Six tackles.
Seventy-five snaps.
Those are Washington Redskins defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth’s numbers as the NFL trade deadline approaches Tuesday afternoon. That’s what all the drama since March workouts has been worth — six lousy tackles and a batted pass.
Haynesworth has been the biggest bust to come out of Tennessee since Dolly Parton. He’s had just one fair outing — against Philadelphia with four tackles — two crummy games and three games where he was inactive. He watched Sunday’s 27-24 loss to Indianapolis from a suite.
Coach Mike Shanahan said on Monday that he’ll be glad when the trade deadline passes concerning Haynesworth’s future because, “I’ve been answering that question every day for six months.” Yet Shanahan wouldn’t repeat general manager Bruce Allen’s definitive statement that Haynesworth wouldn’t be traded by teasing, “You’ll just have to wait and see. … There’s a pretty good chance that he won’t be traded.”
If Shanahan was joking, the stoic coach picked a bad time to develop a sense of humor. There’s nothing funny about this sad situation at all.
Why keep someone who has been on the grass less than Cheech and Chong? Haynesworth played only one-third of 228 defensive snaps in the three games he actually was active. Including the past two games — which he missed due to his half-brother’s death — Haynesworth has played only 17.4 percent of 430 snaps this season.
It’s time to end this madness. Since Shanahan seems intent on benching Haynesworth, just let him go. Drop the asking price to whatever the Redskins can get. It’s not fair to only receive a late-round draft pick for someone who, if motivated, can be an impact player. Then again, ask anyone selling their house right now if they received a fair price.
Sometimes life stinks and you make the best of a bad situation. That’s where the Redskins are. Keeping Haynesworth at this point seems more spiteful than productive.
Haynesworth will remain a distraction regardless of the trade deadline. The next strategy by Haynesworth will be to seek his release and go into passive-aggressive mode — a few locker room chats with the media claiming he’s the victim, a nagging injury that sidelines him. That approach may work wonders for him.
If Shanahan really wants revenge for enduring this malcontent former star, trade Haynesworth to some black hole — even for a 2012 seventh rounder. Give him to Buffalo, where Haynesworth can freeze every day playing for a winless team. Oakland would seem like heaven compared to upstate New York in December.
It’s time to stop torturing each other because Haynesworth has proven to be not worth the trouble. The Redskins defense can survive without him. Oh, it would be nice to have a difference maker in the middle, but not for merely one-sixth of the snaps.
It’s time to say goodbye to the drama.
Examiner columnist Rick Snider has ?covered local sports since 1978. Read more at TheRickSniderReport.com and on Twitter @Snide_Remarks or e-mail [email protected].
