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It’s a troubling sign when you’re rotating NFL teams with more velocity than Peyton Manning’s football throws over twenty yards. Felix Jones is a name but does he fill a need for Pittsburgh? He is on his third team in less than a season now, and obviously did not show enough for Philadelphia to consider him worth keeping. They traded him away to Pittsburgh for a former undrafted linebacker.

Pittsburgh is not sure how to handle the current injury to Le’Veon Bell so they insured themselves just in case. With a backfield that already consists of LaRod Stephens-Howling, Isaac Redman, and Jonathan Dwyer, the move is a bit peculiar.

This automatically negates one of the three running backs, and I believe that to be Isaac Redman. I wrote an article just a few days ago on the Steelers running back situation, and believed Redman was the odd man out amongst the three then. With four to worry about now, Redman is downgraded even more.

As far as Jones being a sleeper and taking on a big role for the Steelers, I do not believe that will happen. Jones has struggled through a vast amount of injuries after showing promise as an speed back a few years ago in Dallas. The job as a starter in Dallas did not last long as DeMarco Murray ran away with the job, and proved to be much more effective.

Jones proved the notion that a smaller back has a tough time taken on the heavy-duty role. Games that he had carries above ten he struggled and was ineffective. His yards per carry dwindled and his injury-risk skied as he was not durable. But when you lessen the amount of carries he receives to be between five and eight, he can produce heavy damage. He is that change of pace back that is a true home run threat when the burden is not solely on him.

With Demarco Murray’s injury woes last season the Cowboys began to lean more and more on other backs, instead of Jones, relegating Jones to a third running back. Dallas made it clear when they drafted former Oklahoma State running back Joseph Randle that they were not pleased with Jones run efficiency nor his 3.6 yards per carry last season.

His role in Philadelphia would have been third back behind McCoy and Brown, and will be his role as a Steeler. Pittsburgh must quietly have concerns on LaRod Stephens-Howling’s health. He did miss week two’s preseason game and has missed practice this week with a strained knee.

Pittsburgh can ill-afford to rely on the tandem of Dwyer/Redman as they did last year. I doubt Jones will get a significant amount of carries for Pittsburgh. Opportunity does have a weird way of knocking on someone’s door. Jones may get that in Pittsburgh where injuries have become prevalent and the need for someone to step up is there. The max I would expect from Jones is a game or two in which he is the primary ball carrier. Something we have seen in Dallas just as recent as last year, in which he still showed no fantasy value.

This signing should have no fantasy committal value. Take a wait and see approach before you consider a roster move for Jones, even in PPR leagues.