Albert Haynesworth is nuts.
The Washington Redskins defensive tackle didn’t report to mandatory minicamp Wednesday after skipping voluntary offseason workouts. Haynesworth is unhappy with the team’s new direction and wants to play elsewhere.
Gee Albert, what part of 4-12 made you happy last year?
It was clear last season all Haynesworth cared about was cashing checks. With $32 million in the bank, there’s no motivating the supposed playmaker.
Haynesworth is using the pretense that a new defensive system is the reason for his unhappiness — that playing in a 3-4 basically leaves him with the dirty work.
It’s just smoke. Haynesworth wants to play on a better team for a less strict coach. The nose tackle’s excuse is pure nonsense. Defensive coordinator Jim Haslett plans to use Haynesworth at end sometimes. The defense will play 4-3, too. The Redskins didn’t overpay Haynesworth to do the job of a journeyman nose tackle.
Not that Haynesworth knows that. He didn’t invest five minutes over the offseason in team meetings or practices while teammates busted their tails. Haynesworth simply decided not to look back.
Haynesworth is unhappy the Redskins are making changes that keep him from freelancing on the few snaps he’s in before catching his breath on the sideline. Uh, Albert, no one cares you’re unhappy, especially when the Redskins decided to try something that might actually win ballgames.
It’s easy for coach Mike Shanahan and general manager Bruce Allen to put this debacle on former vice president Vinny Cerrato’s tab. But why reward Haynesworth’s bad behavior and trade him before training camp for practically nothing?
No, the Redskins should hold on to Haynesworth until another team suffers a preseason injury and pays at least a third rounder for him. Make Haynesworth deal with angry fans and indifferent teammates during two-a-days. Let him do hard time before being traded.
That is, if he even comes to training camp. Haynesworth can afford the $16,000 daily fine. The Redskins will threaten to get some of the signing bonus back like in 2001 when Deion Sanders retired one season into a seven-year deal, but it’s just posturing. Haynesworth will pay the meter, happy to skip training camp until he’s peddled elsewhere.
The Redskins would be better with Haynesworth, but not if he’s a locker room cancer for a new coach trying to turn around a franchise. Shanahan won’t tolerate this nonsense, but hopefully he makes Haynesworth pay a hefty exit fee.
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more at TheRickSniderReport.com and Twitter @Snide_Remarks or e-mail [email protected].
