Alfred Morris, Redskins RB - Value (1 Viewer)

[Otis]

More like iron pyrite.

I would say he's the next Quentin Griffin, but Griffin was a more dynamic runner than Morris. Morris is the definition of average. Late draft pick. No special physical qualities. Ineffective in his first start. The only reason he has any value right now is because of opportunity. That opportunity will evaporate quickly if he doesn't perform better.

He's primed for another decent game against a horrible Rams team next week, but long term this guy is a mirage. He's not a hidden gem who somehow slipped through the cracks like Willie Parker, Arian Foster, or Priest Holmes. He's just an average player benefitting from a lack of competition.

None of that matters if he keeps getting the carries and RG3 remains good. Nobody is saying he is priest Holmes, and he doesn't need to be. I'm cautiously optimistic.

 

[Otis]

Either way, 100 and 2 TDs can't be called "ineffective."

Sure it can. 96 yards on 28 carries is not a good performance. Everyone on these forums seems to think Shonn Greene is crap. Well...Greene had 94 yards on 27 carries this week. Fact is, Morris put up numbers that would make Cedric Benson, Shonn Greene, or even William Green blush. The reason people are overlooking this is because FF players tend to judge performance by FF points, and not by how effective the player actually was with his opportunities. 3.4 YPC is a bad game. The fact that he happened to score 2 TDs doesn't change that. People say FF is opportunity + talent. But when you just have opportunity, you don't have much.

The last time a rookie RB put up numbers like Morris in week 1, he had 2 TDs 100 yds with a 3.1 YPC. I will concede that a "talent" comparison between Morris and Tomlinson is absurd, but if you're basing your evaluation of talent largely on YPC, then you should accept cases that defy your reasoning as well.

Veru good point. EBF is strangely wedded to small sample size data in here. I'm not wiling to annoint him yet, but I'm not willing to disregard him either. Nobody can. We don't know enough yet. What we do know is that he's on a dynamic RG3-led offense and has opportunity and a starting job. That's enough for me. By the way--if they keep winning games, I don't see Shanahan changing a thing.

 

[Marvelous]

Either way, 100 and 2 TDs can't be called "ineffective."

Sure it can. 96 yards on 28 carries is not a good performance. Everyone on these forums seems to think Shonn Greene is crap. Well...Greene had 94 yards on 27 carries this week.

Fact is, Morris put up numbers that would make Cedric Benson, Shonn Greene, or even William Green blush. The reason people are overlooking this is because FF players tend to judge performance by FF points, and not by how effective the player actually was with his opportunities. 3.4 YPC is a bad game. The fact that he happened to score 2 TDs doesn't change that.

People say FF is opportunity + talent. But when you just have opportunity, you don't have much.

He has more talent according to Shanahan, remember when he made him the starter?

That's not why he named Morris the starter. I think even Shanny knows he's not the most talented RB in his stable. This thread literally runs in circles.
[*]

[*]he fits the ZBS better than Helu/Royster

[*]he was/is the healthiest RB, which is key if you want to flourish in any Shanny backfield (since 2007)

He also fit the week 1 game plan better than Helu/Royster, which was to keep Brees off the field.

I'm still in the camp that says it's his job to lose, which will happen if he fumbles/gets injured/severely under performs. Also, Shanny is fickle but not stupid. If and when the time arises that it'd be better to have a pass catcher in the backfield who can make plays (when WAS is down by a large sum), I don't think he'll hesitate to throw Helu in.

So is this just hindsight? Or is this just the residual opinions from when literally every back not named morris was touted as the starter before they werent.

One quick thought on the bolded part: if Morris is a better fit than Helu and Royster for the ZBS, that probably isn't going to change during the season.Also, as far as I know, Royster is completely healthy. Helu may have a more chronic issue with his achilles.

 

[cstu]

Either way, 100 and 2 TDs can't be called "ineffective."

Sure it can. 96 yards on 28 carries is not a good performance. Everyone on these forums seems to think Shonn Greene is crap. Well...Greene had 94 yards on 27 carries this week. Fact is, Morris put up numbers that would make Cedric Benson, Shonn Greene, or even William Green blush. The reason people are overlooking this is because FF players tend to judge performance by FF points, and not by how effective the player actually was with his opportunities. 3.4 YPC is a bad game. The fact that he happened to score 2 TDs doesn't change that. People say FF is opportunity + talent. But when you just have opportunity, you don't have much.

