Cowboys To Shop Alfred Morris

The Cowboys’ addition of running back Alfred Morris via free agency last year proved to be somewhat superfluous, as they later went on to select workhorse Ezekiel Elliott fourth overall in the draft. Elliott earned first-team All-Pro status as a rookie after leading the NFL in rushing yards (1,631) and carries (322). Morris picked up just 69 attempts, meanwhile, and the Cowboys are now planning to shop him around the league, according to Clarence Hill of the Star-Telegram.

Alfred Morris (vertical)

The 28-year-old Morris is due a relatively meager $1.2MM base salary in 2017, the final season of his contract, and getting rid of him would make it more realistic for the team to retain at least one of Darren McFadden or Lance Dunbar – two impending free agent rushers. McFadden is open to staying in Dallas as Elliott’s backup, though two other clubs are showing interest in the soon-to-be 30-year-old, per Hill. While he played only four games last season because of an elbow injury, McFadden isn’t far removed from a thousand-yard showing in 2015.

A Redskin from 2012-15, Morris has gone past the 1,000-yard mark three times during his five-year career, but his effectiveness has faded in recent seasons. He averaged a subpar 3.7 yards per carry on 202 tries in his final season in Washington and posted a 3.5 YPC in what could be his only Dallas campaign. Morris has been a bell cow, having exceeded 200 attempts in four seasons, and his need for carries makes him a poor fit for the Cowboys, notes Hill.

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