Cowboys Head 2 Head: Darren McFadden vs Alfred Morris

The Cowboys Head 2 Head series will investigate positional battles as we make our way towards training camp. Today, we look at two veteran running backs: Darren McFadden and Alfred Morris.

While Darren McFadden recently had surgery to repair a broken elbow that will set him back two months – it was quite the well timed injury. The eight-year veteran will return during training camp and allow him to collect himself in time for the regular season. While he’s been linked in trade talk, the team may have different plans.

Many state there’s no way the Dallas Cowboys will be able to carry both he and newly signed Alfred Morris after the drafting of Ezekiel Elliott 4th overall. While that may not be accurate with uncertainty around oft injured Lance Dunbar the two will at least compete for playing time behind Zeke or to start if Zeke is injured or shockingly ineffective.

Morris had his best success running in a zone blocking scheme rushing for over 1,600 yards during his 2012 rookie season, but has seen his numbers decrease since then. The Cowboys employ a similar running attack that comes with an elite offensive line that can be absolutely dominate when each member is at their best and they act as a cohesive unit.

However, Morris does not come with polished receiving skills nor is he known for his pass blocking ability. McFadden showed that he can put together big games without Tony Romo or Dez Bryant present to take attention off the running game – Darren also collected a sneaky 40 receptions last year.

That combined with his solid pass blocking ability makes him extremely valuable. Despite calls for trading away one of these backs, they each come with far greater value than a 4th, 5th, or 6th round selection. The Cowboys have a short window to obtain a Super Bowl ring with Tony Romo leading the way, and if one thing has become apparent – it’s not easy finding a franchise quarterback.

Neither have contracts that are causing any cap stress for the front office, taking away any financial needs to move either out of Dallas. Let’s also consider that running backs take a beating in the NFL and there’s never any guarantee that you can count on one for the duration of the season.

Who fits the team better?

If you listen to the coaching staff, players, and executives each group echoes glowing remarks about McFadden who did a lot to earn respect during the overall disappointing 2015 campaign. However, Morris also has a reputation as team player who handles himself in the correct fashion.

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Assuming McFadden returns to camp without any further injuries, it seems that he would be a more attractive candidate to receive snaps with Zeke. Darren is a threat to catch the ball out of the backfield, can block, and knows the system.

While Morris will have ample time to learn the Cowboys offense one shouldn’t expect him to grow exponentially as a pass catcher at this point in his career. Teams would not respect Alfred coming out of the backfield as a receiver and that could make a difference.

While the goal is for Elliott to receive the bulk of snaps, it’s intelligent of the team to have great fall back plans. As stated above, it would be in the teams best interest to keep both backs around as what they would receive on the trade market doesn’t have the same value.

Next: Dallas Cowboys: Why defense doesn’t win championships

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