Haynesworth Done!!!!

[CanesSkins26]

dcsportsbog

Brian Orakpo to Sirius NFL Radio: "I mean, me, personally, I would love to still play with Haynesworth."

[TincoSkin]

this a quite a thread responding to quite the news...

here are my two cents:

1. Shanny just got here.
2. AH wasnt his but Shanny was forced to deal with him.
3. Shanny gave AH a chance. AH blew it. Now he is gone.
4. Last offseason Shanny drafted well and brought in a qb that can balance the ship.
5. Next offseason Shanny will do more to fix this team. and the year after that and the year after that.

Remember that this team sucks. I mean its really bad and has been for a while. To think Shanny can fix it in one season while dealing with CP's injury, AH, no wide outs, a broken offensive line, and ten years of terrible personel decisions youre crazy.


Shanny has had one season. ONE. I refuse to take the AH situation and use it to trash the coach that we just hired, the coach that we all, when we got him, praised as the second coming. I refuse to say his battle with AH was a battle of two men and their PRIDE. Thats retarded. AH is a prideful man. Shanny is the COACH. The man in charge. if you dont do what he says youre out of line. He just got here and AH said f*ck you coach. Now hes gone. Time for this team to move forward.

Now that I have stated what I see as the truth I am going to say what I think is possible. This is probably wrong but bare with me.

We are tanking on purpose so we can draft high again. Get another O lineman. Next year we will be younger and faster and hungry. We will come out with our teeth out. Shannys second year will be a vast improvment. And like I said in past threads over and over, year three will be our year.

Don't lose hope in the coach. He gave AH a chance like he should have. Now hes gone and its time for us to move on.

Hail.

[SKINFAN]

Cya big guy, don't let the door hit you on the way out.

[Countertrey]

dcsportsbog

Brian Orakpo to Sirius NFL Radio: "I mean, me, personally, I would love to still play with Haynesworth."

I can't imagine ANY defensive lineman or linebacker NOT wanting a motivated AH playing next to or in front of him... The problem is, there is no context to the quote. Was it an absolute statement? Was it contingent? Was there a modifier?

in other words... "and?"

[welch]

dcsportsbog

Brian Orakpo to Sirius NFL Radio: "I mean, me, personally, I would love to still play with Haynesworth."

I can't imagine ANY defensive lineman or linebacker NOT wanting a motivated AH playing next to or in front of him... The problem is, there is no context to the quote. Was it an absolute statement? Was it contingent? Was there a modifier?

in other words... "and?"

Judging from Boswell's "chat" today, the defensive players liked having Haynesworth play when he actually put effort into the game, and they are generally glad the whole thing is over.

And Philip Daniels was pretty eloquent.

Incidentally, Boswell made the point that every good Redskin coach would have done the same as Shanahan. Different styles, but same result. I'm sure that Gibbs would have said nothing but cliches and platitudes publicly, and he'd have put Haynesworth off the team just the same. Consider Stan Humphries, who was supposed to start in '91, but who neglected to study the play-book during the off-season, and got to camp out of shape. Gibbs never said a word to the public, even insisted that Humphries was the number 2 QB, but always used Jeff Rutledge to mop-up games, and traded Humphries during the off-season.

[chiefhog44]

What is it about members of this board and reading comprehension? Your comments earlier implied that the tackling problems in the Giants game has no bearing on the coaching the players receive at the NFL level. My question about them suddenly sucking at tackling was rhetorical. I was asking to point out to you that if this is an ongoing problem, then the coaches are at fault for not teaching proper technique after first seeing this problem. I don't blame the DC so much as the individual position coaches, because the DC is more about schemes than individual coaching, but he is the boss, and so is ultimately responsible for the the coaching under him.
And by superior, I meant your comments to another poster to the effect of "come back when you know something about NFL coaching," when you obviously have a serious lack of understanding in the area yourself.

No, my comment stated that the bad tackling has been inherited and has been a problem for years. The scouts and coaches (who are primarily responsible for bringing in players... I thought, until you rolled your eyes at that) have plagued this team over the last 17 years. How does a DC get blamed for their poor tackling? Comprehension? look in the mirror.