The last time a rookie RB put up numbers like Morris in week 1, he had 2 TDs 100 yds with a 3.1 YPC. I will concede that a "talent" comparison between Morris and Tomlinson is absurd, but if you're basing your evaluation of talent largely on YPC, then you should accept cases that defy your reasoning as well.

Veru good point. EBF is strangely wedded to small sample size data in here. I'm not wiling to annoint him yet, but I'm not willing to disregard him either. Nobody can. We don't know enough yet. What we do know is that he's on a dynamic RG3-led offense and has opportunity and a starting job. That's enough for me. By the way--if they keep winning games, I don't see Shanahan changing a thing.

I think the issue here is that EBF likes talent and what was have here is a less talented guy starting over a more talented one (Helu). Normally talent does end up winning out, but I believe that Shanahan doesn't care one bit about physical talent. In his mind he doesn't need RB's to be gamebreakers, just stay on the field, block, don't fumble, and keep moving the chains. Just look at his draft history - with the Redskins he hasn't used a pick higher than 4th on a RB and picked two 6th rounders. During his entire time in Denver he only picked a RB in the top 100 picks three times - Detron Smith, Portis and Tatum Bell.

 

[LannisterImp]

My thought is that his upside is 2000 Mike Anderson, floor is 2010 Thomas Jones. The floor assumes that he loses his role as lead back and the Redskins backfield moves towards a RBBC. In this situation he is still the GL back in a productive offense that can move the ball down the field effectively.

Watching the Skins/Saints game it was amazing to see how involved Morris was in the game plan. RGIII seemed very comfortable with a play-action offense when in a single-back formation. In this situation Morris was at his best running the ball, explosive through the hole and pushed the pile. Morris was less effective running out of shotgun formations, however he did a very good job in pass protection which bodes well for his usage moving forward.

To me I see his value increasing going forward as long as he doesn't get injured or come down with a case of fumblitis.

 

[LannisterImp]

Either way, 100 and 2 TDs can't be called "ineffective."

Sure it can. 96 yards on 28 carries is not a good performance. Everyone on these forums seems to think Shonn Greene is crap. Well...Greene had 94 yards on 27 carries this week.

Fact is, Morris put up numbers that would make Cedric Benson, Shonn Greene, or even William Green blush. The reason people are overlooking this is because FF players tend to judge performance by FF points, and not by how effective the player actually was with his opportunities. 3.4 YPC is a bad game. The fact that he happened to score 2 TDs doesn't change that.

People say FF is opportunity + talent. But when you just have opportunity, you don't have much.

He has more talent according to Shanahan, remember when he made him the starter?

That's not why he named Morris the starter. I think even Shanny knows he's not the most talented RB in his stable. This thread literally runs in circles.
[*]

[*]he fits the ZBS better than Helu/Royster

[*]he was/is the healthiest RB, which is key if you want to flourish in any Shanny backfield (since 2007)

He also fit the week 1 game plan better than Helu/Royster, which was to keep Brees off the field.

I'm still in the camp that says it's his job to lose, which will happen if he fumbles/gets injured/severely under performs. Also, Shanny is fickle but not stupid. If and when the time arises that it'd be better to have a pass catcher in the backfield who can make plays (when WAS is down by a large sum), I don't think he'll hesitate to throw Helu in.

So is this just hindsight? Or is this just the residual opinions from when literally every back not named morris was touted as the starter before they werent.

One quick thought on the bolded part: if Morris is a better fit than Helu and Royster for the ZBS, that probably isn't going to change during the season.Also, as far as I know, Royster is completely healthy. Helu may have a more chronic issue with his achilles.

In the preseason I think there were reports that Royster would deal with a hip injury that would be something he would have to deal with all season. Anyone else recall that report?

 

[DeaLerZ]

If you want to factor in that you can't run any further than the Goalline in addition to the grind out the clock 8 for 8 then he effectively had 18 for 84 which is 4.6ypc during the actual game.

this ... i think it is pretty ridiculous that people are going to judge this guy based on his yards per carry.. the Redskins were obviously trying to keep the saints off the field and the run the clock out in the fourth quarter.. look at his preseason game... 14 carries for 107 yds, TD (7.6 yds per carry)...1 rec 6 yds...

lets ignore those numbers too though.. even though it was against the starters because it was only preseason and they didn't game plan

anyone who is saying this guy is just average.. or this guy will lose his starting job is just trying to make themselves feel better about doubting him to begin with...

