ASHBURN — At first, D.J. Swearinger thought Ha Ha Clinton-Dix was just being competitive. The two friends, after all, usually are with each other.
The Redskins safety checked his phone Tuesday afternoon and saw Clinton-Dix texted him, ’Coming to you, bro.’ He initially ignored the message, assuming his fellow safety had been referencing their interception totals. Swearinger leads the league with four picks this season, and Clinton-Dix isn’t far behind with three.
But moments later, Swearinger got a different text and he quickly realized what Clinton-Dix was talking about: they were now teammates.
And Swearinger instantly became excited about the possibilities.
By trading a fourth-round pick to the Green Bay Packers on Tuesday for Clinton-Dix, the Redskins have, at least on paper, formed one of the league’s top safety tandems.
“It’s going to be something they ain’t ever seen before, man,” Swearinger said Wednesday. “I don’t think they ready for it.”
Swearinger knows Clinton-Dix well. This offseason, the two spent time together in an intense series of workouts in Miami. The two share a similar passion for the game and work ethic.
When the Packers played the Redskins in Week 3, Swearinger even exchanged hand slaps with the safety after Clinton-Dix grabbed an interception right in front of Washington’s sideline. It was a mutual sign of respect.
Swearinger’s presence was partly why Clinton-Dix was excited to be traded.
“I’m real close with him,” Clinton-Dix said. “I watch a lot of his games. I study his tape. I love the way he plays the game. I’m excited to be back there with him. There’s a lot I can learn from. … I’m ready to get in and contribute in any way I can and help this team win.”
The trade has him fired up — “super high,” he said. The 25-year-old noted he found out about the deal two minutes before the league’s deadline.
He knew a move was a possibility. In the last year of his rookie deal, Green Bay has a history of not retaining notable defensive players. Clinton-Dix watched as the Packers failed to re-sign cornerback Casey Hayward and safety Micah Hyde.
Clinton-Dix said he was excited the Redskins “took a chance on me.”
It is a chance. The price of the trade wasn’t high, but the Redskins do face the challenge of incorporating a player midseason to what’s already a strong defense.
With Clinton-Dix’s arrival, Swearinger will likely spend more time as the team’s strong safety. In Green Bay, Clinton-Dix roamed the field as a free safety — and he’s been effective in that role. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2016.
Clinton-Dix and Swearinger are each versatile, a trait that’s helpful in the modern NFL.
“You kind of need a player like that, that’s a little bit of a jack of all trades, can do a little bit of everything because of all the situations they can end up in,” quarterback Alex Smith said.
Coach Jay Gruden doesn’t see a problem.
“It was a chance to get a great player to be honest with you,” Gruden said. “Whatever position that is, if you can add a good player to your football team, you have to do it. I know his contract is what it is, but he can really help us this year and that’s an important thing.”
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