Washington Redskins: 15 best draft day steals of all-time
By Ian Cummings
NFL offense is all about balance. Balance among an array of weapons. You want a potent offense? Stock your unit with players who flourish with the ball in their hands. Give your staff options, so that your team is unpredictable and adaptable. Be ready to move the chains any way possible.
These are the ways to create an NFL offense. But if you have a running back who can run like Alfred Morris could, none of it matters.
Morris isn’t with the Redskins anymore. With the rise of Kirk Cousins in 2015, Morris’ workload decreased, and in 2016, he signed with the Dallas Cowboys. He stayed in Dallas for two years before signing with the 49ers for the 2018 season. Now, after a modest campaign in San Francisco, Morris is a free agent, waiting for his next opportunity.
Morris’ next opportunity could come as suddenly as his first one did. Morris was drafted in the sixth round of the 2012 NFL Draft. In a running back room muddied with uncertainty, Morris elevated to the starting spot by the beginning of the season.
He exploded out of the gates in Washington’s new offense. By season’s end, he’d amassed incredible numbers, logging 1,613 yards and 13 touchdowns on 335 carries. For a more established running back, those are All-Pro numbers.
Morris would break the 1,000-yard mark his next two seasons as well, making the Pro Bowl both times. While he’s fallen off the map in recent years, and while the Redskins prepare for their next premier rusher in Derrius Guice, one cannot forget the immediate and monumental impact that Morris provided. As a sixth-rounder, he drastically outperformed his draft billing.