Clinton Portis likely to be a 3-down back for the Redskins

It is no secret that Clinton Portis and Mike Shanahan have some history together. In fact, Portis had two of his most prolific seasons playing under Mike Shanahan for two years at Denver. During these seasons, Portis had 1500+ rushing yards and 14+ touchdowns. This season, they have been reunited in Washington and it seems Shanahan still has the same respect for Portis as he did then: "The first thing you want from a third down back is you want a guy who can block," Shanahan said. "We have the best blocker as a back in Clinton Portis that I've been around. I think we do have a third-down back."

Fantasy Analysis:
Many people are down on Portis this season and with good reason. However, if Portis really does play three downs on the majority of possessions and Shanahan decides to run him into the ground, he is going to accumulate some stats over the course of this season. Of course, Larry Johnson is still waiting in the wings right behind him on the depth chart. The combination of an aging Portis and lurking Larry Johnson obviously doesn't sound extremely appealing but Portis is currently RB39. For a back who sees the field three downs, it's hard to imagine he will not out perform that ranking in the 2010 season. Another factor to consider is the acquisition of Jaamal Brown from the New Orleans Saints. This will be a huge improvement to the offensive line if he can stay healthy and it should help everyone involved with the Redskins offense.

Click here to order Clinton Portis’ proCane Rookie Card.



(fftoolbox.com)