Dallas Cowboys Quietly Confident With FA Acquisitions
Alfred Morris, Running Back
A two time Pro Bowler who is the epitome of Garrett’s ‘right kind of guy’ mantra- it’s difficult not to be pleased with the acquisition of former Redskin running back Alfred Morris.
Morris had three consecutive 1000+ rushing yard seasons in Washington before somewhat hitting the wall in 2015. Scheme fit and rookie Matt Jones put an end to Morris’s time in red, and while he may not be the flashy back that some want in Dallas he has proven abilities alongside Darren McFadden and recently renewed Lance Dunbar.
Jerry Jones has stated he still considers McFadden to be the starter and significant lead ball carrier in the Cowboys offense.
"“Morris will be more limited in his carries than McFadden…I do see substantive workload there for him, but not as much as McFadden.” Jerry Jones"
Garrett’s opinion towards the handling of the running backs seems a little different however, and running by committee seems a legitimate notion here.
"“Darren McFadden is a guy that we have on our roster that we think a lot of. Lance Dunbar is a guy who’s coming off of an injury – excited to get him back in the fold. And we just thought adding Alfred to the team would help our running game. He’s an accomplished player, productive player. We’re excited to have him.” Jason Garrett"
It’d be a mistake to assume the Cowboys running back depth is now complete however. Darren McFadden historically has some injury concerns and while he played a full season last year he wasn’t the lead back until some way into the season.
Lance Dunbar is revered by many fans, but it’s not something I buy into. His contributions during his time in Dallas haven’t been significant. He’s never had more than 150 rushing yards in a season or more than 217 receiving yards. He has a niche. He’s useful, but this team’s success certainly doesn’t depend on him.
Ohio State running back Zeke Elliott is being championed by some for the Cowboys 4th overall pick.
"“…he is a genuine rare talent that this team should genuinely consider” Richard Jones, UK Cowboys Fans"
Anybody who has been a Cowboys fan for longer than five minutes know that second guessing any moves by Jerry Jones is easier said than done! Speaking on the signing of Morris, the Cowboys owner had the following to say:
"“Doesn’t rule out in any way what we might do in the draft or what we might do if another option came along at running back” Jerry Jones"
Garrett appears content just to have Morris off of the Redskins team for now however! In eight matchups Morris has been on four winning and four losing sides, scored seven rushing touchdowns and amassed 710 yards.
"“We’ve had a chance to play against him a couple times a year throughout his career. He’s always been very productive in our games…He’s a natural runner. He’s just a good football player and anybody who’s had a chance to go against him as much as we have and seen him as much as we have, we just have a real healthy respect for him” Jason Garrett"
Next: Cowboys must address this offensive need
All three of these signings will be expected to contribute significantly through the season. Which one do you believe will have the biggest impact?