does there come a point when he is not capable of doing both? What's his pitch count, so to speak?
Starting at the midway point last year, when Jones replaced Marion Barber as the starter, he averaged 17 touches per game - 14 rushes and three receptions. He had a career-high 25 touches against Indianapolis in Week 13, including 22 rushes.
While the Cowboys have always tried to keep Jones fresh, they aren't ready to put a limit on the number of times he is used.
"We don't say he's a 14-touch guy," Jason Garrett said. "We don't decide that the second week of August and say, 'OK, if he ever gets more than 14, 16, whatever the number is, that'll be bad for him.' I do think we monitor that position. We encourage our players to play hard every snap, and play the right way every snap. We don't want them pacing themselves, and that's one of the reasons at that position you need to have depth.
"So we monitor the number of touches he gets, the diminishing returns point, but for me to stand here right now and say 'He's this,' I'm not ready to do that. We'll just keep looking at it as we go."
