Washington Is Monumental
Once Slighted, Redskins Linebacker Now Is a Fiery Presence

By Howard Bryant
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, January 1, 2006

In the weeks leading to the 2000 NFL draft, Gregg Williams was convinced of one thing: He wanted no part of Marcus Washington, a standout defensive end from Auburn. He thought so little of Washington's potential as a pro football player, in fact, that he did not visit Auburn, even though it is customary to audition players projected to be drafted in the first two rounds.

"We could have drafted him, but I just wasn't interested," said Williams, who at the time was defensive coordinator of the Tennessee Titans. "I couldn't waste a pick on what I thought was a project."

By the spring of 2004, after emerging as one of the rising young outside linebackers in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts, Washington was an unrestricted free agent, and he appeared headed for Pittsburgh. He had even booked a flight to Pittsburgh to visit with Steelers Coach Bill Cowher and his staff.

The free agent period began at midnight on March 1. At 12:05 a.m., the phone rang at Washington's home in Alabama. It was Joe Gibbs, on a conference call with Williams, his new assistant head coach for defense. Gibbs wanted to make a strong first impression and accomplish two goals. The first was to persuade Washington to play for the Redskins. The second was to convince him never to get on that plane to Pittsburgh.

Williams uses his initial snub to stoke Washington's inner fire. And Washington, 28, has responded. He anchors the Redskins' surging defense and is a centerpiece of the makeover of the team from a high-payroll, low-wattage franchise to one that is a victory from advancing to the playoffs for the first time since 1999.

"I was wrong about Marcus Washington. I can say that," said Williams, who in a surprising turn now sees Washington as an extension of himself on the field. "I refused to go work him out because he was a project, and I was tired of projects. The Colts trained him, did an excellent job with him. I got more of a diamond instead of a diamond in the rough."

When Washington thinks about the sequence of events that brought him to the Redskins, the attraction stemmed in some part from Williams's reversal of opinion and excitement about what he could accomplish in Williams's defensive system. What truly brought him to the Redskins, however, was the phone call from Gibbs.

"I had no idea they were even interested in me," Washington said. "I mean, I was prepared to go up and visit Pittsburgh and Coach Gibbs called me. I mean, here's a legend making a phone call personally to tell me he wants me to play for him. He's a Hall of Fame coach. He could have had one of his staff call, but he did it himself. That was the start of it."

That Washington has become the leader of the Redskins' defense is more than just an example of his exceptional talents. His arrival and star turn is indicative of how Gibbs has reshaped the team, beginning with the free agent class of 2004.

Free Agent Roulette

The risks involved with Gibbs returning to the sidelines last season after an 11-year absence were not simply to his winning percentage and legacy. They also involved questions about his ability to reach, cultivate and assess the modern player and to assemble a roster under a salary cap system in which decisions on multimillion-dollar contracts and signing bonuses can make -- or cripple -- a team.

That Washington would be named to the Pro Bowl in 2004 and is second on the team with 114 tackles this season helped validate the coach.

"We studied those players real hard," Gibbs said about his first free agent class, which included Washington, Shawn Springs, Joe Salave'a, Ryan Clark, Phillip Daniels and Cornelius Griffin. "That was the thing that had changed about the NFL when I was coming back this time. I got so excited to think that we could sign a number of free agents. That's people who are playing for someone else, already in this league. And you could watch them. Back then, you would have never had a chance to talk to a Marcus Washington. We made up our mind. When that thing hit 12, we were rolling."

Making the call to Washington and recruiting players was a skill set Gibbs said he hadn't used since he coached high school. As the 2004 free agency season opened, he needed to make a splash. After the 30-minute phone call with Washington, Gibbs was on the phone with Washington's agent, Pat Dye Jr., the son of former Auburn coach Pat Dye. As Pat Dye Jr. recalled, the negotiations of what would become a six-year, $24 million contract with a $7 million signing bonus, were nearly complete. But Washington said he would still honor his commitment to the Steelers. He got on the plane anyway.