"he is going to suck, so i am glad i didn't pick him before week 1, and i am glad i didn't spend waiver wire money on him"....

have fun watching other teams in your league win the championship.....

 

[Marvelous]

Either way, 100 and 2 TDs can't be called "ineffective."

Sure it can. 96 yards on 28 carries is not a good performance. Everyone on these forums seems to think Shonn Greene is crap. Well...Greene had 94 yards on 27 carries this week.

Fact is, Morris put up numbers that would make Cedric Benson, Shonn Greene, or even William Green blush. The reason people are overlooking this is because FF players tend to judge performance by FF points, and not by how effective the player actually was with his opportunities. 3.4 YPC is a bad game. The fact that he happened to score 2 TDs doesn't change that.

People say FF is opportunity + talent. But when you just have opportunity, you don't have much.

He has more talent according to Shanahan, remember when he made him the starter?

That's not why he named Morris the starter. I think even Shanny knows he's not the most talented RB in his stable. This thread literally runs in circles.
[*]

[*]he fits the ZBS better than Helu/Royster

[*]he was/is the healthiest RB, which is key if you want to flourish in any Shanny backfield (since 2007)

He also fit the week 1 game plan better than Helu/Royster, which was to keep Brees off the field.

I'm still in the camp that says it's his job to lose, which will happen if he fumbles/gets injured/severely under performs. Also, Shanny is fickle but not stupid. If and when the time arises that it'd be better to have a pass catcher in the backfield who can make plays (when WAS is down by a large sum), I don't think he'll hesitate to throw Helu in.

So is this just hindsight? Or is this just the residual opinions from when literally every back not named morris was touted as the starter before they werent.

One quick thought on the bolded part: if Morris is a better fit than Helu and Royster for the ZBS, that probably isn't going to change during the season.Also, as far as I know, Royster is completely healthy. Helu may have a more chronic issue with his achilles.

In the preseason I think there were reports that Royster would deal with a hip injury that would be something he would have to deal with all season. Anyone else recall that report?

Royster had a issue with a knee that kept him out of the 2nd and 3rd preseason games. I have not heard anything about it (or Helu) for that matter since they played the 4th preseason game. Many, including me, thought Royster would have a large role in the Saints game. I don't think the knee is hold Royster back.I think there could be some concerns about overusing Helu. He has/had achilles tendinitis. But I now think tendinitis translates to "it hurts".

 

[Marvelous]

One other note: looking at what Shanahan has said and what beat writers have written, there really is little to go on. But it looks like Shanahan really likes Morris and that he has an attitude or determination to get the final yard or finish the run. It may be like the "It" factor that RGIII has at QB.

Very hard to describe, quantify, or declare as a talent. Yet everyone knows now that RGIII has it. And hopefully Morris has it too.

 

[TxBuckeye]

this ... i think it is pretty ridiculous that people are going to judge this guy based on his yards per carry.. the Redskins were obviously trying to keep the saints off the field and the run the clock out in the fourth quarter..

Please don't try and inject logic in to this thread. EBF likes to keep things simple, as in "one single stat he can latch on to" simple. Posts like yours are only going to overwhlem him.

 

[pantagrapher]

He went for $33 in my waiver auction. Two owners bid $33, the rest were between $2 and $18. ($100 waiver budget.) The guy who bid $2 must have been hoping the rest of the league had fallen asleep at the wheel.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

Picked him up just before Sunday's game. Hoping for another big game this week vs a crappy D so I can package him with a middle tier WR (Nicks or Stevie) to get a top tier WR.

 

[Run It Up]

Picked him up just before Sunday's game. Hoping for another big game this week vs a crappy D so I can package him with a middle tier WR (Nicks or Stevie) to get a top tier WR.

This post makes me sad.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

Picked him up just before Sunday's game. Hoping for another big game this week vs a crappy D so I can package him with a middle tier WR (Nicks or Stevie) to get a top tier WR.

This post makes me sad.

 

[Run It Up]

Im really high on both this year.

 

[Norcalhoya]

I sure hope Morris pans out for those who spent big $$ on him.

I don't get why people picked him up AFTER he started week 1. He should have been on rosters as a possible starter week 1, and it was announced sunday morning (maybe even saturday?) that he would start. I picked him up for $2 on Saturday. Traded him with McFadden (boy did the raiders look bad at home against a mediocre chargers team) to get McCoy.

