clarinews@clarinet.com (WILL DUNHAM, UPI Sports Writer) (02/03/90)
HERNDON, Va. (UPI) -- Two years and two days after Doug Williams led the Washington Redskins to a Super Bowl championship, the club announced Friday that the veteran quarterback was not among the 37 players left protected on its roster. Williams is among 23 Redskins players who are now unrestricted ``Plan B'' free agents able to sign with any other NFL club in the next two months without the Redskins receiving the compensation and right of first refusal usually accompanying free agent signings. Other prominent players included on the list are: running back Kelvin Bryant, who missed all of the 1989 season with a neck injury; running back Jamie Morris, a part-time starter last season; starting middle linebacker Greg Manusky; and cornerback Barry Wilburn, who was suspended for drug use on Nov. 4. Williams, 34, is due to receive $1.2 million during the 1990 season. He missed half of the 1989 season after undergoing surgery in August to correct a herniated disk in his lower back, then started two games in place of Mark Rypien before giving way to Rypien for the final six games of the season. Rypien, chosen as a reserve for Sunday's Pro Bowl in Hawaii, helped the Redskins win their final five games and finish with a 10-6 record. Coach Joe Gibbs said he hopes Williams remains with the team, although Gibbs would not say if the team wanted the veteran back at full salary for 1990. ``In Doug's case, you've got an older guy who's been hurt,'' Gibbs said. ``Doug's done a lot for us. But you take all the things into consideration and you go ahead and take your best shot. We're hoping that somebody else doesn't get him.'' Williams is a nine-year NFL veteran who also played two seasons in the old USFL. He was signed by the Redskins in 1986 and was named Most Valuable Player in Super Bowl XXII after setting four Super Bowl records in guiding Washington to a 42-10 victory over Denver on Jan. 31, 1988. Williams completed 51-of-93 passes for 585 yards, with one touchdown and three interceptions, in 1989. While Williams said he recovered well from the surgery, he seemed even less mobile than usual in his performances after the operation. The Redskins' action indicates the team is satisfied that Rypien or, perhaps, third-string quarterback Stan Humphries can handle the signal-calling duties, even if Williams elects to remain with the team. Under NFL rules, teams are allowed to protect 37 players on Feb. 1. After April 1, the club regains the rights to the unprotected players. The list was sent to the league office in New York Thursday and announced Friday. Gibbs said the team was forced to leave unprotected several players who he hopes will return next season. The Redskins protected only two running backs, Earnest Byner and Gerald Riggs, while protecting eight offensive linemen. Bryant sustained his neck injury in a July car crash in Fairfax and spent the entire season on a reserve list. Bryant was the team's leading rusher in 1988, but his four seasons with Washington after coming out of the USFL were injury-riddled. Redskins General Manager Charley Casserly said Bryant, 29, had physical examinations at Duke University in Durham, N.C., on Thursday and Friday. ``Basically, he still can't pass the physical to play football at this time,'' Casserly said. ``We've been worried about (Bryant's injury). Obviously, it's very serious any time a guy sits out a whole season,'' Gibbs said. ``That's going to be a strictly medical thing with Kelvin.'' Morris was the team's third-leading rusher in 1989 and holds the NFL record for single-game rushing attempts (45). Wilburn, who led the NFL in interceptions in 1987, was a starter at the time of his suspension for reported cocaine use, but never returned to the active roster.