In the end, neither Larry Johnson nor Willie Parker were answers for the Redskins.

As Jason La Canfora has reported, the Redskins released Johnson on Tuesday, partly because of a shortage of special-teams players. La Canfora maintains it’s a definite possibility that Johnson could be re-signed in the near future.

Hitting rewind for a moment, the Redskins brought in Johnson and Parker during the offseason and flirted with Brian Westbrook in an attempt to create some depth behind Clinton Portis. It didn’t work, and both were jettisoned before Week 3.

Meanwhile, the running game has been anemic in Mike Shanahan’s first season in Washington, a topic that Rick Maese of The Washington Post profiled in a piece Tuesday. Although Shanahan has a prolific resume as a run-orientated coach, Maese points out the Redskins’ offense is more a product of coordinator Kyle Shanahan. The Redskins’ play-calling — 40 runs and 70 passes — through two weeks hardly reflects any of Mike Shanahan’s previous teams.

It’s early, but maybe the Redskins under the Shanahans won’t be who we thought they were going to be. They rank last in rushing in the NFL, averaging 53.5 yards per game, and finished with 18 yards on 17 carries against the Texans.

For now, the move vaults Keiland Williams into the No. 2 role behind Portis, which has fantasy implications for many of you. The Redskins reportedly also signed Chad Simpson for running back depth.

– Frank Tadych

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