Shanahan: Alfred Morris will be "more instrumental" in passing game

Aug 14, 2013

Redskins HC Mike Shanahan praised Alfred Morris's preparation, setting the bar high for his second season.

“A lot of people come out of college and they just don’t spend the time on catching the ball. He has spent a lot of time in the offseason catching the football, running routes and you can see that hard work has paid off because he’s a lot more natural,” Shanahan said. “It gives you another dimension.”

Thanks to his offseason dedication, Shanahan said Morris has a much better chance of staying in the game on third down, as he brings the most weapons to the huddle.

“[Morris] has always been a blocker – he’s got that strength – but he does have a different type of gear and he does have excellent hands. You just couldn’t see it right away because he didn’t work on it,” Shanahan explained. “There have been a lot of backs in the past that have been in colleges that really don’t throw the football a lot. They emphasize the running game and Alfred was one of those types of guys.

“He’s elevated his game and he will be able to catch the ball and be a lot more instrumental in our passing game.”

Fantasy Impact:

If Morris starts to catch passes, watch out. He only caught 11 balls last season and we currently have him projected for 22 in 2013. If he gets into the 30-35 range, he'll have Marshawn Lynch-type value in PPR formats. It's difficult to project a huge jump in catches now that Roy Helu is back and healthy.

yesterday

Update on Gardner Minshew: Broken collarbone, out for season

Ian Rapoport

yesterday · 7:57 PM EST

A quick update on Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew: he suffered a broken collarbone against the Broncos and is out for the season.

Fantasy Impact:

We had just posted the quote from head coach Antonio Pierce, saying it didn’t look good. It turned out it wasn’t good. Minshew looked like he was in a lot of pain after taking the his late in the game. Now we have an understanding of that pain. Desmond Ridder came on in relief and the team is expected to activate Aidan O’Connell this week from injured reserve. The Raiders visit Kansas City on Friday.

Antonio Pierce on Gardner Minshew injury: ‘It doesn’t look good.’

Adam Schefter

yesterday · 7:53 PM EST

Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce said “It doesn’t look good” in regards to the shoulder injury to quarterback Gardner Minshew.

Fantasy Impact:

Minshew went down late in the game against the Broncos after taking a sack and looked to be in quite a bit of pain. He’ll undergo further testing to determine the severity of the injury.

Desmond Ridder came on in replacement. He went 5-of-10 for 64 yards and was sacked twice. If Minshew is to miss time, which looks very likely, the Raiders may look to see what they have in the former Falcons quarterback. Vegas is also expected to have Aidan O’Connell back this week. The Raiders are on a short week as they head to Kansas City on Black Friday.

Romeo Doubs ruled out with concussion

Green Bay Packers

yesterday · 6:48 PM EST

Packers WR Romeo Doubs was ruled out of Sunday’s game against the 49ers with a concussion.

Fantasy Impact:

Doubs suffered the injury while attempting a catch in the end zone and landing hard on the back of his helmet. Doubs will not return tonight and it’s almost certain he’ll be ruled out for Thursday night against the Dolphins. If that’s the case, his next chance to return would be the following Thursday against the Lions.