And how do I have a serious lack of understanding myself? There is not one thing that I have stated that is false. I'm just calling someone else out who is telling another member that his post was idiodic and giving him some backround of which he speaks.

Thanks for proving my point.

Dude, you broke into another conversation which I was arguing about not blaming the DC. What are you talking about? I am probably as high as you are right now, but you are making no sense.

[chiefhog44]

dcsportsbog

Brian Orakpo to Sirius NFL Radio: "I mean, me, personally, I would love to still play with Haynesworth."

Just FYI, I heard this interview and this is taken out of context. His next line was something like..."but I just can't throw someone under the bus. I tried to get him to play all the time. we all did. His locker was right next to mine and I kept telling him, just come on and play. But Al is Al. He was like this in Tennessee. If Al doesn't want to play, no one's going to tell him that he has to. Then Tim Ryan asked, Rak, come on bro, they asked you last year to play the SAM Backer in the 4-3. Play the curl to flat all year long. Did you like it? Did you do it? Did you? in which Orakpo replied, Yea your right, your right, I just did it and didn't say a word, I know. But I just can't throw a person under the bus like that, we just have to move on, you know what I'm saying, I can't throw someone under the bus right now. To which Tim Ryan said, yea, I can read between the lines.

This is not word for word, but pretty close.

[chiefhog44]

Vonnie Holiday's opinion...

Wow! He certainly didn't pull any punches.

NB this interview, Vetskins. It might be time to reconsider your opinion that Shanahan hasn't brought a better atmosphere to the Redskins. The more detail that comes out, the more it sounds like players are totally behind what Shanahan is doing . . . especially with respect to Haynesworth. Holiday respects Haynesworth as a man and is a good friend, but he makes it pretty clear here that it's not Shanahan who's at fault.

I go off of what details that come out. Up until this week, little has come out with the team against big Al, and that is what I have been going off of. As more details come out, my opinion may change. I've readily admitted that big Al has been a spoiled brat in the whole deal. But I don't believe that Shanahan doesn't have a few smudges on that halo that some people appear to be blinded by.

What won't change is my opinion that both parties are at fault. I've never suggested that big Al has been right and Shanahan has been wrong. This isn't the only decision that Shanahan has made that has allowed me to form my opinion of Shanahan, and until his decision-making changes, my opinion stands.

And as for the mental gymnastics comment, I have an opinion of that that you may or may not want to hear.

And I still stand by my comment that if there is anyone on big Al's side still, they're not going to publicly come forward. And please, don't read between the lines. I never said Daniels and Fletcher don't count. But if you seem more intelligent than taking the word of 4% (Daniels and Fletcher) and saying that everyone believes it.

Up until this week??? We have had facts coming out for the past two years. Actually facts from his whole career starting when he stepped on that guy on the field. The guy is a thug. Details have been there the entire way, and you are just thinking that we're hearing them now?
The details we have had just this year are...

- Haynesworth accepted a 20-something million check for accepting to play in this defense...Fact
-Haynesworth skips OTA's...fact
-Haynesworth skips maditory offseason...fact
-Haynesworth doesn't pass a drill that is enforsed accross the league to make sure players are in shape (which by the way other newscasters pass on first try)...fact
-Haynesworth is injured and sits out of prtactice and falls behind on learning system...fact
-Haynesworth is called selfish by team captains and veteran players on team...fact
-Haynesworth demands that he will not play in the Okie defense and demands that he only plays in the nickel and says, I just am not good in a 3-4 system. I tried, but I'm not that good. So the team accomidates him in playing him in nickel...fact
-Haynesworth no longer plays on first and second downs and Haslett calls the nickel only on pass plays to accomidate Haynesworth's requests
-Haynesworth's brother dies, and he sits out two games (I don't get on him for this. Take as much time as you need for this)...fact
-Haynesworth shows up late and has a bad practice and Shannahan calls him into his office and tells him that he has to pick it up if he wants to play on Sunday, he misses the next practice due to being sick...fact
_Haynesworth is suspend....fact

Now we learn all the facts in between. My point is, haven't you been able to see this from the beginning...knowing what went on with Blache last year?

