
Larry Johnson
- RB
- ,
- 46
- 230 lbs
- 6' 1"
- 4
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NBC Washington
·Jun 18, 2010 · 10:05 AM EDT



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So all of those rumors last season and during the off-season took a toll on Clinton Portis' reputation. And when rumors started flying about who was going to be the team's next head coach after Zorn, there was definitely some uncertainty about his own future with the team.
But in the end, Mike Shanahan got the job. Portis said that if someone else was head coach besides Shanahan, he might have been looking for work elsewhere.Anybody else would have bought into the criticism of me," Portis said. "You're talking a year ago from the day they claimed I 'lost it,' I was leading the NFL in rushing. Then a year later it is, 'He's was washed up.' I can't do it."
Even still, the Redskins brought in plenty of competition for Portis over the off-season, adding Larry Johnson and Willie Parker, making the Skins' backfield one of the most-crowded in the league.
Once again, rumors started flying that Portis wasn't happy and that he thought the team was trying to push him out.
Not so, Portis said.
"Once I talked to Coach Shanahan and Bruce Allen, I realized I was a part of the plan, that their goal was to go out and make sure the Redskins were in position to compete," Portis said. "They brought in competition. They brought in guys who got the same hunger and desire. If anything happens, knock on wood, or goes wrong, we -- as in the Redskins organization -- will be fine. Whoever is in the backfield will be able to carry the load. I think that was a great idea."
One day after finishing mini-camp, the Chiefs released six players. Among them is running back Kolby Smith, who seemingly had a once-promising future with the Chiefs.
That was before the emergence of Jamaal Charles and before injuries prematurely ended his last two seasons. Smith concludes his Chiefs career with 540 yards and three touchdowns, most of those coming his rookie season of 2007.
Remember when Larry Johnson got released and much of the fantasy world thought Smith may get the carries ahead of Jamaal Charles? That sure didn't happen... Smith could catch on somewhere else but will probably have to climb the depth charts to have fantasy value.
Kansas City coach Todd Haley spoke at the NFL owners meeting Tuesday.
He covered a lot of ground, centering on the team’s changes this offseason. Here is some of what Haley had to say about RBs Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones:
“In this day and age, it's a concern for everybody regardless of who it is because those guys talk a severe beating. If you don't have another quality back that you feel like if something happens to one or the other, there's a marked dropoff, then you're probably not doing yourself justice. I wouldn't say it's about Jamaal so much as it's about the way of the league right now. You need two quality backs.”
“I don't want to set a role for Thomas. Thomas first of all came in and really blew us all away just with his attitude and his commitment and love for the game and desire to keep playing and playing at a high level and to be part of something special. That was something big on his list. He had been a couple of different places where it turned around and he liked that feeling. He wanted to be a part of it here. We're all just really excited to get him on to the team and get him in the building. I know he's excited about getting going. I'm a big believer in letting these guys play and compete and that was a big part of getting Thomas in here was to bring the level of competition to what maybe we didn't have.”
Charles will be one of the bigger fantasy question marks this season as far as what his value will be. He was pretty much a fantasy stud after taking over for the departed Larry Johnson last year. He's definitely the more dynamic back of the two and should get a majority of the work. Like Haley said, this is a trend in the league now outside of a few backs, like Chris Johnson and Steven Jackson for example. Considering that, why not own Charles. He looks like a top-ten RB and maybe even a mid-to-late first round pick.
I don't know about you guys, but I'm anxious to see how Mike Shanahan divides carries among his stable of former star running backs. Shanahan surrounds himself with running backs the way Jon Gruden used to do with quarterbacks. He believes there's strength in numbers and he's left no stone unturned when it comes to backs whose careers peaked in 2006.
The Redskins have now made an offer to former Eagles star Brian Westbrook. Shanahan has even lobbied Westbrook's younger brother, Byron, who plays cornerback for the Skins. In my mind, Westbrook would have a highly specialized role in the Redskins' offense. Coming off a year in which he had two concussions in a short period of time, there's no way Westbrook can have more than seven or eight carries per game. He'd be used as a third-down back and the Redskins would try to get him matched up one-on-one with linebackers.
If Westbrook signs with the Redskins, either Larry Johnson or Willie Parker would be the odd man out. It would be silly to keep all four players active. It's not like any of them can help you on special teams. Are you going to ask Parker to run down on kickoffs? From the folks I've talked to at Redskins Park, Parker probably would be the first player to go. He has not looked all that explosive in practice sessions, but obviously we have a long way to go.
This would really make sense. Portis should be the feature back with Larry Johnson the backup and short yardage guy. Parker probably figured to be a third down back, but with a reported lack of explosiveness, it may open the door for the team to sign Westbrook for that role. It may take a few weeks into the season to figure out how this is going to work from a fantasy angle...
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