Springs Will Miss Three to Six Weeks

In addition to acquiring Rumph, the Redskins waived Ben Emanuel, who was beaten for a touchdown Sunday in Cincinnati and left the game on crutches. Yesterday, he left Redskins Park on crutches with a sore ankle and hamstring. Rumph, a former cornerback who played safety last season, will be asked to ramp up quickly, as reserve cornerback Ade Jimoh is injured and backup Kenny Wright has struggled grasping the Redskins' system.

Cornerbacks coach Jerry Gray said of Rumph: "To me, the big thing is whatever he learned in San Francisco he has to bring here and flip it over into words. Defenses are all about the same."

Gibbs was unsure if Springs's injury is a variation of an old one. On consecutive plays in the first half last Dec. 11 against Arizona, Springs injured his back and groin. He struggled for the remainder of the season but did not miss a game, playing in consecutive victories against Dallas, the New York Giants and Philadelphia.

But Springs's health was declining. In the playoff-clinching season finale at Philadelphia, Springs aggravated the groin in the second quarter as the Eagles challenged him on three consecutive plays, the last resulting in a touchdown pass to wide receiver Reggie Brown. Springs left the game and did not return.

He missed the Redskins' playoff opener against Tampa Bay, and missed significant time the next week against Seattle. Throughout the season's final month and into the playoffs, Springs was convinced that he was suffering from a sports hernia, the same injury that finished Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb for the season last year. It was Meyer, incidentally, who performed hernia surgery on McNabb.

The Portis and Springs injuries are not merely annoying for the Redskins, but specifically problematic given their positions. Portis is a power running back who prides himself on throwing his body into opponents whether he is carrying the football or blocking.

Portis already intimated, and reiterated his position yesterday, that he is concerned that his loose shoulder will become the focus of opposing defenses, but he said he cannot alter his approach.

There are few injuries more difficult for a cornerback than a groin injury. Springs recognized that when opposing defenses challenged him not simply by throwing the ball in his direction, but by running routes that tested his lateral mobility, his ability to cut and stop and change direction.

Defensive end Phillip Daniels played with a groin injury for most of last season, and though he did not miss many games, he was nonetheless unable to reach full acceleration for much of the year.

"The thing about Shawn is that he's a good kid. I think he was having one of his better camps, hadn't missed a day and for him to go and get this done I think will only help him out," Gray said. "My job is to ensure that he keeps progressing even when he's not on the field."