Name: Alfred Morris
Position: RB
College: Florida Atlantic
Height: 5-9
Weight: 219
Draft: 173rd overall by Washington, 2012
Games Studied: 2015 vs. Miami, New York Giants, Philadelphia, Dallas (twice)
Report:Alfred Morris' numbers might not be what they have been in the past, but in my opinion, that is in large part due to an improved Kirk Cousins at quarterback and Jay Gruden going with different personnel at the position.
There is no question that Morris can still play and the tape showed that. His physical toughness and desire to finish are still there. He has never had top-notch playing speed, but where he has had success is in his ability to take the ball in a one-back set, read the blocks and accelerate through the hole. He also still has the ability to make the first defender miss and bounce the ball to the outside.
Morris is not a home run hitter, but he has really good short-area foot quickness. Late in the game against the Eagles, his first read told him that the hole was filled and he bounced to the next gap. When that hole closed, he was able to redirect to the outside and get to the corner for a sizeable gain. He shows body control and balance.
His calling card is his playing strength. When this guy gets a head of steam, it can be difficult to bring him down one-on-one. You will see tacklers turn him down in space. On top of that, he keeps his legs working on contact. There are snaps where he does create opportunities, but generally when he sees it, he goes. The tape shows a ton of tough, dirty runs. His vision and pace are consistent.
It's fair to say Morris is a willing pass protector, but his technique is not where it needs to be. There are times where he gets caught on whether to stay on his feet or cut, and he ends up in a poor blocking position. He is not used as a receiver at all. I only observed one game where he caught a ball on the outside and that was a designed throw with him in the slot. In total, he had 10 games where he did not record a reception. The one catch that he did have he was able to snatch the ball on the move.
This is not a home run hitter in any sense of the word, nor is he that complete back. But Alfred Morris still has the traits that we have seen from him since coming in the league four years ago.
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