The Redskins craved another big back, like they had in the old days — the ones that ended in Super Bowl victories. So they traded for Atlanta’s T.J. Duckett late Tuesday night.
The result: One question gets answered; more get raised.
“I thought they liked [Ladell] Betts and felt good about him as a backup,” one NFC East scout said. “I don’t know if this means [Clinton] Portis is hurt worse.”
And thus the speculation begins. Washington traded for the 6-foot, 254-pound Duckett in a three-team deal Tuesday.
Duckett, a free agent after the season, rushed for 2,157 yards and 31 touchdowns in four seasons with Atlanta. Of his last 225 carries, only seven have resulted in negative runs, giving him the best percentage of such runs in the NFL.
“To give up a third-round pick for a guy in the last year of his contract who is a short-yardage runner, that’s steep,” the scout said. “He’s a good fit for the old-style Joe Gibbs rushing attack, but he’s not very good in the passing game, in protection or receiving.”
And questions remain:
» Is Portis’ injury worse than believed?
His status for the Sept. 11 season opener remains in doubt because of the partially dislocated shoulder. The Redskins call his ability to recover from injuries “freakish.” But will this linger?
“Anything like that causes you to think,” Redskins coach Joe Gibbs said. “But this wasn’t a panic [move]. … Clinton is ahead of schedule.”
Also, how will Portis handle possibly being replaced at the goal line or possibly sharing fourth-quarter grind-it-out duties?
“I’m a bruiser, too,” he said. “[This] means more competition for all of us.”
» What becomes of Ladell Betts? He’s more versatile than Duckett, so he’d probably still get the bulk of the work behind Portis, at least initially — unless it’s a short-yardage situation. Betts can’t match Duckett’s power.
Would they trade Betts? The scout said he had not heard Betts’ name in trade talks — yet.
“I was shocked,” said Betts, in the last year of his contract. “I don’t understand it. I don’t know what his role is, so I can’t take it as a slap in the face.”
» Who’s the odd man out? If the Redskins only keep five backs, it’ll likely be Portis, Duckett, Betts, Mike Sellers and Rock Cartwright.
“They’ll all be on the team,” Gibbs said.
Also, despite fumble problems, they like Nehemiah Broughton because he can play both running back and fullback. He’d be the sixth back, if they keep that many.
