Swearinger backtracks after criticising Redskins for trading Fuller

D.J. Swearinger was irate when the Washington Redskins let go of Kendall Fuller in the Alex Smith trade, but the standout safety has since come to grips with the move.

"I'm extremely over it," Swearinger said Monday on NFL Network. "I understand the business is the business. I was a little heated, I didn't want to see one of my guys that I was in the meeting room with, shedding blood, sweat, and tears - did a lot of things, a lot of great plays for us, but for the future, we got what we needed, and the organization handled it the way they needed to handle it. And my hat's off to the organization. I didn't handle that the correct way and we're moving forward now."

In the initial aftermath of the deal - which can't be made official until the beginning of the new league year - Swearinger questioned why the Redskins would part with "the best slot corner in the game."

At the time, he opined Washington weakened itself with the trade. Two weeks later, Swearinger said he's begun to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

"I think we can be better," Swearinger said of the Redskins, who went 7-9 in 2017. "I don't know what Alex (from) a leadership standpoint brings, but I hear he is a great player. I see he is a great player. He's done a lot of great things in this league. A Pro Bowl guy and I can't wait to get with him and get some championships going."

In addition to Fuller, Washington surrendered a third-round pick to acquire Smith from the Kansas City Chiefs. Smith's arrival also likely signaled the end of quarterback Kirk Cousins' time with the Redskins, as he'll hit free agency, poised to land one of the richest contracts in NFL history.