 

[Marvelous]

Picked him up just before Sunday's game. Hoping for another big game this week vs a crappy D so I can package him with a middle tier WR (Nicks or Stevie) to get a top tier WR.

This post makes me sad.

Stevie Nicks was pretty high in the 1980's.

 

[lowery21]

I grabbed him off the waiver wire, and packaged him w Royster to give myself much needed QB depth. Sure wish I'd waited a week to pull the trigger on that trade.

 

[Norcalhoya]

My thought is that his upside is 2000 Mike Anderson, floor is 2010 Thomas Jones. The floor assumes that he loses his role as lead back and the Redskins backfield moves towards a RBBC. In this situation he is still the GL back in a productive offense that can move the ball down the field effectively. Watching the Skins/Saints game it was amazing to see how involved Morris was in the game plan. RGIII seemed very comfortable with a play-action offense when in a single-back formation. In this situation Morris was at his best running the ball, explosive through the hole and pushed the pile. Morris was less effective running out of shotgun formations, however he did a very good job in pass protection which bodes well for his usage moving forward. To me I see his value increasing going forward as long as he doesn't get injured or come down with a case of fumblitis.

I think his floor is Ryan Torain last year...his ceiling is very high though.

 

[Judge Smails]

In a league where $340 of FA spending (real dollars) gets you into a $2-$1 luxury tax, the bidding war got ridiculous yesterday. He went for $275. So basically the owner has $65 more for the rest of the year (even non-contested pickups cost $10) before paying double for every acquisition. Crazy. Said he was protecting himself because he has Royster on his roster.

 

[Norcalhoya]

If you want to factor in that you can't run any further than the Goalline in addition to the grind out the clock 8 for 8 then he effectively had 18 for 84 which is 4.6ypc during the actual game.

this ... i think it is pretty ridiculous that people are going to judge this guy based on his yards per carry.. the Redskins were obviously trying to keep the saints off the field and the run the clock out in the fourth quarter.. look at his preseason game... 14 carries for 107 yds, TD (7.6 yds per carry)...1 rec 6 yds...

lets ignore those numbers too though.. even though it was against the starters because it was only preseason and they didn't game plan

anyone who is saying this guy is just average.. or this guy will lose his starting job is just trying to make themselves feel better about doubting him to begin with...

"he is going to suck, so i am glad i didn't pick him before week 1, and i am glad i didn't spend waiver wire money on him"....

have fun watching other teams in your league win the championship.....

I don't think it's fair to assume either at this point. He has a TON of upside in that offense, but you can't deny that downside is there too. I do think people should have made a move for him regardless. If you like him and believe in him, then keep him as a solid RB start. If you don't then take advantage of his perceived value and get something for him. It's really that simple.

 

[Reepicheep]

I sure hope Morris pans out for those who spent big $$ on him.

I don't get why people picked him up AFTER he started week 1. He should have been on rosters as a possible starter week 1, and it was announced sunday morning (maybe even saturday?) that he would start. I picked him up for $2 on Saturday. Traded him with McFadden (boy did the raiders look bad at home against a mediocre chargers team) to get McCoy.

The Post had articles on Thursday AND Friday strongly implying he would get the start. I assume he wasn't rostered in some leagues mostly due to people wanting to avoid The Rat, or not being convinced he would do much even as the starter. But 100 yards and 2 TDs will make you stand up and take notice.

 

[Norcalhoya]

I sure hope Morris pans out for those who spent big $$ on him.

I don't get why people picked him up AFTER he started week 1. He should have been on rosters as a possible starter week 1, and it was announced sunday morning (maybe even saturday?) that he would start. I picked him up for $2 on Saturday. Traded him with McFadden (boy did the raiders look bad at home against a mediocre chargers team) to get McCoy.

The Post had articles on Thursday AND Friday strongly implying he would get the start. I assume he wasn't rostered in some leagues mostly due to people wanting to avoid The Rat, or not being convinced he would do much even as the starter. But 100 yards and 2 TDs will make you stand up and take notice.

I get the skepticism (I didn't start him week 1). But you have to pick-up a guy on the cheap that could have a ton of value.

 

[in2win]

I like him but am in no way sold on him...I still think at some point Helu will get his share. (I own neither and for the most part ignoring the situation).

