Redskins offensive tackle Tyler Polumbus joined the Redskins as a free agent on Nov. 9, 2011.
There was no fanfare, no press conference, and hardly a media firestorm. All that he has done since then is appear in 20 games, starting 19, and provide the Redskins with a young, consistent option at right tackle.
The 27-year-old was an undrafted free agent out of Colorado in 2008 and failed to latch on in Denver, Detroit or Seattle.
Coming to Washington, Polumbus finally had the opportunity to show a coaching staff what he could do when thrown into the fire.
"Just getting a chance to go out there on the field and getting as many reps as I got, you're going to grow and you're going to get better," Polumbus explained. "[I] had some ups and downs this season, as everybody does, but that was the good part about getting to come out the next Sunday: to learn from your mistakes and try to get better."
Polumbus was part of an offensive attack that led the NFL with 2,709 rushing yards, despite not having a single member of the running backs or offensive line elected to the Pro Bowl.
The Redskins also set a franchise low with 14 turnovers on offense, as the offensive line protected the running backs and gave Robert Griffin III time to throw.
While Polumbus said the offensive line was pleased with the team's improvement over 2011, he knows this unit is capable of achieving more.
"That seven-game win streak was a lot of fun and certainly we have some good feelings from that," he said. "Unfortunately we're going out with a sour note. I think that we all felt that we had a lot of potential to do great things, and we didn't finish the way we wanted to.
"Like [head] coach [Mike] Shanahan says all the time: only one team feels good at the end of the season."
If not re-signed by 4 p.m. on March 12th, Polumbus will be a free agent and could draw interest from other teams.
For what it's worth, Polumbus would like to remain in Washington, where he has made a career and his family has found a home.
"I certainly have no idea what the future is going to hold. I know I want to be back here," he said. "I'm looking forward to see what happens and hopefully I'll be back here."
Without going into specifics, head coach Mike Shanahan said at the end of the season that the team was interested in retaining some of its free agents.
He also said that continuity on the offensive line was a big part of the unit's success this season.
"You have guys that have been together for a couple of years. That is big time," he explained. "Polumbus, obviously, not a couple of years [here] but is very familiar with the terminology of the system. He is a very sharp guy and a quick learner.
"Mostly the guys we have brought in are on top of their game as well. So they are able to do a lot of things if somebody does go down and hopefully not miss a beat."
Polumbus has returned to his native Colorado and said that he will take some time to spend with his young family before returning to training.
He understands the evaluation process that goes on between now and free agency, and hopes that it leads him back to Washington to offseason training activities.
"I know the coaches are going to sit down and evaluate everything," he said. "They'll do breakdowns over the whole season and grade you out and we'll see what the total evaluation comes in at.
"I was certainly grateful for the opportunity. I feel like I did a lot of good things and I became a better football player this year."
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