Earlier this month, the San Francisco 49ers made the decision to bring aboard veteran running back Alfred Morris to sure up their backfield that has been rattled by injuries through the preseason and training camp.
It now appears that Morris has done enough to secure a spot on the roster as head coach Kyle Shanahan has spoken highly of what he has brought to the table in his brief time with the organization. (h/t Curtis Crabtree of Pro Football Talk)
“I don’t think we need to see much of him. I think we have an idea of what he can do,” Shanahan said via quotes distributed by the team. “I don’t know how many guys are going to go. I don’t know how long Alf will go. I’d like to get some other guys some opportunities to evaluate them, too. I saw enough of Alf I think at Indy.”
Morris has been taken advantage of the situation he has been put in with his play on the field as he showcased that he plenty left in the tank in the third preseason game rushing for 84 yards on 17 carries. He has shown that he can be a dependable option if called upon with the current state that the backfield is in with both Jerick McKinnon and Matt Brieda both dealing with injuries.
What may also be helping Morris' case is that he previously had much success in this offensive system with Shanahan back with the Washington Redskins where he had burst onto the scene as a highly productive running back. This saw him in his first year in the league post 1,613 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns before compiling 1,275 rushing yards and seven touchdowns the following season. In fact, all three of his career 1,000-yard campaigns came with the Redskins.
With Morris' spot on the roster secure, it should provide more stability to the offense in the 49ers' push to the playoffs this upcoming season.
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