 

[DeaLerZ]

If you want to factor in that you can't run any further than the Goalline in addition to the grind out the clock 8 for 8 then he effectively had 18 for 84 which is 4.6ypc during the actual game.

this ... i think it is pretty ridiculous that people are going to judge this guy based on his yards per carry.. the Redskins were obviously trying to keep the saints off the field and the run the clock out in the fourth quarter.. look at his preseason game... 14 carries for 107 yds, TD (7.6 yds per carry)...1 rec 6 yds...

lets ignore those numbers too though.. even though it was against the starters because it was only preseason and they didn't game plan

anyone who is saying this guy is just average.. or this guy will lose his starting job is just trying to make themselves feel better about doubting him to begin with...

"he is going to suck, so i am glad i didn't pick him before week 1, and i am glad i didn't spend waiver wire money on him"....

have fun watching other teams in your league win the championship.....

I don't think it's fair to assume either at this point. He has a TON of upside in that offense, but you can't deny that downside is there too. I do think people should have made a move for him regardless. If you like him and believe in him, then keep him as a solid RB start. If you don't then take advantage of his perceived value and get something for him. It's really that simple.

agreed... i was saying that to ignore the things he has done in the small opportunities he has had with the starters is ridiculous, especially trying to denote the numbers he has had and focus on his yards per carry.. having that kind of attitude will force you to miss out on guys that can lead you to a championship... i am not saying that he is going to do that.. just saying that players like these that bust out early in the season cannot be ignored

this ... i think it is pretty ridiculous that people are going to judge this guy based on his yards per carry.. the Redskins were obviously trying to keep the saints off the field and the run the clock out in the fourth quarter..

Please don't try and inject logic in to this thread. EBF likes to keep things simple, as in "one single stat he can latch on to" simple. Posts like yours are only going to overwhlem him.

haha point taken

 

[LawFitz]

Bottom line is you never know, so if Morris comes cheap enough you have to grab him just in case.

How many people on this very board screamed 'til they were blue in the face that Tate was more talented than Foster. Maybe he is, but Foster took the opportunity and never looked back. It's a story that has been repeated many, many times throughout the history of the NFL.

That said, Morris could fumble in the first five minutes of the game and get benched, so caveat emptor with Shanahan and adjust your valuation accordingly.

 

[yankdog]

Question for me is if he does good this week vs Rams is he a hold or a sell high. its Shanny and no one knows. maybe the kid gets a shot all season or part of it. but if he thrives do you hold or sell? And I don't know the answer. my gut says sell.

 

[fatness]

More like iron pyrite. I would say he's the next Quentin Griffin, but Griffin was a more dynamic runner than Morris. Morris is the definition of average. Late draft pick. No special physical qualities. Ineffective in his first start.

You're losing credibility with that last statement.

 

[cstu]

In a league where $340 of FA spending (real dollars) gets you into a $2-$1 luxury tax, the bidding war got ridiculous yesterday. He went for $275. So basically the owner has $65 more for the rest of the year (even non-contested pickups cost $10) before paying double for every acquisition. Crazy. Said he was protecting himself because he has Royster on his roster.

Is this PPR or non-PPR? In non-PPR I would expect his value to be quite a bit higher.

 

[fatness]

Fact is, Morris put up numbers that would make Cedric Benson, Shonn Greene, or even William Green blush. The reason people are overlooking this is because FF players tend to judge performance by FF points, and not by how effective the player actually was with his opportunities. 3.4 YPC is a bad game.

The Redskins game plan was to run laterally, a lot, to wear down the Saints defensive line. In the second half, particularly at the end of the 3rd quarter and beginning of the 4th quarter, that began to work. The time of possession disparity in the game was a large part of why the Redskins won -- they sustained drives and they wore down the Saints defense. A rookie was chosen to play RB while they were doing that, and the coach stuck with him in the early stages when running wasn't so successful. The Redskins have a rather inoffensive offensive line, so the lack of early running success wasn't surprising. The coach didn't put in Helu or Royster. He didn't stop running the ball. Morris stayed in, they kept running, they put up 40 points, and Beefo McAverage wasn't pulled in off the street to replace Morris.You're overlooking gameplan and game performance and just arguing "talent" in a void.

 

[Sidewinder16]

I'm still in the camp that says it's his job to lose, which will happen if he fumbles/gets injured/severely under performs. Also, Shanny is fickle but not stupid. If and when the time arises that it'd be better to have a pass catcher in the backfield who can make plays (when WAS is down by a large sum), I don't think he'll hesitate to throw Helu in.

