One benefit of now having real football men running the Washington Redskins is avoiding problem players.
Everyone talks about researching players, but general manager Bruce Allen and coach Mike Shanahan know how to truly research players beyond the video and calling coaches who are personal friends. It comes down to countless hours working everyone in the room who may know something before investing millions of dollars. It’s like talking to the feds about your friends who are seeking a high security clearance.
“Money can change people in all walks of life,” Allen said. “You never can anticipate everything. … Finding out about Trent Williams, we spent a lot of time with [Oklahoma teammate] Sam Bradford. It’s fairly easy to get a general read on a player by talking to his teammates. That’s a critical element in all evaluations. Talent alone can only get you so far.”
Hopefully, this Albert Haynesworth debacle won’t be repeated in the future. Haynesworth skipped his second “voluntary” minicamp the past two days. The defensive tackle hasn’t seemed to care what the rest of his teammates think now that he already has $32 million banked from the Redskins. No matter, there were 110 or so players at Redskins Park — double the regular-season roster with more than 20 unpaid hopefuls spending three days just hoping to make one percent of Haynesworth’s blockbuster contract.
Shanahan can’t make Haynesworth come until the “mandatory” minicamp on June 16-18 and that surely irritates the coach. Indeed, it’s a real slap at Shanahan no matter Haynesworth’s intention.
Washington Nationals manager Jim Riggleman told The Washington Post recently that some players “don’t really like the game. They’re caught in a velvet trap. They’re making millions of dollars. But you can tell that they hate every minute of it. If they could collect the money without playing the game, they’d be gone that minute. You won’t ever win with them.”
That’s Haynesworth. He clocked in last season like an elderly night watchman relishing retirement.
Haynesworth needs to rediscover that playground passion like rookie hopeful Bo McNally — the grandson of late Baltimore Orioles pitcher Dave McNally. The free safety went undrafted despite leading Stanford in tackles the past two seasons. A slow 40 time scared off everyone but the Redskins, who gave McNally a tryout over minicamp.
“I pride myself on getting it done. I was happy to get a chance,” McNally said. “If they don’t sign me at least I get my name out there a little bit. I want to play in the NFL. I’m not just going to call it quits if I don’t make it in one minicamp.”
Now that’s the passion that makes teams overachieve, not some overpaid marquee player. Teams don’t win Super Bowls with undrafted free agents, but the locker room needs McNally’s kind of passion. The type Brian Mitchell, LaVar Arrington and Ken Harvey once offered the Redskins and Sam Huff, Pat Fischer and Chris Hanburger did a generation earlier.
Riggleman is right — teams go nowhere with players that don’t love the game. Either the Redskins show tough love with Haynesworth and get him onboard or they should toss him overboard for whatever trade value is possible.
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more at TheRickSniderReport.com and Twitter @Snide_Remarks or e-mail [email protected].
