It’s hard to imagine the Redskins actually hanging on to Albert Haynesworth, as a report in Philadelphia suggested last week. If they do, it would be the height of hubris and foolishness. That is, unless you can live with inconsistent effort.
The guy won’t speak to the coach, the defensive coordinator ripped him on a radio show and his teammates have tired of the circus/drama surrounding him. You want to bring all this back? If Mike Shanahan keeps Haynesworth just to prove a point, then he risks plenty. But if you do keep him, play him. If you bring him back to rot on the bench, then it becomes personal, and that’s unhealthy.
Shanahan never got Haynesworth to come around last season, and it became a season-long sidebar, capped by an ugly end. Why endure that again? As one player said, there will be drama. Haynesworth doesn’t want to be here, so just release him. Oh, unless you would rather have him return some money to buy his release. That’s a strong possibility, too. You want out of here? How badly?
But it will be difficult to trade Haynesworth thanks to the off-field issues coupled with his reputation coupled with Jim Haslett’s comments. One executive said the time for the Redskins to trade him would have been during the draft. He said once the lockout prevented that, it meant Haynesworth would be tough to unload. He wasn’t going to fetch a whole lot before this past season, let alone now. Is there really a chance both sides will be stuck with one another again?