I agree that the potential exists for the starter to change due to game plan, but this was done this past week, essentially. Helu was on the field for 19 offensive snaps but he only carried the ball twice. The majority of the time he was on the field he lined up as a wide out to take advantage of his pass catching abilities.They may have found a way to have their ZBS RB and their pass-catching RB on the field at the same time (or at least, in a way that doesn't take away opportunity from Morris). If that is the case, the risk goes down, substantially, IMO, that he loses carries because the coaches think the game plan calls for a RB that can give a different look than Morris.

 

[fatness]

I think there could be some concerns about overusing Helu. He has/had achilles tendinitis. But I now think tendinitis translates to "it hurts".

Helu has an ongoing issue with his muscles tightening up, not relaxing. The thinking is that it's causing or aggravating his achilles issue.

 

[Run It Up]

Question for me is if he does good this week vs Rams is he a hold or a sell high. its Shanny and no one knows. maybe the kid gets a shot all season or part of it. but if he thrives do you hold or sell? And I don't know the answer. my gut says sell.

Id keep an eye on the thread, seems pretty split on his current value, I suspect even if he does well the line wont have moved far.

 

[dwyadog]

Went for a full 100 (out of 100 budget) in my 12-team dyno league. People can make 0 dollar pickups but wow.

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

So, Morris did poorly out of the gun, correct? What percentage of snaps were out of shotgun formation? How many runs out of it?

 

[mphtrilogy]

Just got him!

Glad I got to correct what was a solid hunch last two weeks...

I like how he runs, and I think as long as he has solid ball protection, he does what Shanny wants him to do...

With RGIII at the helm, there are some very nice points from this RB slot this season... should be top 15 RB whoever is in there...

 

[RBM]

So, Morris did poorly out of the gun, correct? What percentage of snaps were out of shotgun formation? How many runs out of it?

Don't know the numbers but I bet the majority were out of the gun.

 

[Dez]

He went for $1,000 out of $1,000 budget in 1 of my leagues and like $968 in another.

A guy in my dynasty league was offered a 2013 1st, 4th and Holmes for him.

 

[chinawildman]

So, Morris did poorly out of the gun, correct? What percentage of snaps were out of shotgun formation? How many runs out of it?

A majority of plays in the 1st and 2nd quarters were run out of gun/pistol formations, I suppose to make RG3 feel comfortable in the offense. But most of the 3rd and 4th quarters they mixed in alot of zone blocking out of traditional single back formations. One interesting tidbit I read was that Morris admitted he was uncomfortable at the start of the game taking the handoff from RG3, and concentrated more on just getting a clean handoff than looking for cutback lanes immediately off the snap. Valid point IMO because he didn't look comfortable at the start of the game on most of the zone/read plays and basically ran exactly where the play was designed to go, usually into the back of his blockers. In the 2nd half you can tell he was much more decisive in his cuts.

 

[duaneok66]

He went for $1,000 out of $1,000 budget in 1 of my leagues and like $968 in another.A guy in my dynasty league was offered a 2013 1st, 4th and Holmes for him.

unreal.

 

[EBF]

A guy in my dynasty league was offered a 2013 1st, 4th and Holmes for him.

Just awful.

 

[longlip]

PPR, I traded Morris and Big Ben for Cutler and Hillis, not a great trade but i do like Cutler more than Ben, I have Charles, Ridley, and Peterson as my rbs..Can play 2 and have a flex...I liked getting Hillis to cuff Charles as well..

 

[Run It Up]

PPR, I traded Morris and Big Ben for Cutler and Hillis, not a great trade but i do like Cutler more than Ben, I have Charles, Ridley, and Peterson as my rbs..Can play 2 and have a flex...I liked getting Hillis to cuff Charles as well..

I dont know your whole teams situation, but I hate this trade for you.

 

[Binky The Doormat]

I drafted him last round. Still leery of Shanahan. I got him on the hopes of the ghost of Mike Anderson, etc. I am cautiously optimistic but would trade him for something pretty sweet. But on the other hand I sent out an offer for McFadden for Charles/SJax with idea that I could go for the fences and pair him with Morris.

 

[therush]

I see there's a lot of division in this thread about him.

I follow the Texans pretty closely and have seen a long list of RBs who did not make in in the Zone Blocking scheme as well as a select few that have.

One of the key things that made Arian Foster successful was his ability to adjust to the hit so that he could progress for another yard or two after the tackle. This is something that Alfred Morris is able to do very successfully as well.

