Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
The headlines this offseason for the Washington Redskins has been all about Matt Jones. He has been gaining a good reputation early and is the big physical back who most teams look for in a starting running back. All this hype has made the Redskins undervalue Alfred Morris and they have begun overlooking what they have. If they continue to do this, it could soon lead to a disappointing break-up at the running back position.
Morris has been the only beacon of light provided by the Redskins the past few years. He has been the workhorse that made games competitive. He’s not the type of running back who is outgoing or causes controversy with the media. Instead, he’s the humble, hard-working, quiet and reliable superstar who the Redskins need. It is hard to find someone more relentless, tough and uncompromising on the field. Morris shows up to work on time, gives it 100 percent and gets the job done. He doesn’t pull any diva stunts like some of the other superstars. The man drives a 1991 Mazda 626. How do you get more humble than that?
Morris has never rushed below 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns in his NFL career. Those are numbers that can be categorized as a top five running back in this league. In each of his three seasons, he has averaged about four yards per carry.
Since 2012, Morris has been the No. 2 running back in rushing yards. The only person that is ahead of him is Marshawn Lynch. Morris comes in ahead of LeSean McCoy and DeMarco Murray, and I would say that’s extremely impressive. Even within the division, the Philadelphia Eagles are paying Murray $8 million a year and Ryan Mathews about $3.6 million a season. Morris has definitely earned the right to be valued at this type of money.
Critics can argue that Robert Griffin III has opened up more space for him when he is on the field. Be that as it may, Morris still averaged 4.1 yards per carry last season. That was with all the inconsistent play at quarterback.
Morris is in for a stellar year this coming season and Bill Callahan will make him even more efficient than he already is. We all watched Murray tear it up in Callahan’s system last year. Morris should be due for a similar year. The Redskins have re-vamped the offensive line with the addition of Brandon Scherff, and other young players. These guys should be a huge upgrade compared to last year’s line. It only makes sense that Morris will post possibly the best numbers of his career this coming season. We can come to this conclusion based off last year’s production with a terrible offensive unit.
The Redskins need to remember what there bread and butter has been the past three seasons and it hasn’t been Griffin. Our knight in shining armor has clearly been Morris. His run game has kept them relevant. Yes, Jones was a exceptional pick in the draft, and he should pan out to be a great running back in the future. We also have to realize that Jones is going to be a great compliment to Morris in the backfield. We forget that Morris is 26 years old. He is our future still and we expect that he will give the fans something to look forward to for years to come.
The Redskins have to give Morris the credit and appreciation that he deserves. After all, he’s earned the contract extension. It would be unwise if they didn’t extend him and have the possibility of letting him walk. We can’t let him slip through our fingers. Morris doesn’t bring the flashy, sexy appeal that most of these top running backs do, but he’s just as productive, if not more. Let Morris know that he belongs with this organization and show him that his hard work is paying off.
