Working on the Cowboys writeup over the weekend, I didn't really consider it likely that the Ezekiel Elliott situation would turn ugly. And maybe it hasn't and maybe it won't, but if Elliott fired a shot by vacationing in Mexico, the Cowboys have responded by signing Alfred Morris.
Morris isn't an Elliott-level back, of course; he's a veteran journeyman whose best days are behind him. Fantasy Index readers will always have a soft spot for him after his stellar rookie season back in 2012 (1,613 yards and 13 TDs). He's not that player anymore, but he could still be a viable running back in the league.
Over the last three seasons (two of which he spent playing in Dallas), Morris has been called upon to start 6 games. He's averaged over 71 rushing yards in those contests. That's a top-20 figure among running backs with at least 5 starts over that timeframe.
| RB RUSHING PER GAME, 2016-2018 (5+ STARTS) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | St | Att | Run | TD |
| Ezekiel Elliott | 40 | 21.7 | 101.2 | .85 |
| LeVeon Bell | 27 | 21.6 | 94.8 | .74 |
| Gus Edwards | 7 | 17.4 | 93.4 | .29 |
| Jacquizz Rodgers | 5 | 21.4 | 92.4 | .40 |
| Kenyan Drake | 5 | 18.2 | 88.8 | .60 |
| Jay Ajayi | 20 | 19.4 | 84.8 | .35 |
| Nick Chubb | 10 | 17.6 | 82.3 | .80 |
| Saquon Barkley | 16 | 16.3 | 81.7 | .94 |
| Kareem Hunt | 26 | 17.4 | 81.4 | .92 |
| Marlon Mack | 11 | 16.8 | 79.5 | .91 |
| Phillip Lindsay | 9 | 14.6 | 76.8 | .89 |
| Todd Gurley | 45 | 18.1 | 76.5 | 1.02 |
| Chris Carson | 18 | 16.4 | 75.5 | .56 |
| James Conner | 13 | 16.5 | 74.8 | 1.00 |
| Jordan Howard | 45 | 17.0 | 73.4 | .56 |
| Melvin Gordon | 41 | 17.4 | 72.9 | .93 |
| Eddie Lacy | 5 | 14.2 | 72.0 | .00 |
| Alfred Morris | 6 | 16.5 | 71.7 | .17 |
| Sony Michel | 13 | 16.1 | 71.6 | .46 |
| Kerwynn Williams | 5 | 18.4 | 71.4 | .00 |
| Leonard Fournette | 21 | 19.1 | 70.4 | .76 |
| C.J. Anderson | 25 | 15.9 | 69.7 | .44 |
| Kerryon Johnson | 9 | 12.6 | 69.3 | .44 |
| Phillip Lindsay (total) | 15 | 12.8 | 69.1 | .67 |
| Christian McCaffrey | 16 | 13.7 | 68.6 | .81 |
| Aaron Jones | 12 | 12.1 | 68.3 | .83 |
| David Johnson | 33 | 17.0 | 66.7 | .91 |
| Matt Jones | 7 | 14.1 | 65.7 | .43 |
| Lamar Miller | 45 | 15.9 | 65.2 | .40 |
| Spencer Ware | 16 | 15.2 | 65.2 | .38 |
| LeSean McCoy | 45 | 15.2 | 64.9 | .56 |
| Dalvin Cook | 15 | 13.8 | 64.6 | .40 |
| Carlos Hyde | 36 | 16.2 | 64.5 | .61 |
| Joe Mixon | 28 | 14.8 | 64.1 | .46 |
| Jonathan Stewart | 13 | 16.8 | 63.4 | .69 |
| Devonta Freeman | 32 | 13.7 | 62.9 | .66 |
| DeMarco Murray | 31 | 15.4 | 62.8 | .61 |
| Orleans Darkwa | 11 | 13.8 | 62.5 | .45 |
| Adrian Peterson | 25 | 16.7 | 62.5 | .32 |
| Latavius Murray | 31 | 14.9 | 61.8 | .77 |
| Mark Ingram (C) | 43 | 13.0 | 61.7 | .63 |
| Samaje Perine | 7 | 16.9 | 61.1 | .14 |
| Matt Forte | 13 | 16.5 | 60.9 | .62 |
| Marshawn Lynch | 21 | 14.1 | 60.3 | .48 |
| Isaiah Crowell | 16 | 12.4 | 59.5 | .44 |
| Frank Gore | 46 | 14.8 | 58.9 | .28 |
| Matt Breida | 14 | 10.9 | 58.1 | .36 |
| Bilal Powell (C) | 18 | 12.8 | 57.7 | .33 |
| Phillip Lindsay (C) | 6 | 10.2 | 57.7 | .33 |
| Peyton Barber | 20 | 15.0 | 57.4 | .35 |
| Tevin Coleman | 16 | 11.9 | 56.6 | .69 |
| Jeremy Hill | 15 | 14.8 | 55.9 | .60 |
| Alvin Kamara (C) | 28 | 10.9 | 55.5 | 1.11 |
| Christine Michael | 7 | 14.6 | 55.3 | 1.00 |
| Mike Gillislee | 6 | 13.5 | 55.2 | .83 |
| Alex Collins | 23 | 13.5 | 54.8 | .61 |
| Jay Ajayi (C) | 11 | 10.5 | 53.8 | .45 |
| Doug Martin | 27 | 15.5 | 53.6 | .37 |
| Isaiah Crowell (C) | 29 | 12.0 | 53.0 | .28 |
| Jamaal Williams | 15 | 13.6 | 51.9 | .40 |
| Josh Adams (C) | 9 | 12.1 | 51.7 | .33 |
| Ty Montgomery | 11 | 10.4 | 51.2 | .55 |
| Ryan Mathews (C) | 13 | 11.9 | 50.8 | .69 |
Atop the list, of course, is Elliott himself -- no one would argue that there's not a steep dropoff from him to Morris.
But if Dallas can't make Elliott happy, there's at least some chance they see how they can fare with Morris. I think he now looks like the correct handcuff -- not Mike Weber, Darius Jackson or passing downs type Tony Pollard -- and the guy to select with a late-round pick if you happen to draft Elliott.
--Andy Richardson