"We now know that at least five of the tailbacks who finished last season as members of the Redskins -- Rock Cartwright, Ladell Betts, Quinton Ganther, Marcus Mason and Eddie Williams -- will be continuing their careers somewhere else. The Redskins need to reload their backfield and one of the top candidates appears to be Pittsburgh's Willie Parker.

Parker will visit Redskins Park next week, according to a league source. The visit was first reported by KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh. The 29-year-old Parker is an unrestricted free agent this year. He appeared in 14 games last season for the Steelers -- starting only three -- and finished the season with 389 yards on 98 carries. Parker started Pittsburgh's first three games last year, missed a

couple of games due to injury and when he was healthy enough to

return, he'd lost his starting job to Rashard Mendenhall.

Parker, a two-time Pro Bowler who's known for his speed, is not far removed from years in which he was one of the AFC's more productive backs. Last season, in fact, was his worst statistically since his rookie campaign. Parker topped 1,000 yards from 2005-07 and still had 791 yards in 2008, a season in which he missed five games due to injury.

Parker is known for a strong work ethic, and the possible tandem of Clinton Portis and Parker in the backfield would be a significant upgrade over what the Redskins fielded in last season."