Washington Redskins Must Find Competition for Alfred Morris in 2015 NFL Draft

Every successful NFL roster is built on competition—specifically, competition at each position. Running back is usually overlooked in that philosophy, with many teams, fans and coaches still preferring to rely on a lead workhorse.

The Washington Redskins fall into that bracket, having been led on the ground by Alfred Morris for the last three seasons. Yet after a trio of 1,000-yard campaigns, the Redskins are still planning major changes to their running game.

Those changes focus on the type of blocking in front of Morris. The team's sixth-round pick in 2012 has thrived behind the zone-style, stretch-blocking first implemented by Mike Shanahan back in 2010.

But now, current head coach Jay Gruden wants a more power-based approach up front. That's why he hired Bill Callahan to run the offensive line, to "bring a more physical, downhill approach on the ground," via ESPN.com's John Keim.

While Gruden was quick to stress that Washington's scheme won't be "one-dimensional," there's no doubt changes are in store for Morris. The system on the ground should be a lot more like the one Gruden called as offensive coordinator of the Cincinnati Bengals, when Cedric Benson and then BenJarvus Green-Ellis powered between the tackles.

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He should have ample opportunities to get used to the changes, according to Keim:

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The sense is that Washington will run the ball more next season after doing so only 401 times last season (league average: 428, according to ESPN Stats & Information). Some of that stemmed from game situations; some stemmed from wanting to throw more than they should. It's not as if they couldn't run: they were 14th in the NFL at 4.22 yards per carry. But they weren't good on first downs and they were 24th in the NFL at yards per carry when needing only a yard for first down at 2.30 (and 21st in the NFL with 22 first downs on those runs). So, yes, a little more oomph is needed up front.

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Some of those numbers are significant. To start with, the number of rushing attempts naturally affected Morris in 2014.

Any natural workhorse relies on the rhythm of repetition, the buzz that comes from getting hit and punishing defenders. It's that buzz which makes the true grinders at the position stronger as the game goes on.

Yet the general yards-per-carry ranking (14th) and struggles on first downs are indicative of a decline in Morris' production and effectiveness. That decline is linked directly with last season's mediocre 19th ranking on the ground.

Obviously, the struggles of an offensive line that's been dire for a half-decade played a clear role in that. It's easy to believe the scheme changes will help improve things, especially if it means adding new personnel via the 2015 NFL draft. That's what Keim means when he calls for a "little more oomph."

But even with a few beefier road graders in front of him, the onus will be on Morris to prove he can be just as productive behind a different style of blocking. He must pick his holes behind blocking defined by hat-on-hat contact rather than mobility in space.

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CSN Washington's Rich Tandler isn't sure the changes will suit Morris: "And I’m not as fully confident that Morris will be able to adjust to running behind power blocking. I think the Redskins would be well advised to draft a back who can hit a hole quickly to get some carries this year and possibly replace Morris, who is in the last year of his contract, in 2016."

Replacing Morris is a tough call to make when he's been one of the league's great success stories during his first three years as a pro. The better move would be to change the approach to the running attack in Washington.

It's a change bigger than simply altering the way linemen block or adding some power runs to the playbook. There's also the need to move away from the reliance on a sole ball-carrier.

That's not exactly arcane thinking in today's NFL, but the traditional workhorse is definitely under threat as a species. Just ask Steven Jackson.

There's certainly a stronger case to be made for committee backfields. Splitting the carries is the easiest way to create genuine and intense competition in the running game.

When every carry influences how many more you could get, when every good run you make could be matched by another back, each member of the rotation is pushed to produce his best on every rush.

That level of competition can only be good for Morris. After all, he's coming off his worst pro season in terms of yards and per-carry average.

Banking on a major turnaround, when Morris is the only obvious choice for carries, is a reckless approach. Nobody should seriously expect last year's rookie free agent Silas Redd or brittle 2013 draftee Chris Thompson to leapfrog Morris on the depth chart, or even offer credible support.

What the Redskins really need is a back who will pose a genuine threat. Fortunately, the team appears to know that.

Gruden expressed his desire to add another back, via Keim: "It's a very deep running back draft in my opinion, and we're excited to add another piece at some point, hopefully. We have seven picks. Hopefully one of them will be a running back or a free agent to compete. There are some good free agents that haven't been signed yet."

Keim also detailed Washington's interest in veteran Pierre Thomas. The 30-year-old has spent his career sharing the wealth in a rotation with the New Orleans Saints. He's a direct power runner and dependable presence.

Thomas wouldn't overtake Morris as the primary runner, but his niche skills as a receiver and blocker would increase the offense's flexibility.

Yet while Thomas is an obvious supporting piece, the Redskins were clearly looking for more when they kicked the tyres on Justin Forsett, per NFL.com's Ian Rapoport:

Coming off career highs for carries (235) and yards (1,266), Forsett would have provided serious competition for Morris. His quickness would have also been the ideal complement to Morris' more punishing style.

Unleashing a contrast of styles on defenses is something all running games should aim to do. If the Redskins are serious about that, they may find Texas A&M's pocket-edition speedster Trey Williams too good to resist.

B/R draft analyst Matt Miller identifies Williams as a perfect complement for Houston Texans grinders Arian Foster and Alfred Blue. For the same reason, Williams would fit well alongside Morris in D.C.:

He'd certainly be a strong candidate to win the third-down role. Thompson will currently get "first crack" at this important position, according to Mike Jones of The Washington Post.

But again, that's more about offering support to Morris than finding legitimate competition. Fortunately, there are plenty of options in this draft to do exactly that.

One of the more intriguing potential challengers to Morris is South Carolina's Mike Davis. NFL.com's College Football 24/7 writer Mike Huguenin identified him as the most underrated prospect in this class.

Significantly, Huguenin also highlighted attributes that make Davis ideal for the new scheme: "At his best, he is both physical and fast, and he's also a good receiver and pass protector. In addition, he is a north-south runner who doesn't waste time."

Making quicker decisions in the backfield will be essential in a more power-based ground attack. Washington runners won't have the time to wait for blockers to shift laterally and for cutback lanes to develop.

But B/R's Matt Miller insists Davis can fit in any scheme as an equally cagey and decisive runner whom he compares favourably to Thomas:

Michigan State's Jeremy Langford is another grinder who merits strong consideration. He's projected as a third-rounder, per CBS Sports' Dane Brugler.

Brugler also endorses Langford's skill as a workhorse:

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Langford is a workhorse type with a hard-nosed, no-nonsense style of running the ball, getting stronger as the game progresses. Has a little shake-and-bake to him to extend runs, keeping his legs pumping through contact.

Langford really shines in areas where most young backs struggle like pass protection, reliability in the screen game and also the ability to get stronger and better as the game goes on.

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Langford actually reminds me of former NFL great Curtis Martin, the quintessential steady chains-mover. Langford is certainly the kind of back who could split rushing chores with Morris but also replace him in the lineup and take on a bigger workload.

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Alternatively, Washington could also get the best of both worlds by choosing Ameer Abdullah early on. The former Nebraska ace combines deceptive quickness and third-down-style receiving skills with a powerful frame.

Matt Miller told B/R's Stephen Nelson that Abdullah is a "three-down back." He also compared him to Giovani Bernard, whom Gruden unleashed on defenses in a variety of ways for the Bengals in 2013:

It's too soon to write Morris off, but it would also be remiss to ignore the pressure a new scheme and a contract year will create.

The Redskins don't need to find his replacement, even if Gruden can't dismiss those factors. What's better for Morris and for the team is to find a running back good enough to really share the load, good enough to push every member of the rotation to improve.

All statistics, rankings and player information via NFL.com.