IRVING, Texas -- Alfred Morris had three 1,000-yard rushing seasons in four years with the Washington Redskins before joining the Dallas Cowboys.
He's hoping to add something to his portfolio this season that he never really had a chance to do in Washington: catch passes.
He never had more than 17 receptions in a season with Washington and has just 47 career catches for 365 yards. Last season, Darren McFadden led Cowboys runners with 40 catches for 328 yards. In 2014, DeMarco Murray caught 57 passes for 416 yards.
It will be difficult for Morris to put up numbers like that because of the role Ezekiel Elliott is expected to play in the regular season. But during organized team activities on Wednesday, Morris caught three passes out of the backfield from backup quarterback Kellen Moore.
"I want to be a complete back. That's something I'd not been able to do in the previous four or five years," Morris said. "Just get more involved in the passing game. I feel like there's a unique opportunity to build that trust and faith with the coaches and quarterbacks."
Morris reiterated he does not regret signing with the Cowboys before they picked Elliott. He said his running style is a good fit for the Cowboys. Running backs coach Gary Brown is glad to see Morris working on the passing game.
"That's good self-awareness by him," Brown said. "But I still think he's a good, solid guy. We're just going to keep working with him to get to where he wants to be and where we need him to be, and that is a complete back."