The Redskins solved another problem Thursday morning when they traded defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth to New England for a fifth-round pick in 2013. ESPN first reported the deal.
The Redskins also released center Casey Rabach, which he confirmed in a text message.
“They r going younger,” he texted.
Haynesworth had made it clear that he did not want to be in Washington because the Redskins played a 3-4 defense. Ironically, the Patriots also play a 3-4. It’s uncertain how he’ll react to that, but that’s no longer the Redskins worry.
The Redskins have spent the offseason fortifying their defensive line in large part because of Haynesworth’s lack of desire to play in this system. They drafted end Jarvis Jenkins in the second round, and agreed to terms with nose tackle Barry Cofield earlier this week. They also are in serious pursuit of defensive end Cullen Jenkins.
It was wise for them to unload him before camp as players made it clear it would not be a good situation if 2010 repeated itself, with Haynesworth a main topic all season.
“Obviously it wears you down,” linebacker Brian Orakpo said. “We try to say it don’t, but Albert don’t want to talk about it, we don’t want to talk about it. We just want to focus on us as a team. I thought last year and in years previous we talked too much about individuals that have problems with the organization instead of trying to go out and perform well.”
And a fifth-round pick in 2013 has the same value as a seventh-round pick in 2012. So it was clear they just wanted to get something for him — and prevent him from reuniting with Philadelphia defensive line coach Jim Washburn, who coached him in Tennessee and whom he remains fond of.
But the end result is, the Redskins saw another major free agent acquisition end poorly, just like it did with players such as Dana Stubblefield, Deion Sanders and Adam Archuleta. Haynesworth had signed for $100 million in the 2009 offseason.
Haynesworth’s play in 2009 was inconsistent — as the Redskins made clear to him last offseason — though he did show flashes of terrific play. And his presence definitely helped linebacker Brian Orakpo and end Andre Carter post double-digit sack seasons.
“We did great things our first year together,” Orakpo said.
But not the second. When Mike Shanahan took over as coach, he made it clear they would switch from a 4-3 defensive front to a 3-4. Haynesworth had made it clear when he was a free agent that he did not want to play in a 3-4. In fact, multiple NFL sources say, Redskins owner Dan Snyder promised him before he signed that they would never play that defense.
However, the Redskins lost their chance to prevent a headache when they opted not to make a move with him early that offseason. They viewed him as a good fit to play nose tackle and to become an excellent pass rusher in this system. And Haynesworth lost his chance at freedom when he accepted a $21 million option bonus in April. Once that occurred, the Redskins were intent on trading him only if they received high value — which no team offered.
Haynesworth skipped all the offseason workouts and needed 10 days to pass the conditioning test in August. He spent the season as a reserve, never warming to the scheme. But he also complained during his first season when they played a 4-3.
Last season, Haynesworth talked about missing Tennessee, where he became an All-Pro and the defensive player of the year.
“Do they wish they still had me? Yeah,” Haynesworth said. “Sometimes I wish I was still back there because I feel like I could still be dominant. People think I’m not playing as good as I can, but all of it ain’t about the player. Sometimes it’s the scheme.”
And he said, “People probably don’t think I care about the Redskins. That’s not true. I have a lot of great friends on this team and we do a lot of great things together. As far as thinking that just because I got paid that I’m not going to play, that’s not true either. I always said if you just put me in the right situation, I’ll be prosperous.”
He was ultimately suspended in December 2010 for conduct detrimental to the team. He stopped speaking to Shanahan at that point.
That it ended poorly was no surprise to some. When the Redskins signed him, one GM called Haynesworth a major risk simply because of his attitude; his reputation was that he would not consistently play hard unless it was a contract year. He also has one remaining legal issue in Washington.
But the Redskins wanted to trade him rather than release him, preventing him from going to a team of his choice. Many expected him to want to reunite with Philadelphia defensive line coach Jim Washburn, who coached him in Tennessee.
It was clear that the Redskins had tired of him. Defensive coordinator Jim Haslett, who had invested a lot of energy on getting Haynesworth up to speed in this defense, told a St. Louis radio station this offseason that, “He’s one of those guys you walk in a meeting and you tell him, ‘Put down the phone.’ The next day you have to tell him to put down the phone. The next day you tell him to put down the phone. “You tell him, ‘Don’t read the newspaper in meetings.’ The next day you have to tell him the same thing. It doesn’t stick. It’s an everyday thing.”
But he’s no longer the Redskins worry.
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