All Betts are On

I can't figure this one out at all. Ladell Betts has signed a 5 year, $11 million contract extension with the Washington Redskins. Don't get me wrong, I love Ladell Betts, but I can't see how this trade makes sense for either him or the Redskins.

Why, just today Jason at Bleeding Green Nation was asking me if I thought Betts would re-sign with the Redskins. Here's what I said:

Ladell Betts is my favorite member of the Redskins, so I'd be sorry to see him go. He's an exciting player because he's both a running and receiving threat. I wouldn't be surprised if the Giants made him an offer...he'd be an ideal replacement for Tiki Barber. I don't think the Redskins should pony up the money that it's going to take to keep him. They already have an expensive backup in TJ Duckett to spell Clinton Portis, and hopefully they can draft another backup in April.

Betts has proven himself to be a valuable offensive threat and could have probably ended up starting for any number of NFL teams. But now he'll stay with the Redskins, where he'll be in a platoon situation with Clinton Portis at best, or another expensive insurance policy (see Duckett, T.J.) at worst.

Why would Betts pass up the chance to be the featured back somewhere else? Maybe this was the best deal he was going to get, I dunno. 5 years is a long time, and $11 million ought to pay the bills for a few years. Betts is 27, so this deal presumably keeps him in a Redskins uniform for the rest of his career. He has pretty much just resigned himself to being a career backup running back. Unless...

Could the Redskins be looking to trade Portis in the offseason? Portis is two years younger than Betts at 25 and is in only the third year of an 8 year, $50.5 million contract. So the Betts deal (presumably) keeps Portis and his backup together for the rest of that contract. Don't put a trade past Snyder and Gibbs. Can't you just see Snyder trading Clinton for an immediate upgrade at QB, defensive back, defensive line or any other "need" position?

The other possibility is that the Redskins are tired of seeing Portis bent and broken and want to use he and Betts in a tandem situation. It's enough to make fantasy football wonks cry, but it might be an interesting proposition on the field. Still, I can't imagine a back with Portis's abilities being shoehorned into a platoon, no matter what the injury risk.

Finally, as Skin Patrol points out, retaining Betts makes the Duckett trade all the more ridiculous. The Redskins have given up their third round pick next year to have a capable 3rd down and goal line back sit on the bench for a lost season. I just don't get it...did they get buyer's remorse after the trade and feel too ashamed to admit it?

I can't help but think about all the talk this week about the Redskins' need for a GM. This whole situation with Betts and Duckett perfectly underscores the need for someone to stand up in the room when these insane personnel decisions are being made and say "that makes no goddamn sense. We're not making that deal." But here we are again...a preview of yet another offseason of the Redskins' shotgun approach to player management. No depth chart is too deep or contract too rich to stop the Redskins from desperately grasping at every deal.

Photo of Ladell Betts: John McDonnell/The Washington Post