Ladell Betts is getting his first taste of life as a regular starting running back in the NFL, and the results look pretty good.

He's had back-to-back 100-yard games, quite a change of pace for someone who has spent 4{ years as a role player with the Washington Redskins.

``It feels like a long time coming,'' Betts said.

Which leads to the inevitable question: How difficult would it be to go back to being a backup?

``It'd be hard,'' Betts said. ``But, at the same time, I'm a team guy.''

That's what you get with Betts, a player who wants his opportunities, but perhaps not at the cost of stability. With a shot at his first 1,000-yard season, Betts has a chance to parlay success into a nice, new contract _ certainly one that pays better than his current US$585,000 salary _ should he opt to become a free agent when his current deal expires at the end of the season.

It would make sense. The Redskins also have Clinton Portis, who set the franchise rushing record last season and in whom the team has invested a ton of money. Portis is out for the year with shoulder and hand injuries, but should be ready to go in 2007.

But coach Joe Gibbs, stung by unexpected free-agent departures the last couple of years, doesn't want Betts to go anywhere and has been talking to the back about a signing a new deal before the season ends. Gibbs said there will be enough opportunities for both Betts and Portis to contribute regularly, not to mention the fact that Betts is good insurance in case Portis gets hurt again.

Betts, for his part, is willing to sign if the offer is reasonable _ even though he says it's important for him to be a starter.

``It's important,'' Betts said. ``Also, being a Redskin is important to me, too.''

Despite starting only five games this season, Betts has run for 643 yards on 141 carries _ a solid 4.6 per carry. He also has 40 receptions, one behind team leader Santana Moss.

Gibbs has long acknowledged having received bad intelligence on Betts when the coach came out of retirement in 2004. Betts had missed much of the previous season with a broken arm, so the coach wasn't able to glean much from looking at the tapes.

``When I first came here, I thought Ladell was a classic halfback that you play on passing downs,'' Gibbs said. ``But I found out right away he runs very forceful. He can do anything for you on the football team.''

By the time Gibbs realized that, it was too late to make Betts a starter. The Redskins had already traded a draft pick and Champ Bailey for Portis, who then signed a $50.5 million contract.

Gibbs has said he doesn't regret going after Portis, but it's not hard to imagine how different the Redskins might be if they still had Bailey, who has become perhaps the premier cornerback in the NFL.

Also, while the slash-and-dash Portis played well last year, he sometimes appears to be an awkward fit for a coach who prefers smashmouth runs, which Betts can do well.

``He is a tough downhill runner,'' said Philadelphia coach Andy Reid, whose Eagles visit the Redskins on Sunday. ``He is the kind of back that Coach Gibbs likes.''

Betts has bided his time working hard on special teams. He was the Redskins' chief kickoff return man in 2002, '04 and '05. He would get occasional carries, but never had more than 371 yards rushing for a season. He learned how to patiently read blocks while gaining the coaches' confidence.

``Since Clinton got here, it gave me a chance to compete with what most people consider one of the better backs in the NFL,'' Betts said. ``And having a chance to compete with him on a regular basis, I realize I can do these things, too. When Clinton wasn't in there, they didn't have a problem putting me in.''

Betts has benefited from Gibbs' declaration two weeks ago that the Redskins (4-8), slumping toward another non-winning season, would return to their run-first ways. He had 24 carries for 104 yards against Carolina and a career-high 28 carries for a career-high 155 yards against Atlanta.

His stock is going up.

``I'm sure it is, but I've got four games left,'' he said. ``There's a lot of room for error, and a lot of room to keep going up. We'll see what happens.''

© The Canadian Press, 2007