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Dick Vermeil spent three years coaching Larry Johnson in Kansas City. And Vermeil thinks Johnson, recently signed as a free agent by Washington, may force the Redskins to reconsider their depth chart before all is said and done."He will take over the running back position," Vermeil told The Washington Post's Rick Maese. "That's what I think. He'll push that guy [Portis] right out of a job. Larry Johnson will work all week -- he'll work Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday -- and he'll make you start him on Sundays."
Semantics of Vermeil's "all week" definition aside, the ex-NFL head coach didn't hesitate to repeatedly praise Johnson and added that the Redskins "got a great steal in this guy."
Really, no development in Washington's backfield would be a major surprise next season. Johnson has had three straight mediocre seasons in a row -- less than 600 yards rushing combined between K.C. and Cincinnati last year, for example -- coupled with off-field issues. So it's hard to envision the 30-year-old breaking loose and overtaking Portis.
That said, Portis missed half of last year with concussion issues, and though he's two years younger than Johnson, he has carried the ball 700-plus times more than Johnson. Oh, and Portis can be a handful as well, at least when it comes to showing up for offseason workouts and such.
Vermeil's prediction may not come true, but Johnson coming into camp and pushing Portis a bit is probably the best-case scenario for Washington. The reality may be that both Portis and Johnson are worn down and neither will grab a stranglehold the No. 1 spot.
But in an ideal world for the Redskins, the competition between Portis and Johnson will push both to be at their best in 2010.
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