Alfred Morris Comments on Cowboys Selecting Ezekiel Elliott in 2016 NFL Draft

Coming into the 2016 NFL draft, the Dallas Cowboys already had a crowded backfield, with last year's starter, Darren McFadden, joined by free-agent signee Alfred Morris and Lance Dunbar at running back. That backfield became a bit more crowded when the Cowboys used the No. 4 overall selection to draft Ohio State star Ezekiel Elliott.  

Morris reacted to that selection and how Elliott will likely impact the the depth chart, per Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram:

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I’m used to it. It’s a business at the end of the day. Competition only makes us better, so I get excited about it. It’s definitely going to be a big challenge, but I’m excited. Looking forward to it. The only sad part, the downside to it, is that one of us guys is going to be gone. We already have a good group of guys who are there, and they’re going to add one to that. It’s going to change. The room’s going to change. I’m sure it’s already changed a lot since last year. It’s going to change even more now adding another first-round guy like that to the room.

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Head coach Jason Garrett, meanwhile, gave the impression that much is left to be decided at the position, per Williams:

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We’re going to promote competition on our football team. It’s our job to try to bring the best players to our team, and everybody understands that, and we make that abundantly clear, and certainly it’s our job to make sure all the pieces of the puzzle fit together. To have a guy like Elliott available to us to draft him, we think that helps our team. But to also have McFadden and Morris and Dunbar and some of the other guys there, it’s a really healthy running back room, and we’re excited about all those guys.

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Surely, Morris, McFadden and Dunbar can read the tea leaves, however. Teams don't use the No. 4 selection on a running back unless they intend to give him every opportunity to earn the starting role immediately, and Elliott is one of the more polished running back prospects to hit the league in years. 

All Elliott did at Ohio State over the past two years was rush for 3,699 yards and 41 touchdowns while adding 55 receptions for another 426 yards. He's a weapon on all three downs who complements his ability to make plays on the ground or through the air by being an excellent blocker out of the backfield—a skill many rookie running backs don't yet possess. 

Elliott's selection, then, was one for both the future and the present for Dallas. The hope will be that he'll make a major impact behind Dallas' excellent offensive line, take some pressure off of quarterback Tony Romo and offer the team another dynamic playmaker alongside wide receiver Dez Bryant. 

Morris, meanwhile, will be fighting with McFadden to earn carries and snaps as a backup, with Dunbar likely to begin the season on the physically unable to perform list after tearing his ACL in October 2015, per Todd Archer of ESPN.com. After rushing for over 1,000 yards in each of his first three seasons, Morris split snaps with Matt Jones and Chris Thompson in Washington last year, and he rushed for a career-low 751 yards and a score. 

He was originally signed to pair with McFadden at the position, offering a more physical, bruising element to the team's rushing attack. After the selection of Elliott, however, it's unclear what his role will be—if he has a role with the team at all.

Nonetheless, Morris has no regrets about his decision to sign with Dallas this offseason.

“This is where I’m supposed to be," Morris told Williams, "and I’m excited about the opportunity and looking forward to it.” 

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