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Cowboys' Morris 'excited' about backfield battle with Ezekiel Elliott

Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

When the Dallas Cowboys signed running back Alfred Morris during free agency, it appeared to be the perfect match for both parties.

The Cowboys got a dependable back who has proven capable of carrying the offensive workload to pair with the explosive, but injury-prone Darren McFadden. Morris got the chance to be part of a talented offense, catch passes from a Pro-Bowler in Tony Romo, and to run behind arguably the most dominant offensive line in the league.

Then Dallas used their No. 4 overall pick on superstar running back prospect Ezekiel Elliott, and Morris suddenly finds himself part of a crowded backfield. Elliott's versatile skill set means he'll rarely be forced to leave the field, even as a rookie, which will leave Morris battling for snaps with McFadden and Lance Dunbar.

"I'm used to it," Morris said, according to Charean Williams of the Dallas Star-Telegram. "It's a business at the end of the day. Competition only makes us better, so I get excited about it. It’s definitely going to be a big challenge, but I'm excited. Looking forward to it. The only sad part, the downside to it, is that one of us guys is going to be gone. We already have a good group of guys who are there, and they're going to add one to that. It's going to change. The room's going to change. I'm sure it's already changed a lot since last year. It's going to change even more now adding another first-round guy like that to the room."

Morris said he has no regrets about choosing to come Dallas, even with the presence of Elliott.

"None at all," Morris said. "This is where I'm supposed to be, and I'm excited about the opportunity and looking forward to it."

The 27-year-old is no stranger to having his snaps impacted by a rookie. Last season with the Washington Redskins, Morris received the fewest rushing attempts of his career as the team opted to split the workload between him and rookie Matt Jones, with former fifth-round pick Chris Thompson also seeing significant action.

"Two years in a row. I'm used to it," Morris said with a chuckle.

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