Washington Redskins Boast League's Most Crowded Backfield

Under the reign of former Denver Broncos’ head coach Mike Shanahan , the Washington Redskins boast one of the National Football League’s deepest backfields for the 2010 season.

Leading the charge for the Redskins’ running backs is returning starter Clinton Portis . A former 1,500 yard rusher under Shanahan during the 2002 and 2003 NFL seasons with the Broncos, Portis has eclipsed 1,200 rushing yards in seven NFL seasons and is the owner of 78 career touchdowns. Despite being one of the decade’s elite runners, Portis’ impact in the NFL has diminished over the last two seasons as a result of injuries and clashes with Washington’s coaching staff. In 2010 Portis will benefit from a lightened workload that will help to keep the 28-year-old’s legs fresh and ready to carve opposing defences up on Sundays.

In 2010, former Kansas City Chief and Cincinnati Bengal Larry Johnson will look to re-establish the former Penn State running back’s status as one of the NFL’s top power backs with the Redskins. Once considered one of the best running backs in the league, Johnson ran through opposing defences with the Chiefs for three seasons before wearing out his welcome with the Kansas City front office. Able to shed tackles and run through the center of the field, Johnson will likely be used by the Redskins in short yardage and goal line situations, as the former first round selection has averaged over four yards per carry for the previous two seasons.

Also entering the Redskins’ running game equation via free agency is former Pittsburgh Steeler tailback Willie Parker . Despite signing with the Black and Gold as an unheralded undrafted free agent prior to the 2004 season, Parker proved to be a versatile offensive threat with the Steelers for over five seasons. At the age of 29, Parker isn’t expected to carry the football an inordinate amount of times with the Redskins, but rather is projected to serve as a change-of-pace running back who is able to use his speed to keep defences on their heels.

Arguably one of the league’s brightest offensive minds, Shanahan will look to use an assortment of established ball carriers in 2010 to maximize the output of one of the NFL’s most crowded backfields. Despite having a history of turning obscure and picked over running backs into elite NFL talent, it will be interesting to see what Shanahan is capable of doing with a trio of running backs who hold over 22,000 rushing yards and six Pro Bowl appearances through nearly 30 combined seasons of professional experience.