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BY RICH CAMPBELL

ASHBURN

And yet, even from 1,600 miles away and after all that time, he knows what it feels like to be inside these walls right now.

"It was crazy when I left," he said.

Bailey spoke with his typical coolness during a teleconference with reporters yesterday. You know, a high level of serenity can be achieved while playing for an organization that has enjoyed some stability and success--elements that were elusive during the star cornerback's tenure with the Redskins from 1999-2003.

He reflected on it yesterday as he prepares to return to FedEx Field for his first game there since the blockbuster trade that sent him to Denver shortly after coach Joe Gibbs' arrival in 2004.

The NFL scheduling formula has delayed Bailey's return until now, but the wait hasn't diminished his memories--good and bad--of the place where he started a career that will likely land him in the Hall of Fame.

"Everywhere I go outside of Denver, the only thing I get is: 'I wish you were still with the Redskins,'" Bailey said. "That's all I get, anywhere I go."

Bailey, 31, became a star almost immediately after the Redskins drafted him seventh overall out of the University of Georgia in 1999. By his second season, he was starting in a secondary that included legendary cornerbacks Darrell Green and Deion Sanders.

Though Bailey began a streak of eight straight Pro Bowls that season, the Redskins flopped and finished 8-8.

"That goes to show you that you just can't win it with just a couple guys," Bailey said. "You've got to have a total team effort. We had a lot of injuries back then, but we didn't have a great team. We had a lot of great players, but our team wasn't great by any stretch."

Sound familiar? Similar refrains have been uttered here numerous times during the Redskins' 2-6 start.

Bailey's five seasons with the Redskins were marked by constant change. He played for three full-time head coaches, one interim head coach and five different defensive coordinators.

Washington made the playoffs in his rookie season but went 39-43 during his tenure.

"When I left there, it was a swinging door," Bailey said.

The end came when Redskins owner Daniel Snyder did not meet Bailey's request for a contract extension after his rookie contract expired. He soured on the organization and became resigned to playing elsewhere.

"I was trying to be optimistic about it, but with the way contract talks were going, I knew things would have to change dramatically for things to happen right," Bailey said. "I was all for going back there, but it just didn't work out that way."

Denver was a willing trade partner, and he signed a seven-year, $63 million deal with the Broncos. The Redskins also traded away a second-round draft pick to acquire running back Clinton Portis, who signed an eight-year $50 million deal and now ranks second on the franchise's all-time rushing list.

"Financially, it did me good because I got what I wanted as far as my contract," Bailey said. "I came to a good franchise. That worked out great. I was going to a place that was real stable for a number of years."

Bailey says he has adjusted well to the first coaching change of his Broncos' tenure. Josh McDaniels took over for Mike Shanahan this season and has Denver in first place.

Over the years, Bailey has remained very close with current Redskins cornerback Fred Smoot. Washington drafted Smoot in 2001, and they formed a formidable tandem until Bailey's departure.

"You don't take too many friends away from this game," said Smoot, who broke his media silence on the special occasion to discuss his relationship with Bailey. "We're all working partners and we all do stuff, but every once in a while you run into a guy that you understand you'll be friends with a long way down the line."

Smoot and Bailey talk once or twice a week, Smoot said, and they frequently hook up to play video games against each other online.

"I appreciate Champ the person more than I appreciate Champ on the field," Smoot said. "He made my transition from college to the league just perfect. He smoothed everything out for me. He's one of them guys that never get too high when he makes a big play and he never get too low when he gets burned. I learned how to be even-keeled with everything, with the ups and the downs."

Smoot even jokingly lobbied to be the one who introduces Bailey for his Hall of Fame enshrinement speech.

"I'll even the crowd out!" he cracked.

Until then, the debate about which team got the better end of the blockbuster trade continues, with the latest arguments to come on Sunday.

"I think [the Redskins] got what they wanted, and the Broncos got what they wanted," Bailey said. "We're both still playing at a high level. Unfortunately, we've both battled injuries over the last couple of years, but I think they got a good corner and they got a good running back, so that's just how it went."

Rich Campbell: 540/735-1974
Email: rcampbell@freelancestar.com

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