At his introductory press conference, Adam Archuleta listened as defensive boss Gregg Williams listed his superlatives. He studied the game; he played physical; he did as coaches asked. And Williams talked about how they discussed defense all day, about six or seven hours more than the normal free agent visit.
By the start of the season, Archuleta had fallen from favor. By the end of the season, he was a non-factor. And now he’s an ex-Redskin.
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The trade with Chicago, in which Washington will receive a sixth-round draft choice for a player it made the highest paid safety in the game only a year ago, will be made official today.
Regardless, the Bears likely will try to do with Archuleta what the Redskins did not: use him as an in-the-box safety, keeping him out of coverage where he has struggled his entire career.
Yet, for whatever reason, that’s what the Redskins asked him to do. But because their corner play was suspect early in the season, and because of injuries to Shawn Springs and lack of progress by Carlos Rogers, Washington needed its safeties to cover more.
However, Sean Taylor is not considered a good cover safety. That left them with two safeties best suited to play in the box.
“When they signed Archuleta, I scratched my head and said, ‘How is that going to work?’” one NFL executive said. “Common sense told me it wouldn’t.”
It didn’t.
Archuleta would have been replaced in the starting lineup by Pierson Prioleau, had the latter not been lost for the year on the opening kick of the season. Prioleau, who is adequate in coverage, will likely open the season as the starting safety opposite Taylor. The Redskins also signed Omar Stoutmire as a backup and have Vernon Fox.
Archuleta also was widely seen by teammates as a source for a controversial article on ESPN.com, which he denied.
His inability to make an impact in Washington was not his fault alone.
“[Owner Dan] Snyder should want someone’s head for this,” the executive said.
It’s doubtful that will happen. At least not now. The point is this: Archuleta played as advertised; he wasn’t good against the pass and his tackling was inconsistent. That was the book on him in St. Louis. He’s not the one who messed up. It was the team that signed him to such a big deal in the first place.
Money matters
» The Bears will pay Archuleta $8.l million over three years; a Chicago source said Washington will pay some of his salary. Archuleta took a pay cut to agree to this move; the Redskins will save about $4 million against the salary cap.
