by Ryan Wilson
I'll be honest: I'm surprised Shaun Alexander made it six weeks. The Redskins signed the former NFL MVP on Oct. 14 to provide depth behind Clinton Portis after his backup, Ladell Betts, went down with a knee injury. Alexander played in four games, and had 11 carries for 24 yards for a nifty 2.2 rushing average.
And today, Washington released him. From ESPN.com's Mike Sando (via MDS at PFT):
Portis and Betts continue to battle through injuries, but the Redskins apparently felt they needed Alexander's roster spot to help with depth on the defensive line.
Defensive end Andre Carter suffered a foot injury against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 12. Several other defensive linemen are also dealing with injuries.
So now what for Alexander? I suppose there's a chance another team with depth concerns at running back will give him a shot, but unless something opens up, that could be a wrap on his 2008 season, and quite possibly his career.
Before the abbreviated comeback, CBSSports.com's Clark Judge wrote that some NFL personnel types considered Alexander a soft runner and that, along with the ol' Curse of 370, contributed to his inability to find work. For what it's worth, he did seem more aggressive during his brief stint with the Redskins, but I doubt that'll be enough to persuade a team to offer him anything more than a minimum-salary, one-year deal.
On the upside, I won't be able to compare Alexander to Jason Campbell anymore, so there's that.
If You Had Four Games in the 'How Long Will Shaun Alexander Last in DC' Pool, You Win originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:46:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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