Skins deal quarterback for 4th rounder in 2012
ASHBURN – The disgruntled tackle remained; the quarterback got his wish. When the Redskins draft ended, Albert Haynesworth remained with the franchise while Jason Campbell did not.
The Redskins traded Campbell to Oakland for a fourth-round pick in 2012, ending a five-year relationship marked by flashes of potential, but also inconsistency. Oakland extended Campbell’s contract through the 2011 season, giving him $3.14 million this year and $4.5 million next year.
“It was the place Jason wanted to go,” Redskins general manager Bruce Allen said.
“I feel this is a fresh start for me,” Campbell said on the NFL Network. “We went through a lot in Washington. We lost a lot of linemen and a lot of things went on. I wish nothing but the best for them.”
Teammates anticipated Campbell would be gone a couple months ago, but his future here was sealed when the Redskins acquired Donovan McNabb earlier this month.
With Washington, Campbell was always a subject of discussion. In three-plus years as the fulltime starter, he completed 61.2 percent of his passes for 10,860 yards, 55 touchdowns and 38 interceptions.
He earned praise, especially from teammates, this past season for withstanding punishment behind a patchwork offensive line and still playing 16 games. He threw 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. But there were always skeptics, who pointed to his lack of accuracy downfield – sometimes passes would be completed, but would be high or slightly off. Or they’d point to his lack of instincts and impatience.
“There’s no area of the field that he owns,” one NFL general manager said. “He’s still a work in progress.”
Washington had shopped Campbell last offseason, first hoping to land Jay Cutler and then Mark Sanchez. But the market for him was thin. As late as Thursday, the general manager, who had expressed interest in Campbell, said he doubted a trade would occur because teams knew the Redskins eventually would cut him.
Sources close to Campbell knew teams would want to re-assess their quarterback situation before making a move for him. Oakland has a terrible situation as former top overall pick JaMarcus Russell has been a colossal bust. Bruce Gradkowski tore his pectoral muscle earlier this month, but is expected to be ready for training camp. However, he’s considered a journeyman. The Raiders also signed former Baltimore Ravens quarterback Kyle Boller this offseason.
Still, Campbell said he was told that he would start.
“We had a lot of talks with the Raiders and it was clear they had an interest and we wanted to pursue what we felt was the right thing for Jason,” Allen said.
As for Haynesworth, the Redskins admitted they were listening to offers for the former Pro Bowl tackle, but wanted to get at least second-round value for him. Tennessee reportedly had interest, but had no second-round pick and appeared to only want their former standout at more of a bargain.
But this could become an issue for Washington. Haynesworth was vocal late in the season about his displeasure with the defense. NFL sources say one reason some teams stayed away from him as a free agent is because of his attitude when not playing for a contract. Teammates grumbled about how often he took himself out of games for injuries. He’s already upset the Redskins by working out elsewhere this offseason. Coach Mike Shanahan has said on a number of occasions that he hopes Haynesworth reports to training camp in shape.
“We were not shopping him,” Allen said. “I don’t know why the rumors started. Believe me, Albert’s agent has known from the first week of the league year what our thoughts were. We know where Albert stands and we know where he stands and we’re looking forward to him having a productive season.”
