Washington Redskins: Promotion, Demotion, Sign and Shuffle Within Backfield

Last week’s game against the Tennessee Titans has been commonly referred to as the Redskins' Body Bag, a game in which the Skins watched 10 additional players join their already lengthy injury report.

Luckily, and arguably more importantly, the Redskins were able to leave Nashville with the win. They continue to hold a slim chance of making the playoffs. Since that game, the Redskins backfield has undergone quite a face lift.

Portis Placed on Injured Reserve

According to numerous reports, Clinton Portis may have played his final game in the burgundy and gold. After missing the last few weeks with an injury, Portis suffered a torn stomach muscle against the Titans last week.

Although we had kept our fingers crossed that Portis could bounce back quickly from the injury, the Redskins staff believed otherwise and placed Portis on the injured reserve list, ending his 2010 campaign.

Portis has earned a majority of his contract and the guaranteed money has already been paid, thus leaving the Redskins with very little ties to the veteran running back, who will turn 30 before the start of next season.

The new culture and philosophy in Washington has to do with a youth movement and the effectiveness of building a team through the draft. With that being said, Portis would find himself on the opposite end of every aspect of the team’s future.

However, Portis could be invited back to re-sign with the team in a limited role, ala Willis McGahee in Baltimore. Over the years, Portis has been a reliable pass-blocker (often mentioned within the league’s top-three blocking backs) and he has demonstrated his effectiveness catching the ball out of the backfield.

Although Portis’ age implies that he has hit the “Running Back Wall”, he could serve as a decent option on third down and goal line situations.

Keiland Williams Receives Starting Nod

With the absence of Clinton Portis and Ryan Torain still rehabbing a pulled hamstring, undrafted rookie Keiland Williams will start this Sunday versus the Minnesota Vikings.

Williams has been a workhorse for most of the season and he received a lot of touches in the team’s win over the Titans last week. Williams is a hard runner and coaches claim that his confidence is building as game day approaches.

Also serving as a pass-catcher out of the backfield, Williams is a candidate to touch the ball 25-30 times a game as a starter.

James Davis Active As No. 2 Running Back

With the lingering Torain injury, James Davis will suit-up for the Redskins this week and be named as the No. 2 running back on the depth chart.

Davis was signed to the practice squad on October 27th after being released by the Cleveland Browns. Since joining the Redskins, Davis has worked hard to learn the system, scheme and style of Shanahan’s offense.

“He’ll definitely get some playing time,” coach Mike Shanahan said after practice Thursday at Redskin Park. “I like what I’ve seen in practice. I think he’s got a lot of talent, a lot of confidence. Now we get a chance to see him live.”

Redskins Sign Andre Brown to Practice Squad

Former North Carolina State standout Andre Brown practiced with the team for the first time on Thursday, leaving him a possible call-up on gameday in the unfortunate scenario of a last minute injury.

Brown was a fourth-round draft pick by the New York Giants in 2009 and has bounced around a few teams in his short NFL career.

“I had a choice to go some other places, but I chose here because of the opportunity that presented itself,” Brown said. “I’m going to look forward to making the best out of it.

The athletic ability of the Redskins’ newly acquired running backs, in combination with the resume of head coach Mike Shanahan, provide some young and potentially explosive talent for the future of this team. With the recent Portis rumors, the Redskins can look forward to a running back crew that would include Ryan Torain, Keiland Williams, James Davis and Andre Brown.