Westbrook's brother signs with Washington

ASHBURN, Va. - The NFC East now might have a Westbrook brother on either side of the ball.

The Washington Redskins yesterday signed Byron Westbrook, the brother of Eagles running back Brian Westbrook.

Byron, an undrafted defensive back from Division III Salisbury, attracted the coaches' attention during a recent rookie camp.

Westbrook, 5-10 and 194 pounds, had 18 career interceptions at Salisbury, was a three-time all-conference selection and also returned punts and kickoffs.

"He's a bigger cornerback," Brian told the Daily News before the draft. "He's a physical guy . . . He's definitely athletic. He's one of those guys that [physically] matured a little bit later. With the proper coaching, he can definitely be an NFL player."

So, is there a downside to being Brian Westbrook's younger brother?

"The only negative thing is that people expect me to fill his shoes," Byron told the Redskins' Web site. "But I'm not a running back, I'm a cornerback. I play on a defense. I'm trying to hit him.

"And if I'm on the Redskins, I'd have the chance to get back at him two times a year for the 22 years he's been punishing me since I was a baby."

The Redskins recently have added other players with family ties in the NFL. Last month, the team drafted Carson Palmer's brother (Jordan Palmer), Dawan Landry's brother (LaRon Landry) and the son of former NFL player Bennie Blades (H.B. Blades). *