What are the Redskins thinking?

The Washington Redskins just signed former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Willie Parker. That makes three former All Pro running backs on the 'skins' roster, including Larry Johnson and the incumbent, Clinton Portis.

When Fast Willie Parker was interviewed on Sirius NFL Radio Friday afternoon, he said the reason he wanted out of Pittsburgh so badly was that he felt the system had turned into a passing offense and he wasn't being used in a way that let him show his true talents. He also said they were giving the ball more to Rashard Mendenhall and he wanted to carry the rock more than what he was getting.

So then why in the world would he sign with the Redskins, who already had two quality running backs who probably will be sharing the load in some strange sort of ways with Parker?

But with those three veterans on the roster, not to mention he rest of the offense, how in the world can Parker justify signing there when he didn't see the ball enough to satisfy him when there was only one other running back carrying the load? What does Washington even need those three guys, as they don't nearly complement each other like the Baltimore Ravens so-called three-headed monster, with Ray Rice, Willis McGahee and LeRon McClain?

With formerly disgruntled older guys with histories of injuries between the three, perhaps new head coach Mike Shanahan is just loading up on players and hoping by the time the regular season comes around it will just sort itself out with injuries and lack of production trimming the competition down to size.

Personally, when I heard that Portis had something like a $7 million salary for 2010, I couldn't understand why the team didn't just let him walk and go after another runner like Thomas Jones, who signed with the Kansas City Chiefs for around $5 million a year, way less than what Washington retained Portis for. Continuing my humble opinion, Portis is oft-injured, Johnson is way past his prime and Fast Willie Parker is no long that fast.

Either way, this looks to be a recipe for either failure or enough of a locker room distraction with complaints filling the sports pages and talk radio around DC. Once again though, the Redskins have the rest of the league just shaking their collective heads at what is easily the weak link in the NFC East. However, up here in Baltimore, we are smiling and itching to get the NFL Draft over with and the 2010 season underway.