[VetSkinsFan]

Vonnie Holiday's opinion...

Wow! He certainly didn't pull any punches.

NB this interview, Vetskins. It might be time to reconsider your opinion that Shanahan hasn't brought a better atmosphere to the Redskins. The more detail that comes out, the more it sounds like players are totally behind what Shanahan is doing . . . especially with respect to Haynesworth. Holiday respects Haynesworth as a man and is a good friend, but he makes it pretty clear here that it's not Shanahan who's at fault.

I go off of what details that come out. Up until this week, little has come out with the team against big Al, and that is what I have been going off of. As more details come out, my opinion may change. I've readily admitted that big Al has been a spoiled brat in the whole deal. But I don't believe that Shanahan doesn't have a few smudges on that halo that some people appear to be blinded by.

What won't change is my opinion that both parties are at fault. I've never suggested that big Al has been right and Shanahan has been wrong. This isn't the only decision that Shanahan has made that has allowed me to form my opinion of Shanahan, and until his decision-making changes, my opinion stands.

And as for the mental gymnastics comment, I have an opinion of that that you may or may not want to hear.

And I still stand by my comment that if there is anyone on big Al's side still, they're not going to publicly come forward. And please, don't read between the lines. I never said Daniels and Fletcher don't count. But if you seem more intelligent than taking the word of 4% (Daniels and Fletcher) and saying that everyone believes it.

Up until this week??? We have had facts coming out for the past two years. Actually facts from his whole career starting when he stepped on that guy on the field. The guy is a thug. Details have been there the entire way, and you are just thinking that we're hearing them now?
The details we have had just this year are...

- Haynesworth accepted a 20-something million check for accepting to play in this defense...Fact
-Haynesworth skips OTA's...fact
-Haynesworth skips maditory offseason...fact
-Haynesworth doesn't pass a drill that is enforsed accross the league to make sure players are in shape (which by the way other newscasters pass on first try)...fact
-Haynesworth is injured and sits out of prtactice and falls behind on learning system...fact
-Haynesworth is called selfish by team captains and veteran players on team...fact
-Haynesworth demands that he will not play in the Okie defense and demands that he only plays in the nickel and says, I just am not good in a 3-4 system. I tried, but I'm not that good. So the team accomidates him in playing him in nickel...fact
-Haynesworth no longer plays on first and second downs and Haslett calls the nickel only on pass plays to accomidate Haynesworth's requests
-Haynesworth's brother dies, and he sits out two games (I don't get on him for this. Take as much time as you need for this)...fact
-Haynesworth shows up late and has a bad practice and Shannahan calls him into his office and tells him that he has to pick it up if he wants to play on Sunday, he misses the next practice due to being sick...fact
_Haynesworth is suspend....fact

Now we learn all the facts in between. My point is, haven't you been able to see this from the beginning...knowing what went on with Blache last year?

I'm tired of the pissing contest. It's obvious my positive hope for Haynesworth wasn't correct, but I still refuse to put all this on Al.

It's a lot easier to make a case from hindsight. Some of those factsare more debatable than others, but I'm tired of arguing. He's thru here regardless and that's all that matters bottom line. I just hope Shanahan deals with these types of situations better in the future.

[Irn-Bru]

dcsportsbog

Brian Orakpo to Sirius NFL Radio: "I mean, me, personally, I would love to still play with Haynesworth."

I can't imagine ANY defensive lineman or linebacker NOT wanting a motivated AH playing next to or in front of him... The problem is, there is no context to the quote. Was it an absolute statement? Was it contingent? Was there a modifier?

in other words... "and?"

Holiday same some of the same things in his ESPN interview. The point is that the players would LOVE to have Albert on the field and playing . . . the only problem is that this can't be unless Haynesworth grows up a little.