Steve Slaton was a long time Texan and has some eerily similar traits to some of the RBs that the Redskins have rostered and started over the last year or two. He may have had the best speed and acceleration combo at the RB position in the NFL. However, he never was able to deliver the hit. Decent one-cut and go running style that fit the scheme well, but was not able to gain any extra yardage or stay healthy. He put up one 1,000 yard season (that Foster may have been able to turn into a 2,000 yard campaign) and was eventually dropped down the depth chart and moved. He was around for a few years, and for a lack of a better alternative, was able to stick around. I see a lot of similarities between him and Helu/Royster. Both are talented backs, but they run into their blockers, are not patient, don't get the extra yards, etc. etc.

The biggest knock on Morris from his scouting report was that he fumbled 17 times his senior year. Oddly enough, this was Fosters greatest knock coming out of College too. His fumbling problems got him benched and he eventually went undrafted. Morris went 6th round. As you can see today, he was able to fix this issue and his patience and vision have allowed him to evolve into possibly the best RB in the NFL. I was fortunate enough to watch Morris in that 3rd preseason game when he put up 100 on 7 YPC with/against the starters. I could tell right away that he would stick. He had vision, patience, knew how to make one cut and split.

I have not lived through the described torture that it has been owning Redskins RBs the past few years, but I have experienced it from the same system down in Houston. I know exactly what it feels like to have a RB with great physical ability that you think can put up the numbers but then he gets benched for the next back.

Foster had 2 starts at the end of his rookie year when he put up 100 yard games in meaningless contests. He was significantly smaller then than he is now. Then the team went out and drafted Tate in the second round anyways. Foster worked his butt off that off-season to add bulk and become a better player and the more physically gifted Tate went down. Foster exploded onto the scene in week 1 and the rest is history.

I see very good things in Morris' future in the NFL. I am an owner of his in 4/5 leagues I play in and over the course of the week have been unloading early-mid round backs I hit on for top WRs to complement my teams. Morris' value is high, but his value on your team is greater.

I hope this was able to add some insight into the situation and feel free to ask any questions you may have.

 

[SameSongNDance]

I see there's a lot of division in this thread about him. I follow the Texans pretty closely and have seen a long list of RBs who did not make in in the Zone Blocking scheme as well as a select few that have. One of the key things that made Arian Foster successful was his ability to adjust to the hit so that he could progress for another yard or two after the tackle. This is something that Alfred Morris is able to do very successfully as well. Steve Slaton was a long time Texan and has some eerily similar traits to some of the RBs that the Redskins have rostered and started over the last year or two. He may have had the best speed and acceleration combo at the RB position in the NFL. However, he never was able to deliver the hit. Decent one-cut and go running style that fit the scheme well, but was not able to gain any extra yardage or stay healthy. He put up one 1,000 yard season (that Foster may have been able to turn into a 2,000 yard campaign) and was eventually dropped down the depth chart and moved. He was around for a few years, and for a lack of a better alternative, was able to stick around. I see a lot of similarities between him and Helu/Royster. Both are talented backs, but they run into their blockers, are not patient, don't get the extra yards, etc. etc. The biggest knock on Morris from his scouting report was that he fumbled 17 times his senior year. Oddly enough, this was Fosters greatest knock coming out of College too. His fumbling problems got him benched and he eventually went undrafted. Morris went 6th round. As you can see today, he was able to fix this issue and his patience and vision have allowed him to evolve into possibly the best RB in the NFL. I was fortunate enough to watch Morris in that 3rd preseason game when he put up 100 on 7 YPC with/against the starters. I could tell right away that he would stick. He had vision, patience, knew how to make one cut and split. I have not lived through the described torture that it has been owning Redskins RBs the past few years, but I have experienced it from the same system down in Houston. I know exactly what it feels like to have a RB with great physical ability that you think can put up the numbers but then he gets benched for the next back. Foster had 2 starts at the end of his rookie year when he put up 100 yard games in meaningless contests. He was significantly smaller then than he is now. Then the team went out and drafted Tate in the second round anyways. Foster worked his butt off that off-season to add bulk and become a better player and the more physically gifted Tate went down. Foster exploded onto the scene in week 1 and the rest is history. I see very good things in Morris' future in the NFL. I am an owner of his in 4/5 leagues I play in and over the course of the week have been unloading early-mid round backs I hit on for top WRs to complement my teams. Morris' value is high, but his value on your team is greater.I hope this was able to add some insight into the situation and feel free to ask any questions you may have.

