Thursday, July 23, 2008

Portis thinking outside the box

On Clinton Portis’ first play from scrimmage in Washington five seasons ago, he broke around right end, scoring from 64 yards out. It was supposed to be a preview of his time in Washington. Turned out to be a tease.
Now, he hopes, the change in offense will mean a change in the kinds of runs he gets. In his past 452 carries, Portis has posted only six runs of 20 yards or more as he served mostly as a grinder in Joe Gibbs power running game. It is important to note that Ladell Betts had five such runs in 245 carries in 2006 when Portis was hurt.
“It did [get frustrating],” said Portis, who transformed from a 195-pound cutback runner in Denver to a 223-pound power back in Washington. “It was just a mentality. People got used to seeing me as a breakaway back. My role was different. I wanted to break the big one, but there were few opportunities and I didn’t take advantage of all those opportunities so I can’t say it was the system. But now there are more opportunities, there’s more freedom.”
The Redskins, under coach Jim Zorn, will have more three- and four-receiver sets than under Gibbs. Portis’ best games under Gibbs often came in such formations, unclogging running lanes.
“It will feel good to look and see six people in the box and everyone else spread wide,” Portis said. “You’re not dodging people at the line; now you can work one-on-one with the defender as opposed to playing tough-man football.”
He stuck around this offseason to work out, entering camp in top shape. Of course, a financial incentive made it easy for him to do so. Nonetheless, Portis is excited about the possibilities. A healthy Santana Moss … a Pro Bowl tight end in Chris Cooley ... two new receivers.
“How are you going to defend us?” Zorn said. “It will open opportunities for us in the run game. ... I feel comfortable where he’s at and where he’s gonna see that we go with him.”


With Rauch gone, is Sherrill next?

Jon Rauch might not be the only closer traded this week. They seem to be a hot commodity this season, with at least two more possibly being traded before the July 31 deadline.
One of those could be one of Baltimore’s best stories this season, George Sherrill. The unlikely All Star, with his 29 saves and 3.89 ERA, is certainly attractive to some teams who desperately need a closer.
St. Louis and Milwaukee both are reportedly interested in Sherrill. If Rauch fetched an organization’s top-six prospect, then Sherrill will command at least that much.
The Cardinals bullpen leads the National League in losses. Milwaukee, as aggressive as anyone in making trades this season, has Salomon Torres closing. Thus far he’s done fine: 18 saves, 2.68 ERA. But he puts a lot of guys on base (67 in 53 2/3 innings) and he’s never been that good for too long.
The Orioles will have competition if they want to trade Sherrill. Colorado’s Brian Fuentes is also drawing heavy attention. And he could be paired with outfielder Matt Holliday for an attractive package. Fuentes entered last night having retired his last 21 straight batters. Holliday is hitting .340 with 17 homers, 58 RBI.
Boston, Philadelphia, Detroit, Arizona, the Angels, the Yankees and Tampa Bay all have scouted Fuentes recently.
Another potential closer for one of these teams is Texas’ Eddie Guardado, who hasn’t closed full-time since 2005.


GOOD IDEA/BAD IDEA

GOOD IDEA » Background checks. The Oakland Athletics should have done one on top pitching prospect Michel Iona, who is represented by a notorious bookie in the Dominican Republic.

BAD IDEA » Calling the Vikings on your Packers-issued cell phone. Not a smart thing to do, Brett Favre.

GOOD IDEA » Trading for defensive end Jason Taylor, even if he is 33. He’s a high-level pass rusher the Redskins sorely needed.

BAD IDEA » Thinking Taylor will instantly transform them into a playoff team. The Redskins have other holes, one of which could now be the defensive line’s play against the run.

GOOD IDEA » For the Mets to have a REAL big lead, whether it’s in a game or in the standings, against the Phillies. Couldn’t hold a seven-game lead last September; couldn’t hold a three-run ninth-inning lead Tuesday night.

BAD IDEA » Twisting your ankle. LeBron hurt his right ankle during a Team USA practice, one of the worst injuries for a basketball player.

GOOD IDEA » Watching the WNBA. Apparently there’s plenty of fight in the league, demonstrated in Tuesday night’s heated brawl.

BAD IDEA » Presidential pardons. Marion Jones is a liar and cheater and doesn’t deserve one.


COLUMN INCHES

Opinions from around the nation on the hottest topics in sports:

» We have two baseball franchises that aren’t playing by the rules. As the Sox are stalked by the feds in Wildergate, with the possibility of felony fraud charges for anyone implicated, the Cubs have been fined a reported $500,000 — an enormous amount, only $250,000 less than what the NFL fined Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots after Spygate — for draft violations.

— Jay Mariotti on the ethical breaches of Chicago’s baseball teams. (Chicago Sun-Times)


» The Nuggets, if you remember, nabbed the eighth and final playoff spot in the West last season. Their roster hasn’t improved, though there are a couple of months before preseason to make a big deal — perhaps trading the expiring contract of All-Star Allen Iverson or using their $10 million trade exception to nab a new puzzle piece or two.

— Benjamin Hochman on a frustrating offseason by the Nuggets. (Denver Post)


» So here’s the million-dollar question to be answered over the last 62 games of this incredibly flammable Phillies season: In 2008 which is better to have down the stretch, a solid staff of starters with an erratic and undependable bullpen, or a solid bullpen with an erratic and undependable starting staff?

— Sam Donnellon on the Phillies’ erratic season. (Philadelphia Daily News)


» Ask Lovie Smith about his timetable to name a Bears starting quarterback and watch him react as if somebody asked for the combination to the McCaskey vault or a secret family recipe to some Texas barbecue. ... It is duly noted that the Bears medical team failed again this off-season to find a medicine for Smith’s allergy to candor.

— David Haugh on the Bears’ awful quarterback situation. (Chicago Tribune)


BY THE NUMBERS

21 » One-run victories by the Milwaukee Brewers after Tuesday’s 4-3 win over the Cardinals, tying them with St. Louis for most in the majors.

500,000 » Dollars the Chicago Cubs were fined for MLB Draft violations.


ON THE RECORD

“I was trying to protect the whole game, the integrity of the game. ... This game, I love this game too much.”
— Detroit Shock assistant coach Rick Mahorn after being ejected during a bench-clearing fight in a game between the Shock and L.A. Sparks Tuesday night.