Report states he'll show for start of offseason program Brad Biggs
Maybe the Washington Redskins have limited themselves to window shopping in free agency, at least when it comes to the big-ticket items, because of the massive $21 million option bonus the team owes Albert Haynesworth this spring.
Whatever the case, the club is counting on much bigger things from the veteran defensive lineman in his second season, and Haynesworth will reportedly get off to the right start with the new regime by reporting Monday for the beginning of the (voluntary) offseason workout program at Redskins Park, reports Jason Reid of the Washington Post.
That’s a step in the right direction for Haynesworth, who at the end of the season last year admitted to being unhappy in former coordinator Greg Blache’s defense. As a league source said at the time, if he thought that scheme went against what Haynesworth wanted to do, just wait until he gets into the 3-4 defense Jim Haslett will run for Mike Shanahan.
Reid paints a positive picture, at this point, reporting that Haynesworth met with team officials in January when these changes were discussed. The Redskins know they need to get All-Pro level production from Haynesworth to justify the massive contract he got and make the defense go.
“The Redskins do not plan to use Haynesworth as a classic nose tackle, the team sources said,” Reid wrote. “Defensive coordinator Jim Haslett intends to use multiple fronts and envisions Haynesworth moving between the nose and end spots in hybrid alignments. With what Haslett has planned, the Redskins believe Haynesworth will thrive.”
That sounds good right now. But the Redskins can’t be in a hybrid all the time. Whether Haynesworth is askied to play the nose or end in a three-man front, neither spot is going to allow him the freedom he is seeking. If the two sides get off to a good start, perhaps they can find a situation where Haynesworth is happy. So far, so good. But we’re, oh, six months away from the regular season.
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Bottom line is that he has everything looked for and needed in a top nose tackle, and he doesn't seem to want to do what it takes to play there. His disposition made him a bad fit for the old system, and appears to make him a a terrible fit for the new system. The question is whether he even cares how well he plays under the new system. It seems to me he'll be happy if he has good looking statistics and unhappy if he feels himself bogged in the line with no chance to pad tackle and sack totals, nevermind the impact on the rest fo the team. Unfortunately, the contract is just too big to be able to apply motivators to him. So whether he wants to be a team player or a sack/TFL leader should become obvious quickly. We'll definitively discover all we need to know about his character in the next 9 months.
The Redskins' switch to a 3-4 is assanine. Good coaches are supposed to build schemes around the players they have. Last year the D-line got 34 sacks, the most they've gotten in almost 20 years. Why change it, when we don't have the personnel? I hope Shanny's defense isn't as bad as it was in Denver....
I really think that a guy like Albert can thrive in any scheme , but what annoys me about this situation is that Albert should smile and thank god he plays a game we did as kids and is going to make over 20 million this year alone to play it!! You are a professional and he is "on board" for "right now"? Seems to me professionals should be down for whatever the team asks. I think the switch will be good, Orakpo will thrive and Haynesworth can come of the end. Orakpo was a rookie last year and will be that much better this year, I bet our defense is better this year statistically, we have to worry about our OFFENSIVE LINE.
MLB did nothing to honor the Yankees playing their last game in historic Yankee stadium, so I don't see why the NFL will do anything here. They will just let the computer set the schedule and whoever gets the first home game gets it. Goodell can claim it was just chance and steer clear of the controversy.
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Mar 14, 2010
05:53 PM
What, are DTs the new WRs?