Alfred Morris To Dallas? Alright...NOBODY FREAK OUT

I had completely thought this through already, and had even written some of this weeks ago, but it was for a different player. On The Audible, we discussed--or began discussing--the prospect of having to watch Robert Griffin III stand on the Dallas sideline before taking over as the starter after Tony Romo gets hurt in the second quarter of the opener.

The issue, at its core, seemed to be whether or not Griffin had been with the Redskins long enough to sidestep any animosity for wearing the star on his helmet. I think I would argue that his short tenure with the team works for him in this regard, but the roller coaster ride he took us on from the time he was drafted weighs heavily on all of our hearts. In short, seeing Griffin in Dallas would suck, but the fact that he would likely not see the field would mitigate some of the heartache...supposably (definitely the right word here).

On the other hand, watching Alfred Morris carry the rock for the Dallas Cowboys is a horse of an entirely different color. As much as we love our quarterbacks in Washington, it has been the running backs who have won our hearts over time and time again. How many of you would rank John Riggins as your all-time favorite Redskin? He is mine. Even in losses, I can remember enjoying many Sundays thanks to the exploits of Stephen Davis, Terry Allen, Clinton Portis and Brian Mitchell.

Alfred Morris came here to be a nobody. He was drafted in the sixth round and was not even in the conversation to make the team until training camp. He won over every...single...person. He had to--there was no other path for him to become the starter. He was actually given the starter's job the day before the season opener in 2012 against the New Orleans Saints. While the world was watching every move made by RG3, Morris was quietly racking up yards, eventually settling for second in the NFL that regular season with 1,613 rushing yards (behind Adrian Peterson). That was not only a Redskins rookie record--it was a single-season record, edging out Clinton Portis.

There was also the matter of a certain game at the end of that year...against Dallas. With the division and the playoffs on the line, Alfred Morris racked up 200 yards and three touchdowns on 33 carries. Our biggest rival, on one of the biggest stages...trucked by our greatest rookie running back.

Not for nothing, but he followed up that rookie year with a 4th place finish in the league rushing race his sophomore campaign. In four seasons with the Redskins, he averaged just a hair under 75 yards per game, with that number being hit the hardest by a down year in 2015 (thanks to a noticeably weaker running game overall by the team).

Yeah, seeing him go is going to hurt. Unlike Griffin, Morris will stand a chance to get the ball on a frequent basis...perhaps extremely frequently. Hearing his name called as Dallas Cowboy is going to suck, and seeing that helmet on his head is going to feel like a body blow. We drafted him. We cheered him when nobody knew who he was. We loved him in a way that only Redskins fans and their running backs will ever truly understand (maybe a bit much, as I am certain other fanbases develop strong feelings for their players).

I want to wish Alfred Morris the best in life, because I honestly believe he deserves it. Hopefully he can find true happiness...once he puts this Dallas ugliness behind him!

Where are you guys at on this? Let's not focus too heavily on whether or not we are "afraid" to face Morris. Plenty of defenses entered contests not fearing Alfred Morris...and it didn't go too well for them. Whether he lights us up or not is kind of not the issue right this second. We all feel great about the team we have and we all feel like the running back position is going to be just fine. I am certain that we will exit the draft with yet another McLovin selection that can come in and make an impact right away.

Today is not about that future. Today is about a past that we have taken a great deal of pride in, and a player who embodied the "nobody gives a crap about us, but that isn't going to stop me from running over them" attitude that we all felt on Sundays.

Damn it...one of ours is now one of theirs. And that is that...supposably.