I like the comparisons but he is far from being in the same league as Foster and he never will be. In his defense though, not many RBs are.

 

[the spanker]

PPR, I traded Morris and Big Ben for Cutler and Hillis, not a great trade but i do like Cutler more than Ben, I have Charles, Ridley, and Peterson as my rbs..Can play 2 and have a flex...I liked getting Hillis to cuff Charles as well..

I dont know your whole teams situation, but I hate this trade for you.

I wonder does he still like Cutler alot more?

 

[GridironMenace]

He averages 3.4 yards per carry. He don't make people miss. Most of his runs we're of the 2 or 3 yard variety. How often is Washington going to be protecting a lead where 3.4 yards per carry is acceptable? Washington's schedule gets difficult after the first 3 or 4 games, so make sure you trade this turkey after week 2 or 3. I'd be shocked if he keeps his job beyond week 7 or 8. Helu is still the most talented RB on that roster and Shanny will be forced to give him a larger role sooner rather than later. I'd e targeting Helu as a throw-in player in every trade.

 

[Marvelous]

Another data point I just found out: Morris had a league-leading 28 carries last week.

I am not trying to be a broken record, but the way they played Morris last week shows that Mike Shanahan has a lot of confidence and trust in Alfred Morris. It's a level of confidene that Shanahan usually only has for rookies that are very high draft picks.

The data is there. It just a matter of interpreting it correctly. Note: I also said during the preseason that it is obvious that Royster is ahead of Helu on the depth chart. Helu really shouldn't be in the conversation at this point. Anyone who is touting Helu as the most talented and will be the eventual starter are not watching how Shanahan has been using his running backs.

 

[bigmarc27]

I see there's a lot of division in this thread about him. I follow the Texans pretty closely and have seen a long list of RBs who did not make in in the Zone Blocking scheme as well as a select few that have. One of the key things that made Arian Foster successful was his ability to adjust to the hit so that he could progress for another yard or two after the tackle. This is something that Alfred Morris is able to do very successfully as well. Steve Slaton was a long time Texan and has some eerily similar traits to some of the RBs that the Redskins have rostered and started over the last year or two. He may have had the best speed and acceleration combo at the RB position in the NFL. However, he never was able to deliver the hit. Decent one-cut and go running style that fit the scheme well, but was not able to gain any extra yardage or stay healthy. He put up one 1,000 yard season (that Foster may have been able to turn into a 2,000 yard campaign) and was eventually dropped down the depth chart and moved. He was around for a few years, and for a lack of a better alternative, was able to stick around. I see a lot of similarities between him and Helu/Royster. Both are talented backs, but they run into their blockers, are not patient, don't get the extra yards, etc. etc. The biggest knock on Morris from his scouting report was that he fumbled 17 times his senior year. Oddly enough, this was Fosters greatest knock coming out of College too. His fumbling problems got him benched and he eventually went undrafted. Morris went 6th round. As you can see today, he was able to fix this issue and his patience and vision have allowed him to evolve into possibly the best RB in the NFL. I was fortunate enough to watch Morris in that 3rd preseason game when he put up 100 on 7 YPC with/against the starters. I could tell right away that he would stick. He had vision, patience, knew how to make one cut and split. I have not lived through the described torture that it has been owning Redskins RBs the past few years, but I have experienced it from the same system down in Houston. I know exactly what it feels like to have a RB with great physical ability that you think can put up the numbers but then he gets benched for the next back. Foster had 2 starts at the end of his rookie year when he put up 100 yard games in meaningless contests. He was significantly smaller then than he is now. Then the team went out and drafted Tate in the second round anyways. Foster worked his butt off that off-season to add bulk and become a better player and the more physically gifted Tate went down. Foster exploded onto the scene in week 1 and the rest is history. I see very good things in Morris' future in the NFL. I am an owner of his in 4/5 leagues I play in and over the course of the week have been unloading early-mid round backs I hit on for top WRs to complement my teams. Morris' value is high, but his value on your team is greater.I hope this was able to add some insight into the situation and feel free to ask any questions you may have.

I like the comparisons but he is far from being in the same league as Foster and he never will be. In his defense though, not many RBs are.

How can you say that definitively? It's not like Arian Foster was a first round high pedigree pick. At least Morris was drafted which is more than I can say about Foster.