The Washington Redskins traded disgruntled defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth to the New England Patriots for a 2013 fifth-round draft pick. The move avoids the drama that would have ensued if Haynesworth showed up at Redskins training camp which opens today in Ashburn, Virginia.
Haynesworth single-handedly drove Adam Archuleta out fan recollection as worst free agent in Redskins history. He was also cited as No. 1 in the NFL Network’s compilation of Top 10 Worst Free Agent Deals in NFL History. Actually, NFL-N said “any deal made by Washington” was number one on the list, but the episode focused on Haynesworth as the most recent example. (Note: NFL-N acknowledged that London Fletcher is the exception to the “any deal made by Washington” tag.)
Goes to show how smart I am. Like most fans, I assumed that neither Haynesworth nor Donovan McNabb had any trade value after the way each were savaged by Mike Shanahan. The Redskins got something more than a ham sandwich for each of them. For that, Shanahan and Bruce Allen deserve kudos. Good going, guys. Now, the coaching staff and players can be 100 percent focused on winning games. May Shanallenhan’s future moves be free of the Snyderrato taint that was a feature of the 2010 season.
Shanahan did not want Haynesworth to “win” by releasing him as a free agent. It was misplaced focus. Haynesworth will always be Haynesworth where ever he goes. I am not certain he would have been offered a contract as good as the one he now has and he already has $40 million of Dan Snyder’s money. Haynesworth hardly loses by going to the Patriots. He’s with a legit playoff team, positioned to join Brad Johnson, Stephen Davis, Antonio Pierce and Ryan Clark as ex-Redskins who made a Super Bowl appearance before Snyder does.
The Patriots were ranked 25th on defense in 2010…and they play from a 3-4 defensive set. If anyone can get performance from Big Al, it’s Bill Belichick. New England visits FedEx Field to face the Redskins on December 11.
Haynesworth departure signals Washington’s strong interest in someone like Packers free agent Cullen Jenkins to bolster the D-line. Jenkins is a premium target drawing interest from the Cowboys, Ravens and Broncos to name a few teams. There will be a bidding war for his services, just when Washington’s front office shows an aversion to over-paying players.
Word was that WR Sidney Rice was a top free agent target of the Redskins. No longer. Rice will sign a five year, $41 million contract, $18.5 guaranteed, to join the Seattle Seahawks according to the Portland Olympian and other media outlets. Jason LaCanfora reported on NFL Total Access that Minnesota and Seattle were the only serious suitors for Rice.
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