The rumor just doesn’t want to go away. Julius Jones is on his way out of Dallas. This time the rumor comes from a place close to home: Dallas Morning News columnist Jean-Jacques Taylor.

“Jones, a free agent at the end of the season, has skipped the Cowboys’ off-season workout program and is not participating in organized team activities (OTA).

“So there’s no way he gets the benefit of the doubt if anything goes wrong in training camp. Jones apparently doesn’t care.”

– Jean-Jacques Taylor

Let me start by saying that sports journalism is almost as bad as entertainment journalism. And, this time of year when there isn’t as much football news to meet the demand for football news, it can get downright silly. Let me repeat: There is little integrity left in sports journalism — if there ever was any to begin with — and many times articles like this one are written just to try and sell newspapers.

Other than that, it is a pretty stupid statement.

Julius Jones, the first back since Emmitt Smith to break the 1,000 yard mark for the Cowboys, the back that holds two of the top four rushing performances in Dallas Cowboys history is not going to get the benefit of the doubt come training camp?

What? So, if he tweaks his ankle and misses the first preseason game he’s demoted to second string for the rest of the season?

Please.

That is not how football works. Talent trumps all. So long as Julius Jones shows that he is the best running back on the team, Julius Jones will be the starting running back on the team.

NFL teams do not hold grudges. It is as simple as that. If a player holds out for a better contract he is not demoted because of it. If a player grumbles about a franchise tag and asks to be traded he is not demoted because of it. And, certainly, if a player misses voluntary workouts he is not demoted because of it.

The NFL is simply too competitive for coaches to have thin skin. The coach that doesn’t start the best players is the coach that gets their walking papers. This is a league where a player can cause major disruptions on a team or run afoul of the law, go to a new team and have the same troubles, and still have teams wanting him — so long as he has ability.

Julius Jones will start, or not start, based on his ability to run the ball. Period. And, he will definitely get his chance to show that ability come training camp. OTA’s or no OTA’s, he’s going to get a chance to show what he can do, and the coaches are going to evaluate him based on his performance, not whether he attended voluntary workouts.

Saying anything else is just an attempt to stir up news where none exists. It’s called yellow journalism and, unfortunately, it is the most popular form of journalism.