The Redskins can’t trade disgruntled DT Albert Haynesworth for cash, it violates NFL rules. [Such things are allowed in Major League Baseball, for example.] In other words, the Redskins can’t ameliorate their financial commitment to Haynesworth after paying $32 million for one year of work by getting some team to give them money in exchange for the rights to Haynesworth. However, my old law professor Andrew Brandt, writing at The National Football Post, notes that Clinton Portis could help solve the situation.
One way a trade of Haynesworth might possibly work now is if the Redskins – akin to trades in the NBA — find a team to dump another bad contract or two along with Haynesworth to ease their blow. The obvious candidate here is Clinton Portis, who has $6.43M of his $7.2M salary guaranteed for 2010.
In this scenario, the Redskins would be looking for a trade partner to take on Haynesworth’s deal and Portis’ deal to cushion the impact of the $32M paid to Haynesworth. Again, unlikely, but worth a shot.
Obviously, this would only work for a team that doesn’t mind spending money in this uncapped season, badly wants Haynesworth and has some kind of need, even if it is not pressing, at running back. The Titans don’t fit that bill since they’re obviously set at running back. The Lions might be a better fit.
Speaking of Haynesworth, the example of Jake Plummer might be a useful guide about what Shanahan is thinking right now. Plummer, then the starting quarterback for the Broncos, missed a number of voluntary offseason workouts with the team. The end result was that Plummer got benched in favor of rookie QB Jay Cutler.
“Yeah, I missed some workouts,” Plummer told the author. “And you know what? Mike Shanahan, you can kiss my [expletive] for being [ticked] at that. You can quote that. I made 85 percent of my workouts and he’s still mad about it. He still brought that up. Give me a break. That’s the dumbest [expletive] thing on earth.
“He’s got to have me to be his leader,” Plummer offered sarcastically. “Well, listen. When I’m out there on a Thursday, when everyone’s half-assing it and just going through the motions, I’m the one who was calling [expletive] out, saying, ‘Let’s go.’ No one else. Eighty-five percent workouts? Mad about that? And he’s still mad about it? Well, if that’s the reason [I was benched], then I’m glad I didn’t make those. Because I don’t want to be here every [expletive] day of the offseason. You don’t get any escape.
“But hey, he felt like I crossed him in some way. Once you do that, he’ll never let those things go. If you cross him in some way, he’ll hold on to that more than the times you’ve done good by him.”
The Redskins’ first voluntary minicamp starts a week from Friday. Haynesworth is not expected to be present.
Interesting, but we’ll see how things work this time. Unlike Plummer, Haynesworth is clearly one of the best players at his position so unless he’s absolutely insubordinate or doesn’t even fake an effort this year, I don’t see how he can be benched. He can be traded, however, though not easily. But why should that bother Haynesworth? From what we can tell right now, Haynesworth wouldn’t mind being traded. His money is safe either way.
Free safety Darren Sharper, the defensive MVP of the Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints, is a free agent. NFL.com suspects he might draw interest from Redskins Park.
Throwing out an educated guess, I would put the Jets, Redskins, Saints and Eagles on the short list to land Sharper. One could also make arguments for the Chargers and Cowboys. Expect the market for Sharper to solidify following the draft.
That makes sense to me. The Redskins need a free safety since Laron Landry has demonstrated that he can’t play the position. Mike Shanahan has already made it clear he wants an older, veteran-laden team to compete for the playoffs immediately. Sharper would fit that mold.
All evidence to the contrary, Mike Shanahan says the Redskins are rebuilding.
It was noted to Shanahan that the acquisition of Donovan McNabb certainly gives the impression that the team is being constructed so that it could win right away.
“That’s completely false,” Shanahan said.
He said the team’s veteran signings during free agency were more a matter of filling holes and adding depth.
“Take a look our running backs. People don’t realize we released five running backs. We signed two,” Shanahan said. “We lost a left tackle; we lost a [right] guard. They were starters. We signed one. So when you take a look at it, it’s a rebuilding process [where] you take a look at salary, you take a look at guys that you believe can help your football team win.”
Generally, though, teams rebuild by getting younger, not older. They rebuild through the Draft, primarily, not by trading multiple draft picks for a quarterback in his mid-30s. I’d bet money that Shanahan sold the move to Washington to McNabb by telling him he plans to win immediately. Why would McNabb, at his age and after what he has accomplished, want to come to a team planning to win in 2 or 3 years?
Speaking of McNabb, he was working out with Redskins receivers this afternoon and made a positive impression on them. Here’s Chris Cooley:
“Donovan’s outstanding. It feels like he’s been here for a couple of years,” tight end Chris Cooley said. “Instantly, he’s a leader. Instantly, he knows what it takes to have a team together. He’s talked with all the guys, fits in extremely well.”
Here’s Malcolm Kelly:
“Right away, it’s almost like he’s been here. It’s almost like he got the playbook when we got it,” receiver Malcolm Kelly said. “It’s crazy because he knows everything. He already knows the concepts and things like that and he’s just been here two or three days. You can tell the way he carries himself and the way he is on the field that he has a lot of confidence. And that spreads to the rest of the guys out there on the field.”
If Malcolm likes McNabb so much, maybe he’ll do his new teammate a favor and get open from time to time. That’d be a nice change.
Draft guru Mel Kiper thinks the best thing the Redskins can do for McNabb is to give him an offensive line:
“This is arguably the worst offensive line in the NFL,” he said. “You’d better use that fourth pick on an offensive tackle…. The bottom line is you better protect [McNabb] or you won’t get a year out of him.”
Hard to argue with that — we’ve been writing that for some time now.
Possibly Related Posts:
- Final NFL Pick’em Reminder
- 3rd QB: Beck or Bartel?
- Rex Ryan hauls off on DeAngelo Hall
- Redskins sign Beck to 2-year contract
- Battle of the NFC East: Wide Receiver
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