I tend to believe that the simplest answer is the more likely. We aren't dealing with a bunch of Socrates and R.A. Dickeys here. We are dealing with jocks. Meat.
He was full of crap then and I think he is full of crap now. He wouldn't have been a fit then or now so I don't know why some fans are choking like we missed some prime opportunity. (Not saying here necessarily, but in other parts of this great Interweb.)
He is known to be the absolute opposite of "meat". Zack is known as a true student of the game and very cerebral. I'm one to think that if the Nats actually offered him a deal, he probably would have wanted to go to DC over LA or Texas.