It's Time for Washington Redskins to Add Power Back to Supplement Alfred Morris

Bigger offensive linemen shouldn't be the only thing on the menu if the Washington Redskins are determined to switch to a power-based rushing attack in 2015. Now's the perfect time to add a true power back to supplement the efforts of Alfred Morris.

There's plenty of justification for adding a bruiser between the tackles to take some carries away from No. 46. The first is pretty obvious.

Morris has so far thrived in the zone-style stretch schemes Mike Shanahan installed back in 2010. It's a very specific system, one that's helped Morris to a trio of 1,000-yard seasons.

But it's also one that's turned overnight stars into quick afterthoughts. Runners such as Olandis Gary, Mike Anderson and Tatum Bell found their success contingent on the zone scheme. They also soon found themselves lacking without it.

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That has to be a worry with Morris, even though Redskins head coach Jay Gruden introduced a steady diet of the "gap-blocking plays" he loves, per CSN Washington writer Rich Tandler, in 2014. But Morris is still essentially a zone runner.

He's unlikely to be drip fed power plays in 2015. Not when Gruden favors the system and appears to be determined to sever any remaining ties with the Shanahan era entering his second year at the helm. Not when new general manager Scot McCloughan believes football is a "big man's game", per Real Redskins blogger Rich Tandler.

It's McCloughan's belief that may impact Morris the most. That and the arrival of new offensive line coach Bill Callahan, another proponent of power football, per ESPN Redskins reporter John Keim.

Their preference will change what Morris sees in front of him.

Bulkier road graders are required to use their size to lay a hat on a hat and drive defenders off the line of scrimmage. It's the ultimate expression of macho dominance in the NFL.

It also determines holes for a runner to attack, rather than the zone scheme, which creates creases and offers a choice. That choice is usually dependent on how far the defense flows in response to the stretch blocking.

On zone plays, Morris is reading the defense and making up his mind on the fly. In a power system, he'll wait for his blocks to set up before following a lineman or fullback through an obvious hole.

Obviously, there's fluidity in any system. But by the same token, there's little point in Morris making his one-cut-and-go move, the stock move in zone schemes, if he's running behind a pulling guard.

It's a different kind of discipline for a back.

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Given the history of runners who have struggled outside Shanahan's system, the Redskins would be taking an unnecessary risk banking on Morris picking up a new scheme without any trouble.

He already provided plenty of evidence to the contrary last season. Although he surpassed the four-digit yardage mark again, Morris' yards, average yards per carry and total carries all represented career lows.

Of course, fewer carries is always going to have a pretty strong link with diminished production. But fewer touches for Morris in 2014 wasn't just a reflection of the pass-first game Gruden generally likes to call. It was as much due to one inescapable truth: Morris just wasn't the same runner last season.

Maybe that's a precursor to a career decline. Maybe it isn't.

But in an ironic twist, fewer carries may actually help Morris return to his best. No, that's not inspired lunacy appearing on the page.

Instead, it's an acknowledgement that Morris has taken a significant pounding during his first three years in the pros. He carried the ball 335 times as a rookie, but the number fell sharply to 276 in 2013, before last season's 265 mark.

Maybe those numbers aren't just about play-calling. Perhaps successive Washington coaches have known Morris can't take the pounding as well as his rookie stats suggested.

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If not, then splitting the running chores in 2015 is the smart ploy. Especially if a new scheme is going to plunge Morris into the meat grinder at the heart of the trenches more often.

That's usually the way in power-based schemes. So adding a back who's lugged the rock behind power blocking makes perfect sense.

But who could Washington target as both insurance and a relief pitcher for Morris?

Fortunately, there are plenty of excellent candidates set to hit the market in free agency. Perhaps the best is New Orleans Saints bowling ball Mark Ingram.

He's a pure power back who's run in that scheme at both Alabama and in The Big Easy. Although the Saints are best known for their complex passing attack, power running is still a big part of what they do.

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Head coach Sean Payton calls a scheme that has its roots in the Ray Perkins-Ron Erhardt offense, one based on controlling the clock on the ground.

The Saints are actually very capable running from power sets. If you don't believe me, revisit their Week 8 destruction of the Green Bay Packers, Week 9's road win over the Carolina Panthers or Week 13's trip to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers for prime examples.

B/R analyst Matt Miller has dubbed Ingram a potential "complementary option for a team needing a powerful between-the-tackles runner." That just so happens to be what Washington's offense needs.

There's sure to be some competition for a sledgehammer-style, north-south runner like Ingram. In fact, NFC East rival the Philadelphia Eagles have already been named as an interested party, per WWL-TV reporter Lyons Yellin:

But the Eagles and any other potential suitor could be thwarted by Payton's desire to keep Ingram in the NFC South. The coach recently made that clear, according to Nick Underhill of The New Orleans Advocate.

But if not Ingram, then perhaps Gruden would be wise to consider another Saints backfield warrior. The team has ditched Pierre Thomas, per his agent (h/t NFL.com Media Insider Ian Rapoport):

Thomas would fit as a true rotational back in D.C. He wouldn't take too many touches away from Morris, but is still a runner coaches could trust to grind out some tough yards when called on.

Perhaps more important, Thomas is still an excellent receiver out of the backfield. Acquiring that skill could give Washington a two-for-one deal in terms of finding both support for Morris and a talented third-down back.

The latter issue could become pressing with Roy Helu Jr. headed toward free agency.

One truly under-the-radar option to consider is BenJarvus Green-Ellis. He played for Gruden when the latter called the offense for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2012 and 2013.

The first of those years saw Green-Ellis top 1,000 yards. He's never going to be explosive, but the smart veteran is very efficient.

He rarely puts the ball on the ground, although his five career fumbles all came in Cincinnati. Still, Green-Ellis is a tough, straight-ahead runner who knows Gruden's system.

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New general manager Scot McCloughan may not like the idea of signing a free agent who will be 30 once the new season starts, but he could make an exception for a player his coach knows well.

Yet Washington's best option to supplement Morris is on Green-Ellis' old team, the New England Patriots. Stevan Ridley is the most talented back on the Pats roster.

But ball-security issues and injury woes could cut this free agent's stay in the AFC East short. Still just 26 and terrific between the tackles, Ridley is used to working in a committee approach and would be a more than credible supporting runner in Washington.

B/R writer Matt Miller cites "tough running between the tackles and off the edge" as Ridley's top quality. He also states the player "offers upside as a No.1 running back." If Morris struggles in the new system, the Redskins would have his replacement ready to go.

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It may seem harsh or even foolhardy to question Morris' future, or even suggest he needs help. But the justification is there.

The production dropped significantly in 2014. That the Eagles just used that as a reason for trading LeSean McCoy, per USA Today writer Steven Ruiz, proves life is unforgiving for NFL running backs.

But Washington won't be able to stick with Morris on sentiment. Not if he does struggle to keep up with a scheme set for more radical changes in 2015.

All statistics via NFL.com.