Gibbs was not to be outdone; he was quickly adapting to the free agent era. When Washington's meetings with Pittsburgh were complete, there was another plane waiting for him. It was the private plane of Daniel Snyder, the Redskins' owner. Washington didn't go back to Alabama. Snyder's plane flew him to Virginia to sign the contract.

When the deal was done, Bill Polian, the general manager of the Colts, first fumed, raging at the free agent system where he says the rules forced his hand. The Colts had developed Washington but were in tense negotiations with quarterback Peyton Manning. As it appeared the Manning contract was skyrocketing -- "Far north of what we anticipated," Polian said -- the Colts would not be able to keep Washington.

"After that, I said, 'How are we going to keep losing players and still be a good team?' Maybe I shouldn't have said it, but I did," Polian said. To Dye, the choice was an easy one. The Colts were so consumed with Manning, they did not approach Washington, he said.

"They didn't even try to make an offer to keep him," Dye said. "He was a good football player and there were teams that were going to place value on him. For Marcus, it was like leaving college. He didn't have much of a choice."

Polian now speaks with a bittersweet admiration for Washington.

"Unfortunately, Marcus had to make a decision before we were able to. When he signed with the Redskins," Polian said, "it broke my heart."

Talking Stuff

There is nothing subtle about Washington on the field. Redskins defensive end Renaldo Wynn says he has never seen a player with so much enthusiasm. "He's always talking. He's talking to us. To them. He's always got some saying from down South, and we say, 'Man, where'd that one come from?' " Wynn said. "It's all in a good way. He's amazing, you know, a guy who can be so upbeat and at the same time wants to rip your head off."

On its face, it would appear that consecutive dominant seasons from Washington at strong-side linebacker would complement the Redskins' biggest-name defensive player, weak-side linebacker LaVar Arrington, who for his first five years in the league was the most popular member of the team.

Instead, under Gibbs and Williams, Washington is becoming the face of the Redskins, at least in the opinion of the coaches, as Arrington's role has diminished. It is a reversal of fortunes that is not lost on Arrington, who last week said this would likely be his last season with the Redskins.

When Washington was considered a draft project, Arrington was a star at Penn State and would be selected second overall in the 2000 draft by the Redskins, ahead of Washington, Brian Urlacher and Keith Bulluck, whom Williams selected in the first round for the Titans out of Syracuse.

When Washington played outside linebacker in Indianapolis, he was frustrated that he did not play on third downs, which is usually the pass-rushing down. He was a defensive end in college and fancied himself as a good pass rusher. In the recruiting phone call, Williams and Gibbs told Washington that with the Redskins he would play on every down, and his pass-rushing skills would be used.

Today it is Arrington who does not play on third down and feels as though he is being underused. For Arrington, compliments from the coaching staff are few and the ones that do come are nuanced. With Washington, it is clear the Redskins' staff admires him.

Neither man says a rivalry exists between them, but their status with the coaching staff speaks to the changes that have taken place on the team over the last two seasons.

Unlike Williams, Redskins linebackers coach Dale Lindsey says he always knew Washington could be a very good player. Williams did not get on a plane to see Washington before the 2000 draft, but Lindsey, who at the time was linebackers coach with the Chicago Bears, did, meeting him for the first time at the Senior Bowl. He was immediately struck by how unfailingly polite, polished and good Washington was.

At the draft, Lindsey thought he would be a solid high-third-round pick. The Bears selected linebacker Urlacher with the ninth pick, and safety Mike Brown in the second round, hoping Washington would slide to the 69th pick, the Bears' third-round slot. He didn't. The Colts took Washington at 59th overall, the 28th pick of the second round.

Lindsey said that through Washington, he can gauge the pulse of the defense. "Marcus can embarrass you out there," Lindsey said. "He comes out with so much energy in practice that you have to match him. He sets the tone."

Clark said Washington's professionalism distinguishes him. "It grows on everyone. When he works, you want to work. If he's working, and you're not working as hard, you know it. He's not just a teammate, he's my friend. Marcus is a leader."