[Deadskins]

I'm tired of the pissing contest. It's obvious my positive hope for Haynesworth wasn't correct, but I still refuse to put all this on Al.

It's a lot easier to make a case from hindsight. Some of those factsare more debatable than others, but I'm tired of arguing. He's thru here regardless and that's all that matters bottom line. I just hope Shanahan deals with these types of situations better in the future.

+1

[SkinsJock]

I was one that wanted AH to be a part of this defense and felt that we would be better off with him playing than without him

Now, I feel that Mike did what he thought was best for the defense and the Redskins which is typical of what he has tried to do since he got here

we are better off without the AH that was wearing B&G this year - no doubt


I'm sure that Mike will continue to learn from all the things he does and that he will continue to do everything he can to continue to improve the product on the field

we have improved and we will continue to do so - Mike has a lot of work left to do to undo the many stupid mistakes made over the last decade


I think we still end up winning a couple more games here just because we we are not as bad as many think - we may not be very good but we are better than we were last year


I think AH will be playing somewhere and I hope he gets treated with the same respect that he deserves based on the effort he makes to help that team and that defense - he certainly did not make any effort here and he was treated a lot better by Mike than he deserved - AH is a loser and deserves to be treated as such

[skinsfan#33]

Why is everyone assuming AH is done with the skins?

He is under contract for next year. Now he could elect to become a free agent (and pay back about $16M of the $20M he got last spring).
Everyone keeps forgetting that part of him accepting the $20M. His contract was reworked so that the bonus counted just last year and there is still a chance the skins pretend that he is in their plans for next year hoping one of two things happens. Someone gives them a draft pick or AH says he's had enough and gives back $16M to become a FA!
My guess is neither happens and the skins hold on to him until all of the large FA money is gone. They may even keep him until training camp. Not likely, but they could.

[skinsfan#33]

Why is everyone assuming AH is done with the skins?

He is under contract for next year. Now he could elect to become a free agent (and pay back about $16M of the $20M he got last spring).
Everyone keeps forgetting that part of him accepting the $20M. His contract was reworked so that the bonus counted just last year and there is still a chance the skins pretend that he is in their plans for next year hoping one of two things happens. Someone gives them a draft pick or AH says he's had enough and gives back $16M to become a FA!
My guess is neither happens and the skins hold on to him until all of the large FA money is gone. They may even keep him until training camp. Not likely, but they could.

[1niksder]

Why is everyone assuming AH is done with the skins?

He is under contract for next year. Now he could elect to become a free agent (and pay back about $16M of the $20M he got last spring).
Everyone keeps forgetting that part of him accepting the $20M. His contract was reworked so that the bonus counted just last year and there is still a chance the skins pretend that he is in their plans for next year hoping one of two things happens. Someone gives them a draft pick or AH says he's had enough and gives back $16M to become a FA!
My guess is neither happens and the skins hold on to him until all of the large FA money is gone. They may even keep him until training camp. Not likely, but they could.

I would keep him until teams make their first cuts going into camp
and send him daily updates opf players signing big money deals.

[SkinsJock]

AH is done here and unfortunately he's not getting us much

Mike and Bruce did not give in and tried to make things woirk here for both AH's benefit and for the team:
- we would have been better off defensively if AH had given a damn - didn't happen

- AH would have been better off if he'd come in and tried and got himself traded - didn't happen

this guy's a loser and some team will give him a try but my guess is this guy just doesn't have the guts to try very hard

[Countertrey]

dcsportsbog

Brian Orakpo to Sirius NFL Radio: "I mean, me, personally, I would love to still play with Haynesworth."

Just FYI, I heard this interview and this is taken out of context. His next line was something like..."but I just can't throw someone under the bus. I tried to get him to play all the time. we all did. His locker was right next to mine and I kept telling him, just come on and play. But Al is Al. He was like this in Tennessee. If Al doesn't want to play, no one's going to tell him that he has to. Then Tim Ryan asked, Rak, come on bro, they asked you last year to play the SAM Backer in the 4-3. Play the curl to flat all year long. Did you like it? Did you do it? Did you? in which Orakpo replied, Yea your right, your right, I just did it and didn't say a word, I know. But I just can't throw a person under the bus like that, we just have to move on, you know what I'm saying, I can't throw someone under the bus right now. To which Tim Ryan said, yea, I can read between the lines.

