ASHBURN, Va. -- After an unhappy training camp with the New York Jets, Pete Kendall got what he wanted: a new team and a new contract. The Washington Redskins got what they needed, a veteran lineman who they hope will make up for their inability to find a suitable starting left guard in the offseason.
Kendall was traded Thursday to the Redskins by the Jets, who will receive a fifth-round pick in 2008 or a fourth-rounder in 2009, depending on how many snaps he plays this season. The Redskins also did what New York wouldn't - give Kendall a raise of $1 million, boosting his salary this year to $2.7 million - as part of a new, two-year $5 million contract.
The NFL Network's Adam Schefter reports that Kendall has passed his physical, allowing the deal to be completed.
"It's exciting to me, and it's a relief, too," Kendall said at Redskins Park after taking a physical, "to have what was hanging over me over with now."
It's a trade the Jets had to make, and one the Redskins had hoped to avoid. Kendall had asked to be traded or released because New York wouldn't renegotiate his contract, and his frustration was evident daily in his body language on the training camp practice field -- where he stood far from his teammates while the first-team offense practiced.
"We were really comfortable with the trade and the value that we got in the trade," Jets coach Eric Mangini said. "When this opportunity presented itself, we thought it was a good opportunity and, as always, we're trying to make the best decisions to help the team win."
For the Redskins, the trade ends coach Joe Gibbs' unusually frugal effort to replace Derrick Dockery, who signed a huge contract with Buffalo as an unrestricted free agent in the spring. Gibbs' first option was to talk Todd Wade -- a career tackle -- into re-signing and moving to guard, but Wade struggled at training camp before hurting his shoulder in the first preseason game.
"I'm not totally surprised," said Wade, who expects to become a backup tackle again. "I'm a little disappointed as far as the timing of all this, but the coaches have to feel confident, and get a guy in there as soon as possible and get him ready for the (season opening) Miami game. Me not being able to get out there and prove myself puts my situation in a bind."
Mike Pucillo, mostly a backup in his four NFL seasons and more naturally a center, took over when Wade was injured, but he was partly responsible for allowing the hit by Brett Keisel that nearly ended quarterback Jason Campbell's season last week against Pittsburgh. Campbell was fortunate to escape with a badly bruised knee and won't play this week against Baltimore.
Running out of options, Gibbs made the trade even though he had hoped to curtail the strategy of trading draft picks, a philosophy that has slowly depleted the team's depth. He was vague when discussing the trade Thursday, declining to discuss Kendall's expected role in detail and defending the move by saying: "If you feel like it's a good deal for you, you do it."
Kendall, 34 years old and in his 12th season, will now have to take the quickest crash course of his career if he's to learn the offense and develop a chemistry with the other starting linemen in time for the season opener Sept. 9.
"That may be a bigger challenge -- for those guys to feel comfortable with me and me with them -- than actually learning the assignments," Kendall said. "My goal is to be effective as soon as possible. The hope is that it's by Week 1."
Kendall was lauded by Mangini last season for helping left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson and center Nick Mangold develop as rookies. But things soured in the offseason when Kendall asked for a raise, feeling the Jets had reneged on an understanding that the four-year contract he signed last year would be redone after 12 months if he played well.
Rather than hold out, Kendall was at every practice during training camp because he didn't want to pay the possible $14,000 in fines for every absence. He worked mostly with the second-team offense as Adrien Clarke and sixth-round pick Jacob Bender -- normally a tackle -- practiced with the starters at left guard.
Kendall also worked as the backup center, a position he failed at two years ago when he was pushed into the role because of injures. Last weekend, he botched two snaps out of the shotgun in a preseason game against Minnesota.
Kendall spent three seasons with the Jets and previously played for Seattle and Arizona. He has 156 career starts.
"Pete and I had a great conversation last night," Mangini said. "I wished him well and he thanked me. We joked about having beverages on Cape Cod when I'm down there."
REDSKINS NOTES
Gibbs said Todd Wade will start at quarterback Saturday night in place of Campbell. Collins and Mark Brunell are competing for the No. 2 spot and have been rotating snaps at practice. ... To make room for Kendall, the Redskins cut seventh-round draft pick TE Tyler Ecker, who missed nearly all of camp with a groin injury. He'll be placed on injured reserve if he clears waivers. ... The Redskins also signed free agent FB Fred Beasley and waived RB Dee Brown. Beasley played eight seasons with San Francisco but was out of football last year. ... G Randy Thomas was given a rest day. ... LT Chris Samuels (knee), LB Marcus Washington (elbow), TE Tyler Ecker (groin) and RB Dee Brown (personal matter) did not practice.
