The Redskins made a decision that might end up haunting them for years, letting Brian Westbrook sign with the San Francisco 49ers Monday despite the fact that Washington has no established third down running back.
In a passing league that necessitates a running back who specializes in catching the ball and getting yards after the catch, the Redskins will apparently go with Ryan Torain, who has played two NFL games, out of the backfield in third down situations.
The Redskins should have signed Westbrook.
It’s not as if Clinton Portis and Larry Johnson are awful at catching the ball. However, they are a far cry from the third down specialists that every successful team needs to have. Portis is a good blocker but has never distinguished himself as a good receiving back. Willie Parker is even worse. Parker had only nine receptions the last two seasons combined even though he carried the ball 308 times.
Westbrook has 29 career receiving touchdowns, nearly twice as many as Portis (five), Johnson (six), and Parker (five) combined. Westbrook has been one of the most dangerous running backs to catch the ball in the NFL in the last decade. Portis has never caught 50 passes in a season; Westbrook has caught 50 five times and was on pace for 50 last season until his year was cut short. Westbrook once caught 90 passes in a season.
The Redskins’ unsettled receiving situation combined with McNabb’s unfamiliarity with a new offense, three new starters on the offensive line, and the success Westbrook and McNabb have had for eight seasons should have all pointed to Westbrook being an excellent option for McNabb to get rid of the ball.
Torain, drafted in the fifth round in 2008 by Shanahan for Denver, was injured for parts of his senior season at Arizona State and his rookie year in Denver, and missed all of 2009 after knee surgery. Torain caught 25 passes for an excellent 12.2-yard average with five touchdowns in 19 games for Arizona State, so he can catch the ball. Torain also ran for 1,229 yards in 2006.
But why did the Redskins fail to sign Westbrook, who is from this area, has a brother (cornerback Byron) on the team, and surely would have liked to prove twice a year to the Eagles that he isn’t done?
Was it the hubris of Shanahan? Seven different running backs led Denver in rushing during Shanahan’s last nine seasons with the Broncos. Included in that mix were Terrell Davis and Clinton Portis, but also leading the Broncos in rushing were no-names like Olandis Gary, Mike Anderson, Reuben Droughns, Tatum Bell, Selvin Young, and Peyton Hillis.
Maybe Shanahan wants to show everyone he can succeed with anyone at running back. Of the eight backs listed above, only two of them are household names. Of course, the other six haven’t exactly lit up the league. Does Shanahan want to justify his draft choice of Torain in 2008?
Did general manager Bruce Allen want to put his own stamp on the team by being conservative in signing free agents? Allen is well aware of the criticism of the Redskins’ philosophy over the last decade when they bought numerous high priced free agents, many of them past their prime.
How about owner Dan Snyder? Is he so sensitive to the criticism of signing players who made their name elsewhere that he lost the ability to pull the trigger, at least in this case? The previous signings that didn’t work out are a sunk cost. They shouldn’t have affected the Westbrook situation.
Westbrook had two concussions last season, but passed a physical this year. The Redskins could have signed him, cut Parker, and kept Torain as the fourth running back. With fullback Mike Sellers on the roster, Washington still could have kept Williams on the practice squad.
Torain could have been insurance against a Westbrook injury. Instead, the injury prone Torain, who makes Malcolm Kelly look like iron man Brett Favre, is the best option the Skins have as a pass catching running back, and he will also need to play special teams.
Washington has another running back on the roster, rookie free agent Keiland Williams, but he only started three games at LSU and was not known as a third down back.
Westbrook is 31, but not all running backs are finished after 30. Hall of Famer John Riggins ran for over 1,000 yards at the age of 35. Curtis Martin ran for nearly 1,700 yards at 31. Jerome Bettis rushed for over 900 yards at 32.
Perhaps a better comparison would be a third down back like Kevin Faulk of New England. He caught 37 passes last season at 33.
If the Redskins didn’t want to sign Westbrook because he’s only good for a short period of time and may not be around when the Skins are ready to make a Super Bowl run, why didn’t they use the same logic for McNabb? Quarterbacks play longer than running backs, but Shanahan and Snyder want to win now, at least as much as possible. Westbrook could have helped them win a couple of extra games, which could have meant the difference between 7-9 and possibly making the playoffs at 9-7.
The Redskins may have been burned badly. Portis and Johnson don’t scare a lot of teams with their quickness. Torain might but can Washington rely on a player who has only played two NFL games? Breakaway threat Brandon Banks may have a role with the team, but more likely as a kick returner and emergency wide receiver, not as a third down back.
Failing to sign Westbrook was a roll of the dice that Westbrook didn’t have much left and Portis and Johnson will somehow become good pass catchers toward the end of their careers, and that Torain will emerge as a legitimate third down back.
The Redskins have failed to give McNabb a better receiving corps than he had in Philadelphia. While McNabb will have a more traditional running game than he had with the Eagles, the lack of a third down threat may be this team’s most glaring weakness.
Last summer Washington failed to improve a suspect offensive line and the results were disastrous .This year, the third down back may be the biggest question mark on the team. Don’t look now, but the 49ers expect to be one of the teams battling the Redskins for a wild card spot. And they just got better.
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