Mason's Role Is Defined

With four running backs on the roster, Marcus Mason is not expected to be active often during the season.

Barring injury or unforeseen circumstances, starter Clinton Portis and backup Ladell Betts, the team's primary third-down back, will be active every game. Rock Cartwright is a standout on special teams, so he's in the mix every game as well.

"I envision him being in that situation where, if he becomes a core special teams player, he can make a case for being active," Coach Jim Zorn said of Mason. "Other than that, I don't know how I can activate four running backs, so he'll be on that bubble, trying to get active. Part of that will be up to him and how he works into special teams. We can't just have him as the fourth guy, or even the third guy."

If Portis or Betts were unable to practice, Mason would get the reps and play during the season.

"Mason is our number three guy," running backs coach Stump Mitchell said. "If something happened where both of those guys, Ladell and Clinton, were banged up during the course of the week and couldn't practice, [like last year, when Shaun] Alexander took all the reps, but those two guys played during the course of the game.

"It wouldn't be that way this year. If Mason is taking all of the reps, he definitely would be getting some of the carries during the course of the game."

Mason has much improved in pass protection, Mitchell said.

"He had the opportunity to pick up blitzes during the preseason," Mitchell said. "He did that."

-- WILLIAMS MAKES IT BY A HAIR: It would have been ridiculous for the Redskins to put so much into Mike Williams, who has not played in a regular season game since 2005, and cut him before the season started. Williams's standing became somewhat shaky in the final weeks of the preseason.

Some in the organization expressed concern about Williams because he missed considerable time with an abdominal strain and ankle injury. If Williams had not played in the final preseason game against Jacksonville, he might not have made the team.

The team kept 10 linemen and is fairly comfortable with its depth at guard and center -- but the tackle position is a source of concern.