Maurice Morris

[MrTed46]

Is Maurice Morris worth owning in a 12 man league? Risks?

[cory_n_az]

He's worth owning (if nothing more than to deal to the Julius Jones owner). I'm steering clear of that Seattle RB mess.

[Randall]

I like him better than Julius. I don't like either though til one emerges(if they do). Duckett and Weaver may be used too.

 

From Seattle PI

 

 

 

The new-look ground game now features a combination of co-starters Maurice Morris and Julius Jones at running back -- with an undefined role for T.J. Duckett -- and Leonard Weaver in his first full season as the starting fullback.

 

It's not just new personnel; it's a new approach. Or to be more precise, a return to a running game that is a better fit for Holmgren's offense.

 

There are more runs to the outside. There are more passes to the backs, including a return of the screen pass that used to be a signature play for the Seahawks.

 

"Mo and Julius are the same kind of player, so the game doesn't change regardless of who's in there," offensive coordinator Gil Haskell said.

 

With Alexander, who got better the more he carried the ball, Holmgren tweaked his philosophy to fit the needs of his back. Case in point: In Holmgren's seven seasons in Green Bay, a Packers running back got 30-plus carries in a game three times. Alexander got that many in 2001.

 

It was tough to argue with the results, but now that Alexander is gone, so is the need to force-feed the ball to one back. The Seahawks also can count on seeing fewer eight-man fronts, the defensive strategy opponents used to counter Alexander.

 

"We're playing the old offense," Haskell said.

 

The question is: Now that they have these new backs in the return to the old running game, how will they use them?

 

That remains to be seen.

 

"Who knows how it's going to go?" said Jones, who signed with the Seahawks in March after losing his feature-back role in Dallas last season.

 

Offered Weaver: "It really is going to be a committee thing. But that's one thing I can say about all of us -- we're unselfish. Whoever gets the start, who cares? The bottom line is, everybody's going to be able to play, and we're going to get the job done."

 

The Seahawks rushed for at least 160 yards in three of their four preseason games and twice averaged more than 5 yards per carry.

 

"It's awesome," said Weaver, who also can make plays lined up at tailback -- as he did in preseason against the San Diego Chargers, with rookie fullback Owen Schmitt as his lead blocker. "Everybody has something they do really well," he added, "but we all do a lot of things well."

 

Morris got two preseason "starts," Jones one and Duckett one -- while rookie Justin Forsett ran for a team-leading 248 yards in the second halves.

 

In San Diego, the coaches rotated Jones and Morris by series, but Holmgren didn't care for that approach. In Monday's light Labor Day practice, Morris and Jones were alternating each play -- with some reps for Duckett sprinkled into the mix. But that's not ideal, either.

 

"To play tailback in this league, you've got to get a feel for the game," Haskell said.

 

The one thing that is certain, all the backs will play -- and they seem to be fine with this job-sharing situation.

 

Even though more teams in the league are going to this approach, it goes against the nature of the beast. Any back worth having on your team wants the ball.

 

But these guys also want what's best for the team.

 

"Julius and I understand our situation," said Morris, Alexander's backup the past six seasons.

 

"A lot of teams in the league are doing this, so it's no surprise to us that they're going to go in this direction."

 

Jones also is onboard.

 

"I'm excited," he said. "Everybody's cool with how this is being handled."

 

And there are some benefits -- long term, as well as short term.

 

"It is a long season," Morris said. "So it's better to have two fresh backs than one broken-down back."

Edited September 2, 2008 by Randall

[Thews40]

I like him better than Julius. I don't like either though til one emerges(if they do).

Hindsight is always 20/20... but looking back it's still a bit fuzzy. J.Jones is the man, or my name isn't, ...er, it's_game_time.

Edited September 3, 2008 by Thews40