BOCA RATON, Fla. -- Last year, the Dallas Cowboys received 1,089 rushing yards from Darren McFadden, surpassing expectations many had for him as a low-cost free agent.

On Tuesday, the Cowboys signed free-agent running back Alfred Morris to a two-year deal worth as much as $5.5 million, according to a source, to pair him with McFadden in 2016.

Morris provides the Cowboys with cover should something happen to McFadden. It also ends the dream some had of the Cowboys using the fourth overall pick on Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott, but it doesn’t shut the door on a mid-round running back.

Last season, McFadden had a career-high 239 carries and stretched his consecutive games played streak to 32. Only twice before has he had more than 200 carries in a season (2010, 2012) and he was limited the following year both times to seven and 10 games, respectively.

McFadden turns 29 in August and while he has been healthy the past two seasons, injuries have been a concern.

Morris, who turns 28 in December, started every game he played in four years with the Washington Redskins. As a sixth-round rookie, he ran for 1,613 yards. Every year his production has dropped, bottoming out at 751 yards in 2015.

But the Cowboys have seen Morris at his best. In eight games for the Redskins against the Cowboys, Morris put up 710 yards on 152 carries. As a rookie in 2012, he had 57 carries for 313 yards and four touchdowns, three of which came in the de facto NFC East title game in Week 17. He had three 100-yard games and two more games with at least 81 yards. He had seven touchdowns against Dallas as well.

Many thought McFadden’s best years were behind him when he joined the Cowboys. He had just one 1,000-yard season in his seven-year run with the Oakland Raiders.

After becoming the lead back in the first quarter of the Cowboys' Oct. 25 meeting at the New York Giants, McFadden flourished. In the final 11 games, he had five 100-yard games and two 90-yard games.

Was it him or the play of the Cowboys’ line?

Last offseason when the Cowboys passed on re-signing DeMarco Murray, they did so in part because of Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick, Zack Martin and the offensive line. Their belief was that they could excel on the ground with an average back. The Cowboys ran the ball efficiently if not as productively as in 2015, some of which was exacerbated by the absence of Tony Romo.

In signing Morris, the Cowboys are reaffirming their faith in the offensive line.