Washington Redskins fans haven't had a whole lot to be excited about in recent seasons. Sure, Robert Griffin's rookie year was about as good as it gets. But he's come back down to Earth in excruciating fashion. Two straight losing seasons have numbed any good will that 2012 season built up with fans.
But amid all of that dysfunction and losing, running back Alfred Morris has been one of the few consistently good things Redskins fans can hang their hats on. Yes, his production has declined the past two seasons. But Morris has racked up 3,962 yards and 28 touchdowns in just three years. He has a career yards-per-carry average of 4.5. Losing him would be tough which is why fans are concerned about his looming free agency.
Morris is entering the final year of his rookie contract and running backs aren't exactly the hot commodity they once were. New general manager Scot McCloughan invested a third-round pick into RB Matt Jones, after all. Will Washington re-sign Morris in free agency next year? It's a question that was posed to ESPN Redskins reporter John Keim in his weekly mailbag.
@john_keim If you were a betting man, would you bet on Matt Jones as our lead back in '16? Or Alf on a new deal? #jkmailbag
— Randy (@StrickSkin) July 2, 2015
"As of now I'd lean toward Alfred Morris being the starter," Keim wrote. "That's because I haven't seen any proof that Matt Jones will develop into that guy. I also believe Morris will remain productive. After talking to people in the NFL it's not as if everyone loved Jones and some rated him well below the third round. His game action from Florida was mixed, though I do think he can be a bigger threat on third down than he was at Florida. Jones has the size coaches love and he's shifty so he has a chance. But before I start thinking about discarding Morris I want to see what Jones can do."
Morris, a sixth-round pick in 2012, will make just $1.54 million in base salary this season. Washington should expect him to seek a deal that pays him among the top 15 to 20 running backs in the league. Such a contract may average anywhere between $3 million and $3.5 million per season.
It remains to be seen how much money the Redskins are willing to invest in Morris. Keim seems to think that he will be back with the team for the 2016-17 season, though.
