Julius Jones' 2008 season was not what the Seahawks had in mind when they signed him to replace former league MVP Shaun Alexander.

In his first season in a Seahawks uniform, Jones started only 10 games and carried the ball a career-low 158 times.
Making matters worse were his two fumbles in a starting role against his former team on Thanksgiving Day in Dallas — a turkey of a performance that landed him deep in Mike Holmgren's doghouse the final four games of the season.

But considering the way Jones appears to have adapted to new offensive coordinator Greg Knapp's zone-blocking scheme, team insiders believe Jones' days in the doghouse could be few and far between moving forward.

"He has looked very sharp in his decision making and is running the ball hard, limiting the carries that result in negative yardage," one team insider said last week of Jones, who looked particularly impressive against the Bears in Week Three (19 carries for 98 yards, including runs of 16, 14, 15 and 20 yards). He followed that up in Week Four with a lesser outing, rushing for 25 yards on 11 carries.

Jones also has emerged as more of a pass-catching threat out of the backfield.

In his first five years in the league, Jones had never caught a TD pass. But he already has caught two in '09, including an impressive 39-yard TD reception against the Bears that saw him break two tackles on his way to the endzone.

"He's really making the most of his receiving opportunities after not being on the field as much in obvious passing downs in the past," the insider said.

We hear the addition of Edgerrin James has only helped fuel Jones' determination.

While Jones has thrived, James has been relatively ineffective, as he continues to get into game shape after signing with Seattle halfway through the preseason.

The initial plan in the backfield, according to daily team observers, was for the team to split the workload between Jones, James and Justin Forsett "60-30-10."

Don't be surprised if Jones ends up with considerably more than 60 percent of the backfield's touches. Provided, of course, he can stay healthy — which, in Seattle these days, is easier said than done.