Redskins coach Mike Shanahan knows exactly what he wants to say and what message he wants received. Which is why it’s interesting to pay attention to what’s going on with defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth.
One day they want to trade him. The next we hear and read that they plan to keep him. And that they want him to be their nose tackle. Ouch.
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That is the last thing Haynesworth wants to hear. He has not told us that; he does not need to, considering how he reacted to being used at tackle last season. Teammates laughed when discussing Haynesworth’s desire to play nose tackle earlier this offseason; they knew what he would think.
He wants to freelance; nose tackles do anything but, at least not if you want to have strong interior defense. He could be dominant at this spot if he wanted. But if he doesn’t? Then he will complain.
The leaks are a sure sign that the Redskins are angry with him, especially for not working out in town.
This is Shanahan’s way of letting Haynesworth know who’s in charge. By the way, Shanahan had a chance to debunk the Haynesworth trade rumors publicly on Tuesday; he declined to do so. Now we hear they haven’t offered him in a deal since March 31. But if you have him on the table once, he’ll be on there as soon as a tempting offer can be found.
Shanahan has sent messages to other players — notably Clinton Portis — with talk about offseason workouts and by signing players at the same position.
(Which two players were the most complained about by teammates last year? Haynesworth and Portis.)
It’s important to note that Haynesworth just received a $21 million bonus last week. In the end, Washington might be stuck with him.
Still, reports suggest that Tennessee, his former team — which was split on wanting to keep him last offseason — could be interested. An NFL source said Tampa Bay is not; the Bucs can draft a young tackle with a good attitude, so why trade for an expensive player who has a questionable one?
