Archer: Alfred Morris looking to be more complete

Cotton

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Alfred Morris looking to be more complete, get involved in Cowboys' passing game
10:58 PM CT
Todd Archer
ESPN Staff Writer

IRVING, Texas -- Alfred Morris had three 1,000-yard seasons in four years with the Washington Redskins before joining the Dallas Cowboys.

He’s hoping to add something to his portfolio this season that he never really had a chance to do in Washington: catch passes.

He never had more than 17 catches in a season with Washington and had 47 for 365 yards from 2012-15. Last season, Darren McFadden led Cowboys runners with 40 catches for 328 yards. In 2014, DeMarco Murray caught 57 passes for 416 yards.

Morris’ chances to put up those numbers will be difficult because of the role Ezekiel Elliott is expected to play in the regular season, but in Wednesday’s organized team activities Morris caught three passes out of the backfield from backup quarterback Kellen Moore.

“I want to be a complete back, that’s something I’d not been able to do in the previous four or five years,” Morris said. “Just get more involved in the passing game. I feel like there’s a unique opportunity to build that trust and faith with the coaches and quarterbacks.”

Morris reiterated he does not regret signing with the Cowboys knowing now that they picked Elliott. He said his running style is a good fit for the Cowboys’ running game. Running-backs coach Gary Brown is glad to see Morris working on the passing game.

“I think we’re all trying to be complete backs,” Brown said. “We always want to get better at that and I think with Alfred that’s good self-awareness by him. But I still think he’s a good solid guy. We’re just going to keep working with him to get to where he wants to be and where we need him to be and that is a complete back.”
 

ravidubey

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Morris is going to be a beast once he gets a feel for how these guys block.

I have no regrets that Dallas signed him. The only regret would have been had they passed on Elliott because of Morris and MacFadden. Thankfully that insanity was avoided.
 

fortsbest

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I know it is rare anymore but on short yardage plays it would be interesting to see both of them in the backfield occasionally. Think that would screw with a D's head?
 

Donpingon

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i have a (disappointing) feeling that Morris will be our best RB this year
 

data

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Some people don't care about production as long as there's production.

I want our top back to be Z.
 

Cowboysrock55

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Some people don't care about production as long as there's production.

I want our top back to be Z.
I think that is everyone's expectation and it would obviously be a disappointment if we wasted the 4th pick in the draft on a guy who isn't our main RB next year. The only way I see that happening though is if Elliott gets hurt.
 

ravidubey

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i have a (disappointing) feeling that Morris will be our best RB this year
The guy ran for 1600+ as a rookie, so he has it in him.

I'm rooting for Zeke, but that doesn't mean Morris and MacFadden are just going to cower on the bench. Zeke's going to have to work for it.

I don't care about season-long yardage stats as much as yards per carry, short yardage, and red zone production.
 

Genghis Khan

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I really don't think Morris has much left in the tank unfortunately, but we'll see.
 

Simpleton

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This is the bottom line. Murray doesn't fumble in GB, we're playing Seattle.
It really took a ridiculous set of circumstances to keep us from winning that game. First, you have Hanna falling on a fumble that would've given us the ball around the GB 20 with a 7-10 point lead and he inexplicably fails to recover it despite being the only one by the ball. Then you have the Murray fumble and of course the Dez call.

Of course Rodgers wasn't 100% either but he was good enough to be up by what, 15 in Seattle with a few minutes left. We weren't far off from losing that Detroit game either but we weren't far from going into Seattle with a very good chance of advancing past that considering how Seattle played against Green Bay.

And all of that with a DL consisting of Jeremy Mincey/Tyrone Crawford/Nick Hayden/George Selvie/Anthony Spencer/Ken Bishop/Josh Brent/Terrell McClain/rookie Demarcus Lawrence, in the playoffs at least. That's why I'm not too concerned about our DL, assuming at least Lawrence can come back and give us a strong 12 games.
 

DLK150

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I don't really GAS who our top back is as long as they're productive, although I would obviously want it to be Elliot since he was a top 5 pick. I was happy for the dunce Randle to be cut and McFadden taking the ball and running with it even though the season sucked overall last year. DMC did a good job but he's not a long term solution.

I liked the Morris signing and would be fine with a 1-2 punch of him and Elliot, regardless of pecking order but hopefully Zeke is the future.
 

ravidubey

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I really don't think Morris has much left in the tank unfortunately, but we'll see.
He's a young guy whose biggest fault is that he could never be as productive as he was his rookie year. The NFL's adjustment to the read-option and RG3's failed health were the main reasons.

Morris isn't nearly as good as his 1600 yard rookie season, but few backs ever are that good.
 

Cotton

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He's a young guy whose biggest fault is that he could never be as productive as he was his rookie year. The NFL's adjustment to the read-option and RG3's failed health were the main reasons.

Morris isn't nearly as good as his 1600 yard rookie season, but few backs ever are that good.
He is also going to be in a ZBS. Something he has excelled at.
 

Genghis Khan

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He's a young guy whose biggest fault is that he could never be as productive as he was his rookie year. The NFL's adjustment to the read-option and RG3's failed health were the main reasons.

Morris isn't nearly as good as his 1600 yard rookie season, but few backs ever are that good.

He's 27, and turns 28 before the end of the season. That's not particularly young for a running back.
 
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