clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

We're saved; it's the running backs!

By Skin Patrol

Apparently ESPN Insider only makes you pay to find out who sucks according to them, as I don't even have to add [alleged] in front of their Redskins-related running back analysis; I can access the relevant portions of their Insider coverage sans paying them money. With a hat tip towards Extreme Skins, here is the beginning of their NFL Running Back Rankings, with Your Washington Redskins posting up at #3 behind the Chiefs and Chargers:

3. Washington Redskins
If San Diego has the best one-two punch in the NFL, Washington isn't far behind. Starting RB Clinton Portis was limited to eight games last season because of a shoulder injury. That injury really opened the door for backup Ladell Betts. Betts finished the 2006 season with 1,154 yards on 245 carries. Betts, scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent after the 2006 season, re-signed with Washington. His return should make for a very good training camp battle with Portis. In terms of overall depth, the Redskins are excellent. They also signed former Chiefs and Jets RB Derrick Blaylock, have a scat back in Rock Cartwright. Fullback Mike Sellers is a very good special teams player, blocker and pass catcher. With young Jason Campbell at the controls this season, the Redskins will rely on this deep backfield to carry the offense.
I have no problem with this ranking, and consider it possibly favorable given that reasonable arguments exist for a few teams above us (though we reject those arguments). I think we could move in front of the Chiefs, though recognize that Larry Johnson is a beast. Top 10 rankings:
  1. Chargers - on the strength of LT
  2. Chiefs - on the strength of LJ
  3. Redskins - with a multitude of talent, from CP to Betts to Cartwright to Blaylock to Sellers
  4. Jacksonville - Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew
  5. Vikings - too high in my opinion; none of their running backs are good enough to warrant this position, having a bunch of either middle-tier or else unproven guys does not an elite backfield make
  6. Saints - too low with McCallister, Bush, and now Antonio Pittman
  7. Seahawks - on the strength of Shaun Alexander with some Maurice Morris
  8. Broncos - because they're the Broncos
  9. 49ers - mostly on Frank Gore
  10. Cowboys - on JJ and MB3
My only qualm with their Redskins specific paragraph is that they haven't devoted an extra one to Mike Sellers, because he deserves it, and also a general complaint I have (as do the ES commenters) with the judicious use of "scatback" to describe all short runners. Cartwright is listed at 5'8, we'd say 5'7, but he's a solid 5'7. He might have picked up that reputation only recently, as he was returning kicks last year, though he debuted as a backup fullback on this team. He was also a fullback in College, at Kansas State. I always thought scatback referred to shifty runners that simply dodged tackles. I also thought Rock Cartwright was at his best running straight into defenders, though maybe I've got that mixed up, reader(s)?

More From Hogs Haven