This is not word for word, but pretty close.

Thanks, Chief... I kind of suspected it was something like that...

[Red_One43]

"I love the game of football. Let ME play football. Let ME be great at it. Let ME accomplish my goals. I want to be the best defensive tackle to ever play this game. Let ME accomplish my goals." Haynesworth said.

From the interview with Haynesworth on 106.7 the FAN Monday night
12/6/2010

[Red_One43]

From usatoday.com:
They (Redskins) signed him because he was coming off two All-Pro seasons in Tennessee, but ignored the facts behind those performances.

The first All-Pro season came during a contract year, with Haynesworth finally bringing his A game in hopes of making big money. The second came because Tennessee made an agreement that they would put the franchise tag on Haynesworth for only one season, and then let him become a free agent.

The Titans understood the mule side of Haynesworth's personality, and that he wasn't budging in any direction without a carrot dangling in front of him.

There was one more thing that made Haynesworth move in Tennessee, and that was defensive line coach Jim Washburn, who quite likely leads the NFL in the launching of F-bombs. Washburn is like that drill sergeant on the GEICO commercials, a man who tolerates no one from mamby-pamby land.

When Haynesworth left, Washburn's telling comment was, "There are some things I'll miss about Albert, and some things I won't."

The whole article:
http://content.usatoday.com/communities ... shanahan/1

[Irn-Bru]

"I love the game of football. Let ME play football. Let ME be great at it. Let ME accomplish my goals. I want to be the best defensive tackle to ever play this game. Let ME accomplish my goals." Haynesworth said.

From the interview with Haynesworth on 106.7 the FAN Monday night
12/6/2010

He just doesn't get it. I'm glad to see him gone.

[DarthMonk]

"I love the game of football." Haynesworth said.

ROFLMAO!



DarthMonk

[Red_One43]

With Haynesworth resurfacing in the news I wanted to post this article by Jason La Confora soon after Haynesworth signed with the Skins that proves that Haynesworth was a guy difficult with epic proportions for coaches to deal with. Also, that Cerrato clearly did not do any homework on the Haynesworth. Haynesworth's rep was out there, but the Skins bit hook line and sinker. The Titans got two All-Pro seasons out of Haynesworth but no Super Bowl - not even an appearance.

After Agreeing to Huge Contract, Redskins May Be Wise to Let Haynesworth Freelance

By Jason La Canfora
Saturday, February 28, 2009



For a good five years, Jim Washburn tried to buck Albert Haynesworth. The Tennessee Titans' defensive line coach wanted to mold the fiery defensive tackle into a prototypical lineman, harping on technique and footwork, clashing repeatedly with his most gifted pupil.

Finally, a couple of years ago, he relented. Haynesworth was a special case, as angry and recalcitrant at times as he was talented, and Washburn, 59, was ready to make an exception for him. He granted the 6-foot-6, 320-pound lineman rare privileges to rush the passer with relative abandon, eschew much traditional technique and search for ways to best maximize his unique skills.

"I realized I had to cut my losses," Washburn said by telephone from his office yesterday, hours after the Washington Redskins signed Haynesworth to the richest contract ever for a defensive player in the NFL. "I stopped trying to make him a technique player. After a while, I adapted to him and what he does and stopped trying to fight to make him a conventional tackle. He's a non-traditional player, and I think the coaches there will find that out.

"It wasn't without a lot of turmoil that we got to that point, but I decided I wasn't going to put a plow on a racehorse. I wasn't going to saddle him with that anymore. You might hear some people say I let him freelance, but I let him play and tried to do what was best to help us win games. I'm not really into paralysis by analysis."

