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Despite averaging a career-low 4.1 yards per carry last season, Washington Redskins running back Alfred Morris topped 1,000 yards for the third straight season and he remained a workhorse with 265 carries (sixth-most in the league). Entering the final year of his rookie contract, Morris should be plenty motivated to produce at a high level in 2015.
The Redskins lost Roy Helu in free agency, but third-round pick Matt Jones is in line to take over as Morris’ primary backup. There has been a lot of positive buzz surrounding Jones, almost to the point of overkill, but I don’t see him as a serious threat to Morris’ workload and I think the Redskins could have done a lot better in the draft if they wanted a running back. Elsewhere in Washington’s running back mix are two holdovers (Chris Thompson and Silas Redd) and an undrafted rookie (Trey Williams), but none of the three are likely to make a serious case for a big role during training camp.
Washington took steps to upgrade their offensive line this offseason, both in terms of coaching (Bill Callahan) and talent (Iowa offensive tackle Brandon Scherff with the fifth overall pick). Second-year man Spencer Long should be an upgrade over the departed Chris Chester at right guard, and the Redskins also bolstered their line depth with two more draft picks after Scherff this year.
Morris is still firmly in his prime at 26 years old (27 on Dec. 12), and I think he will be highly motivated to re-establish himself as one of the league’s most productive running backs when camp starts. I also think he will clearly outperform Jones during camp practices and preseason games, thus dismissing the rookie’s chances to create anything resembling an equal playing time split when the regular season starts.
Training camp will signal the start of what looks like a make-or-break season for Morris, with what should be an improved offensive line in front of him and the Redskins theoretically drafting his eventual replacement. I don’t quite share Gregg Rosenthal’s thoughts about Morris as a dark horse candidate to lead the league in rushing this year, but I fully expect him to hit the ground running when the Redskins reconvene in Richmond, Virginia late next month.
Brad Berreman is a Senior Writer at Rant Sports.com. Follow him on Twitter.
