ASHBURN, Va. -- It was, Washington Redskins strongside linebacker LaVar Arrington agreed, an anomaly. Linebackers in the NFL don't notch just a half-sack in a season, as he did during the 2001 campaign, and still be selected for a starting spot in the Pro Bowl.

In fact, only three times in the last seven seasons has a linebacker registered less than five sacks in a year and earned an all-expenses paid trip to Honolulu courtesy of the NFL and his peers. That he was added to that short list last season was testimony to Arrington's diverse skills and big-play mentality.

	The Eagles have survived the offseason move that allowed Trotter (54) to join Washington.

But in the blueprint renowned defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis has installed in his first season here, it's a good bet Arrington won't have to concern himself with his sack total anymore. Which is fine with Arrington, a defender who loves to get after quarterbacks, and a guy who understands the emotional symbolism of the sack.

"It jacks everybody up," Arrington said. "The players, the fans, the coaches, they all want to see the sack. It's like a dunk in basketball. It's the play that really gets people into the game, you know?"

By putting quarterbacks on the seat of their pants with more regularity in 2002, Arrington figures to bring fans out of their seats, and to add to the regard with which he is held by league personnel directors. There are general managers now who will privately insist that the Cleveland Browns took the wrong Penn State defender, when they had the first choice in the 2000 lottery, and selected end Courtney Brown.

The feeling that Arrington was more a playmaker has, to an extent, been validated in the last two seasons. Brown has had nearly as many injuries, it seems, as sacks. Arrington over the same period has not only established himself as a very solid defender, but now seems poised to emerge as one of the premier players at his position, and perhaps one of the top defenders overall.

His goal, to win defensive most valuable player honors this season, is hardly unfathomable. And his candidacy should be greatly enhanced by the presence of Lewis and two veteran free agent acquisitions, middle linebacker Jeremiah Trotter and weakside linebacker Jessie Armstead.

Given a training camp resurgence by Armstead, whose former coaches with the New York Giants didn't try to camouflage the fact they felt he was in severe decline, the Redskins unit ranks among the best in the league. But even Trotter, who has been to the last two Pro Bowl games and was cited as the Philadelphia Eagles most valuable defensive player in 2000 and 2001, acknowledges that Arrington is special.

"Really, there's nothing he can't do . . . rush the passer, drop (in coverage), stuff the run," Trotter said. "He has tremendous ability and he plays with great (passion). You see in his eyes that he wants to make every play and he's disappointed when he doesn't. Part of being a great player is wanting to be great. And he wants to be great."

It certainly appears that Lewis, who worked with a superb linebacker corps while with the Baltimore Ravens, plans on providing Arrington a diverse platform from which to launch himself into an elite class. Lewis not only perused tapes of Arrington's first two NFL campaigns, but also went back and reviewed his college career at Penn State.

If there was a criticism of Arrington in college, it was that he probably freelanced too much, created big plays by gambling outside the envelope of the Penn State scheme. But what Lewis found was that there was a significant degree of freedom for Arrington inherent in the Penn State scheme. While it was accurate that Arrington sometimes took matters into his own hands, and occasionally ignored the system, it was also obvious that the Nittany Lions staff designed some packages to take advantage of his instincts.

	“	Really, there's nothing he can't do . . . rush the passer, drop (in coverage), stuff the run. He has tremendous ability and he plays with great (passion). You see in his eyes that he wants to make every play and he's disappointed when he doesn't. Part of being a great player is wanting to be great. And he wants to be great. ”
		— Jeremiah Trotter, Redskins linebacker on LaVar Arrington

And make no mistake about it, Arrington is a player whose awareness and feel for the game is rare, a guy who loves to attack but who does not do so mindlessly. There is a pretty big difference between playing recklessly, and playing with reckless abandon, and Arrington is tuned into the latter. He has been out of control at times in his first two years, but more in terms of his emotions, not in playing outside of the defensive framework.

In his first two seasons, Arrington, 24, has started in 25 games and has 173 tackles, 4½ sacks, three interceptions and two fumble recoveries. His interception and 67-yard return for a touchdown against Carolina last season ignited the Redskins' strong finish. Washington was 0-5 at the time and trailing 14-0 to the Panthers in the fourth quarter when he stepped in front of a Chris Weinke pass. The Skins subsequently won the game in overtime and went on to win seven of their next 10 contests.

"There's no doubt that play was the singular turnaround," said former Redskins coach Marty Schottenheimer. "And there is no doubt it was a good look at the kind of impact player LaVar Arrington will be in the NFL."

Impact is a word Arrington likes, both in literal and also figurative terms. He is typically in good hitting position, squared up and broken down for the tackle, but also chases plays well. And when he is in pursuit, and launches himself into a player, the collision can be a loud one. He steers clear of addressing his disdain for quarterbacks, but it is clear he takes some satisfaction from planting them, and driving them into the ground. It was just such a hit, in his rookie season, that all but ended Troy Aikman's career. On Sunday night, he left Pittsburgh quarterback Kordell Stewart with a concussion on a similar tackle.

"They can do a lot to help the offense, but I don't think they can (legislate) against clean, hard hits," Arrington said. "That's my job, man, but it's also part of the fun of the game. And I love to have fun out there."

There is some irony in the fact it's the Washington offense that is supposed to be fun to watch in 2002. But for all of the offensive explosiveness in the preseason, the suspicion here is that the Washington defense will be a stronger unit once the regular season commences.

There remain question marks upfront, but the linebackers are top-shelf and Champ Bailey and Fred Smoot represent one of the better young cornerback tandems in the league. It is a defense, in terms of both personnel and design, that has excited Arrington. It is a defense, said Armstead, which is geared around Arrington's playmaker skills.

"He is ready," Armstead assessed, "for the next level."

Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.