Perhaps Redskins defensive coordinator Greg Blache, a taskmaster and a disciple of rigid technique, would be wise to accept this reality from the onset. Haynesworth, 27, is unlikely to be any less headstrong after agreeing to a seven-year deal worth a maximum of $115 million, with a record $41 million guaranteed and $32 million to be paid out over just 13 months. And after the production Washburn helped cull from this athlete -- altering the scope and alignment of his entire line to suit Haynesworth's abilities -- it would make little sense to try to force him into such confines now. "I want to be able to attack my gap, make plays and everybody make plays off of me," said Haynesworth, who regularly beats double-teams. "I want to do almost the same thing I did in Tennessee."
Blache, whose team ranked 28th in sacks and had the third-fewest takeaways in the NFL last season, appears willing to oblige. "When you add a talent to this degree, you adjust things to fit him," he said. "We realize that we've got something that we haven't had before." A year ago, on a smaller scale, the Redskins traded a second-round pick for defensive end Jason Taylor, a player accustomed to being allowed to sacrifice run responsibilities in a 3-4 front to attack the passer. He flopped in Blache's disciplined system, expressing frustration about his role when the season concluded. With Haynesworth -- a player accustomed to angry outbursts -- the fuse stands to be much shorter, and the stakes far higher. Blache's tackles generally bear immense run responsibilities -- his scheme is based on simplicity and stopping the run above all else -- and primarily are utilized to absorb blockers to create room for linebackers to make plays. Haynesworth is used to firing off the line on instinct, relying on his size, strength and "God-given gifts," as Washburn put it, to surge through offensive linemen and make plays.

"If you try to rigid him down and say you have to play this stance, he'll tell them to [kiss off]," one NFL coach familiar with Haynesworth said. "The one thing Albert is really special at is rushing the passer from the inside, and he plays the run on the way to the pass. If you try to screw him down with run technique and stopping the run first, which is how they play, then that's really a disservice to his abilities."

Washburn can attest to that. The Titans knew they were getting a potential problem child when they drafted Haynesworth 15th overall in 2002 out of Tennessee. He had encountered his fair share of trouble through his school years and had "fallen out of favor" with his high school coach in his senior year, Washburn said. But his unparalleled collection of frame and potential was too compelling to pass up, and the Titans hoped Washburn could work him into shape.

"It was very painful coaching Albert for a long time," Washburn said, prefacing his phone interview with the caveat that he would not be taking time out of his day to talk if not for his affection for his former player. "But he matured after a while. I tried to dangle the carrot in front of him sometimes, and he came to see the money some guys were making, and what they were accomplishing, going to the Pro Bowl and things like that, and I think he wanted to achieve that, too." Besides relaxing Haynesworth's technical burdens, Washburn created other avenues to help the tackle flourish. He used him as a defensive end on many passing downs, and would draw significant attention from tight ends and chips from running backs when doing so.

"One-on-one, you don't see anyone blocking him," said Redskins defensive tackle Cornelius Griffin, now slated to start alongside Haynesworth.

"His speed rushing off the edge is tremendous," one NFL personnel executive said, "and he can play right [tackle], he can play left [tackle] and he can play both end positions."

Washburn, who has developed seven top-notch linemen this decade and calls Haynesworth the brightest player he has coached, based much of his game plan on generating advantageous matchups. Washburn would identify the weakest offensive lineman and try to get Haynesworth as many snaps as possible in his face, regardless of whether it was a center, guard or tackle. In 2007, he also switched his best pass-rushing end, Pro Bowler Kyle Vanden Bosch, to the right side to play next to Haynesworth, using one or the other as a decoy and establishing one of the best tandems in the NFL.

"They ate lunch together every day, they sat together at every meeting," Washburn said. "It was a rare combination, and Kyle held Albert accountable."

In Washington, the task is quite different. The team believes that Haynesworth's presence will defy the age and limitations of their starting ends, Taylor and Andre Carter, both of whom are coming off of poor seasons. They are betting that Haynesworth's attitude, fitness and health issues -- he has averaged just 12 starts per season since becoming a full-time starter in 2003, and has never played more than 65 percent of his team's snaps -- are behind him. Instead, they are expecting him to repeat the monster, 8 1/2 -sack season he had in 2008 (one less than Haynesworth had in his first five seasons combined).

