Trading Portis won’t get Redskins anywhere

By Connor Byrne  |   Tuesday, January 09, 2007  |  Comments( 9 )

Washington Redskins
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Ever since the Washington Redskins closed out their highly disappointing season with a 34-28 loss to the New York Giants on Dec. 30, many have been pondering the future status of the former's star running back, Clinton Portis. The 25-year-old has been among the NFL's most productive ball carriers throughout his short career, but he missed most of last season with injuries to his shoulder and ankle.

In the absence of Portis, career backup Ladell Betts stepped in and thrived behind Washington's above-average offensive line. The five-year veteran appeared in all 16 games for the 5-11 Redskins, started in nine, rushed for a terrific 1,154 yards on an eye-popping 4.7 per-carry rate and added 53 receptions from the backfield, which was just four behind Santana Moss' team-leading 57.

Between Nov. 26 and Dec. 24, the ex-second-round pick from Iowa had five straight games of 100-plus yards rushing, with his best being a 33-carry, 171-yard extravaganza against the Philadelphia Eagles on Dec. 10.

Because of the 27-year-old Betts' emergence and subsequent five-year contract extension Washington rewarded him, some are hoping the team sends Portis to a needy club for a high-round draft choice. Not so fast, though. Portis' contract may be a big burden to carry for the Redskins, but, thanks to victory-hungry owner Dan Snyder, they're one of the richest franchises in the league. Put simply, money doesn't seem to be any object for the organization, as has been evidenced so often in the past.

In the current NFL, it's often beneficial to have an effective two-back system. In fact, of the eight playoff teams remaining, all have a pair of runners at least capable of performing well on any given Sunday. The best example, of course, is the NFC's New Orleans Saints, a squad that brings the versatile attack of Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush.

The 5-foot-11, 212-pound Portis was banged up this past season, but is that really a reason to put him on the trading block? Absolutely not. The soon-to-be sixth-year man still averaged 4.1 yards per carry in 2006 and racked up an impressive seven touchdowns in just eight games, which compares favorably to Betts' four scores in eight more contests.

And one can't ignore Portis' overall career numbers. The speedster, who was a second-round pick of the Denver Broncos in 2002, opened his career with four straight seasons of 1,300-plus yards rushing, including three years eclipsing the 1,500-yard plateau. He did all of that while missing only four games, which is an impressive feat for the RB position, known as one of the most bruising in football.

When the offseason reaches its peak in terms of free agency and the draft, the Redskins will have plenty of roster adjustments to make. Running back, however, shouldn't be an area worth tinkering with. And that's a sentiment echoed by the team's head coach, Hall of Famer Joe Gibbs:

"We feel great about those two guys carrying the ball for us. They've been great partners in the past."

cbyrne@realfootball365.com.

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