OXNARD, California — As Ezekiel Elliott’s holdout continues, the Dallas Cowboys welcomed running back, Alfred Morris home on Tuesday. He participated in morning practice and will join Tony Pollard, Mike Weber, and Darius Jackson in the depth chart.
Morris gives the team an insurance policy. The seasoned veteran becomes the most experienced of the running back core and is familiar with the Cowboys’ ground attack/system.
The 30-year-old had a stint with the Cowboys in 2016-2017. He had 28 game starts with America’s Team and recorded 184 carries for 790 yards, and three touchdowns. Morris spent the 2018 season with the 49ers and tallied 111 carries for 428 yards, and two touchdowns.
The seasoned veteran may be a new addition to the roster but he is already looking to the big picture in how his skillset complements the Cowboys’ rushing attack.
“ Being here I feel like I kinda elevate everything, “ Morris explained to me. “ I really don’t know the young guys yet, but just knowing who I am and being confident in who I am. I feel like I bring a lot from a ground and rushing sense. I also really want to add to the passing game as well. That is something I have been working on and trying to break stereotypes. Labels follow you and can be hard to shake, but I decided to stop trying to shake a label and just be who I am. “
Morris wants to not only build on the team’s identity on the ground, but also open up the passing game as well. He has speed and solid vision to find holes at the line of scrimmage and break for a long run. He looked comfortable in his first day of practice and feels at home with Gary Brown’s style of coaching.
He remarked to me that Brown lets the players “ be themselves, instead of trying to force them to be someone or a type of runner they are not. He gives players freedom.”
The veteran will get right to work and will get additional reps in Zeke’s absence to help smooth the transition back to the silver and blue. Welcome back Alfred!
