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ASHBURN, Va. – A lesson learned in San Francisco in the 1990s put Pro Bowl defensive end Jason Taylor in a Washington uniform last week.

When it comes to great pass rushers, the 49ers taught Vinny Cerrato during his tenure as director of player personnel in the 1990s, don't look at the birth certificate. Look at the tape.

That's why Cerrato, now executive vice president of football operations for the Redskins, had no reservations sending two draft picks, a second and a fifth, to Miami for Taylor, who turns 34 in September.

"If you look at the history of the elite pass rushers, the Hall of Fame pass rushers, they all played well into their 30s," Cerrato said. "I know – I've been around all of them except Reggie White and [Michael] Strahan."

Indeed, Cerrato has been around quite a few. As part of his pro personnel responsibilities at San Francisco in the 1990s, he evaluated the game tapes of Kevin Greene, Chris Doleman, Richard Dent and Rickey Jackson before all were offered contracts by the 49ers.

Jackson was 35 and Dent 34 when they signed with San Francisco in 1994. Dent collected two sacks in two games before suffering a season-ending injury in 1994. Jackson collected 3½ sacks that season and 9½ in 1995. Dent ranks sixth on the all-time sack list, Jackson 10th.

Doleman was 35 when the 49ers signed him in 1996. He collected 11 sacks that season, 12 more in 1997 and 15 in 1998. Greene also was 35 when the 49ers signed him in 1997. He collected 10½ sacks in his only season in San Francisco. Greene ranks third on the all-time sack list, Doleman fourth.

Cerrato moved to Washington in 1999 and did the film study on Bruce Smith in advance of his signing by the Redskins in 2000. He was 37 years old and gave Washington 10 sacks that season. Smith would play four seasons with the Redskins, collecting 29 sacks to become the NFL's all-time leader.

"Chris Doleman came out as a speed rusher," Cerrato said. "But when we got him at San Francisco, he was a technician. Dent was a technician. His speed was gone. Bruce Smith was a technician.

"When the great ones lose a step, they can still get sacks because of their smarts and techniques. At that age, pass rushing becomes more of an art form. They know how to counter everything."

Taylor isn't the speed rusher today that he was at 28 when he led the NFL with 18½ sacks. His feet may have slowed some but not his production. He recorded 12 sacks at 31, 13½ at 32 and 11 last season at 33.

As Taylor has grown older, he, too, has relied on his veteran wile to trap quarterbacks. He ranks 14th on the all-time sack list with 117 – an average of 10.6 per season in his career.

"Jason Taylor is a Hall of Fame pass rusher," Cerrato said.

Redskins owner Dan Snyder was an easy sell in the deal for Taylor. He grew up a fan of the Redskins and watched Hall of Fame coaches George Allen in the 1970s and Joe Gibbs in the 1980s win by embracing older players.

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Jason Taylor joined the Washington Redskins after 11 seasons with the Miami Dolphins.

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Allen coached the Over the Hill Gang to the Super Bowl in 1972. David "Deacon" Jones, Boyd Dowler, Dave Robinson and Jim Tyrer were all-decade selections in the 1960s who migrated to the Redskins in their 30s. So did veteran Pro Bowlers Mike Curtis, Jake Scott and Richie Petitbon. All won championships elsewhere in their 20s before joining the Allen Redskins.

Gibbs won three Super Bowls, numbering quarterback Doug Williams and linebacker Matt Millen among his 30-something imports. Snyder brought in 1990 all-decade performers Smith and Deion Sanders, plus veteran Pro Bowlers Mark Brunell and Troy Vincent since taking ownership of the Redskins in 1999. All were in their 30s.

"This franchise knows how to take care of the veteran guys," Cerrato said.

Now the Redskins expect Taylor to show his gratitude. The great ones always do.