“He's very serious. I think he understands that this is a big step for him this year,” secondary coach Dave Campo said. “He's hungry. He wants to do good. He wants to play good.”

Really, Jones just wants to play after missing all the 2007 season while serving his NFL suspension that has not yet been completely lifted.

While Jones might have to wait until the week before the Cowboys' Sept. 7 opener to find out if Commissioner Roger Goodell will let him play during the regular season, Jones is already trying to prove himself to the Cowboys, who acquired him from Tennessee in April.

So far, Jones is making a good impression.

“He's just an instinctive cornerback,” receiver Patrick Crayton said. “He backpedals natural. He doesn't look nervous. … Right now, he's just trying to get back in the groove.”

In each of his first two practices two weeks ago, Jones had an interception that he returned toward the end zone. He took some snaps with the first-team defense during the team's only mandatory minicamp this week, which wrapped up Thursday without a practice session.

“Kind of what we thought. He works hard,” coach Wade Phillips said. “I thought he was a competitor, but he is an extraordinary competitor. He really likes to mix it up out there and make every play.”

Jones had told reporters he'd talk Thursday after the minicamp. But there was no media access after Phillips canceled the final scheduled practice.

Instead of practice, players, coaches and their families took part in a picnic and other family activities at the Valley Ranch facility. The family lunch was already planned, but players weren't told about the cancellation of practice until getting to their position meetings Thursday morning.

The three-day minicamp followed four weeks of optional workouts, the first two coming before Jones was cleared to participate. There are no more organized practices for the Cowboys until they report to training camp July 24.

Jones was suspended in April 2007 following an accumulation of arrests and legal problems, including his connection to a shooting at a Las Vegas strip club.