General Info

5'11", 202 lbs. 25 years old
Oregon

Morris was a 2nd round pick for Seattle in 2002. He was the 54th person drafted overall, and the 5th running back chosen (behind such guys as William Green and T.J. Duckett). He is the primary backup to Shaun Alexander and despite only starting 1 game in 2003, Morris had some impressive stats. (38-239 rushing yards 0 TDs. 4-32 receiving yards 1 TD).

Will Grant's Thoughts

2004 Outlook

Maurice Morris is a talented kid who has a lot of potential. He's averaged better than 5.5 yards a carry over the course of his two-year career and has proven to be a solid backup runner for the Seahawks.

The problem with judging Morris is that he had a personal best 42 touches for 2003. Spread over the course of 16 games, that's less than 3 touches a game. Can he handle a 16 game load? Can he maintain his 5.5 YPC pace over 100 carries? 200? 300? We just don't have enough examples to make that call.

Now add in the fact that Shaun Alexander has been ROCK SOLID over the last 3 years as the full time starter for Seattle, (averaging 350+ touches, 1600+ yards and 16+ TDs.) and it's hard to see Morris hitting the field without a major injury to Alexander.

For 2004, it's safe to assume that Alexander will be healthy. This means Morris is probably looking at another 38-45 touch, 250-300 yard season. A good handcuff if you own Alexander but a wasted roster spot if you do not.

2007 Outlook

2004 is a contract year for Alexander. It is possible that once this season is over, Alexander will pack his bags and move to the team with the biggest checkbook. He certainly would not be the first back to take that route. If that is the case, this would pave the way for Morris to take over as the starter, and by 2007 he could be the guy putting up 1600 yards and 16 TDs. a year for Seattle.

But let's be real here. Unless he totally bombs this year, Seattle is going to do everything in its power to retain Alexander. Generally, 1600 yard, 16 TD backs don't leave a team via free agency anymore because it would cost too much to replace them. Alexander is a proven asset to the Seahawk organization, and unless his contract demands are out of this world, he'll be back in a Seahawk uniform in 2005 and beyond.

For Morris this means more of the same. He'll back up Alexander, possibly stealing a few more carries a year, but never really having more than 70 touches during a regular season.

The one thing that could change this is if Morris is the one who leaves the Seahawks. Morris is a free agent after the 2005 season, and assuming his YPC is still above 5.0 at that time, Morris would draw a lot of interest from the free agent market. If he signs somewhere else, his stock could soar. As a feature back on another team he'd be a high risk/high reward type of player.

Final Thoughts

For 2004, if you have Alexander as a primary back, make sure to grab Morris as a handcuff. If you don't own Alexander, look for Morris near the end of your 2005 draft, grab him and stick him on your roster. If he intends to leave the Hawks, he will be worth the roster slot. If he signs a longer-term contract or shows intent to stay with Seattle after 2005, cut him loose or trade him to the Alexander owner. As a Seahawk, Morris is really not much better than a handcuff type of pickup.

Jason Wood's Thoughts

2004 OUTLOOK

Shaun Alexander is a rock. Three seasons as a starter and he's never had less than 16 touchdowns and 1,600 yards from scrimmage. It's that type of elite production which puts Maurice Morris behind the 8-ball. Many observers believe Morris is capable of playing at a high level if given the opportunity; but by the time Alexander isn't around to take the majority of the snaps, Morris' window may be closed.

Morris, playing for the Oregon Ducks in college, became the team's first RB with back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons. In his second 1,000 yard campaign, he split time with Onterrio Smith. They became the first Ducks tandem to rush for 1,000 yard in the same season back in 2001.

Morris has good, but not great, size (5'11", 208 lbs.) and while he didn't time a great 40 during the combine, is considered a home run threat every time he breaks though a seam. He's also a better-than-average receiver making him ideal for the NFL style of offense run by HC Mike Holmgren.

Getting back to Shaun Alexander, unless he's hurt, Morris will be limited to a backup role and potentially as a kick returner. The team talked about using Morris in a 3rd down, change-of-pace role in 2003, but that failed to materialize. Counting on that in 2004 would be a fool's errand until the coaching staff proves otherwise. If Alexander were injured for some reason, Morris has the requisite skill set, familiarity with the playbook, and an excellent offensive line to run behind which mean he could be a fantasy difference maker off waivers. But barring injury, consider Morris an afterthought in 2004.

2007 OUTLOOK

By the time 2007 rolls around, Maurice Morris will either have been a starting tailback for a few seasons or probably missed his window of opportunity. He'll be 27 by then, meaning that if he hasn't gotten his shot on the field, few teams will look at him as the answer to their running woes. What's interesting is that Shaun Alexander, regardless of how talented he is, has never been among Mike Holmgren's favorites. Stranger things have happened than Alexander being shown the door either via trade or free agency and giving Morris the shot to carry the load. Again, we'll know long before 2007 whether Morris is feature back material, and right now I would put the odds at 50/50. You could do far worse than those odds for a deep dynasty draft.

Final Thoughts

Don't count on Maurice Morris being a feature back, but recognize that he's among a select few backups who could either a) step into the current situation and flourish or b) earn a starting spot via free agency or trade in the next few years.

Quotations from the Message Board Thread

To view the Entire Message Board Thread, Click here.

Englishteacher:
I believe Morris has some skill but I certainly don't think he's feature back material for a team that wants something from their RB, as the Hawks do... Morris didn't stay healthy in college and hasn't stayed healthy in limited action in the NFL

ExtraPoint:
His role in the NFL has been limited. Alexander has remained healthy so we really haven't gotten much taste of how Morris would do as a featured back. Add that to his stature and there's reason to doubt whether or not he ever will be featured. According to many scouts he was more of a 3rd down back prospect. Even if he becomes a starter, I'd be wary of it lasting. As of now, Alexander's contract expires next year. So there is a chance that they'll be looking for a replacement by then. I'd consider Morris a good handcuff with a small chance of being Seattle's back of the future. He's getting a lot of hype so if I wasn't handcuffing him I'd begin to consider trade offers.

WinningIsEverything:
Morris is a little on the small side but has been productive when called upon. The problem is that he is not called upon much. With Alexander as the starter, Morris is relegated to holding a clipboard. I do not see that changing much either. I also do not see Seattle letting either go. In the NFL you need two good running backs. I think Morris will have little value this year and minimal in 2007 as well.