A SCOUTING PARADISE

The Skins find defensive line help in Hawaii

The next time a Pro Bowler—let's say, a pending free agent—shows up in Hawaii for what has always been considered a tropical vacati0n, he might want to rememberto lace up his shoes in practice. Or, better yet, run … don't walk. A big payday just might be a stake, and someone might be watching.

The Washington Redskins dispatched assitant GM Joe Mendes to Honolulu for this year's Pro Bowl so he could scope out potential free agent defensive linemen. "where else can you compare the best against the best, not only competitively, but personally?" Mendes asks. "You match up a husband with his wife. You see him with his kids. You see whether he has some pizzazz or not. When you're investing this kind of money, why wouldn't you want to check?"

Mendes says he was impressed with most of the players he silently observed—NFL tampering rules prohibit any contact. He paid keen attention to the 49ers' Dana Stubblefield, who "intermingled very well with everyone." Says Mendes: "He was bright-eyed, upbeat, he had a bounce in his step. You always have game film to show you what the person does on Sundays, but you have to live with the guy for six other days. Now you can sell your owner on the whole package." Redskins owner John Kent Cooke was sold, signing Stubblefield for $36 million over six years on Feb. 23. But the Skins were also searching for another defensive tackle. The top two candidates were Oakland's Chester McGlockton and Cincinnati's Dan Wilkinson.

McGlockton? He might have blown it in Hawaii. Though Mendes won't confirm, he was present one day when McGlockton arrived late for a workout and then walked a slow lap around the field after his teammates had just jogged it. He also irked the AFC coaches by failing to lace up his shoes during practices. McGlockton or Wilkinson? McGlockton had a more impressive playing resume, but three days after signing Stubblefield, the Skins sent first- and third-round choices to Cincinnati for Wilkinson, who signed a five-year, $21.4 million contract. Wilkinson wasn't even at the Pro Bowl.

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