With just four picks in April's draft, the Redskins are wagering that a Haynesworth-led defense will put points on the scoreboard and dominate field position, as their 19th-ranked offense, unable to run the ball or pass protect in the second half of the season, awaits reinforcements, particularly on the line, with what little salary cap space remains.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 02765.html

[TCIYM]

I stopped at "Jason LaCanfora."

[Red_One43]

I stopped at "Jason LaCanfora."

Of course you did, because the article (regardless of what you feel about Jason and a lot of us feel the same) has comments directly from Haynesworth's D line coach, Jim Washburn that tell the truth about Haynesworth and that does not fit your agenda - that Shanahan devalued the guy. Fact is, Cerrato and Synder failed to do a simple homework assignment that Jason LaCanfora did. Once the Blache experiment blew up, the few teams, like the Redskins, that didn't heed the warnings, saw that the warnings were true. Like I told you, before any of the media circus took place, no team except the Titans were willing to give anything close to a second round or pick or a third for that matter. This article is accurate because everyone now knows without a shadow of a doubt that you MUST allow Haynesworth to freelance ( that entails changing your defensive philosophy to fit one guy - not many DC's would be willing to do that) to get anything out of him and you MUST dangle a carrot in front of him. Everybody knows this now except those who like to push their agenda's on others without any facts to prove it. Like your - two Redskins got into a fight to say that the Skins were divided. Then the Skins promptly go out and upset Jax - give me a break TCIYM! Now, if you want to argue that the Skins should have built their D around him or Shanahan could have handled things differently, then there is evidence to support the various positions.

[Deadskins]

With Haynesworth resurfacing in the news I wanted to post this article by Jason La Confora soon after Haynesworth signed with the Skins that proves that Haynesworth was a guy difficult with epic proportions for coaches to deal with. Also, that Cerrato clearly did not do any homework on the Haynesworth. Haynesworth's rep was out there, but the Skins bit hook line and sinker. The Titans got two All-Pro seasons out of Haynesworth but no Super Bowl - not even an appearance.


After Agreeing to Huge Contract, Redskins May Be Wise to Let Haynesworth Freelance

By Jason La Canfora
Saturday, February 28, 2009



For[color=darkred] a good five years, Jim Washburn tried to buck Albert Haynesworth. The Tennessee Titans' defensive line coach wanted to mold the fiery defensive tackle into a prototypical lineman, harping on technique and footwork, clashing repeatedly with his most gifted pupil.

Finally, a couple of years ago, he relented. Haynesworth was a special case, as angry and recalcitrant at times as he was talented, and Washburn, 59, was ready to make an exception for him. He granted the 6-foot-6, 320-pound lineman rare privileges to rush the passer with relative abandon, eschew much traditional technique and search for ways to best maximize his unique skills.

"I realized I had to cut my losses," Washburn said by telephone from his office yesterday, hours after the Washington Redskins signed Haynesworth to the richest contract ever for a defensive player in the NFL. "I stopped trying to make him a technique player. After a while, I adapted to him and what he does and stopped trying to fight to make him a conventional tackle. He's a non-traditional player, and I think the coaches there will find that out.

"It wasn't without a lot of turmoil that we got to that point, but I decided I wasn't going to put a plow on a racehorse. I wasn't going to saddle him with that anymore. You might hear some people say I let him freelance, but I let him play and tried to do what was best to help us win games. I'm not really into paralysis by analysis."

Perhaps Redskins defensive coordinator Greg Blache, a taskmaster and a disciple of rigid technique, would be wise to accept this reality from the onset. Haynesworth, 27, is unlikely to be any less headstrong after agreeing to a seven-year deal worth a maximum of $115 million, with a record $41 million guaranteed and $32 million to be paid out over just 13 months. And after the production Washburn helped cull from this athlete -- altering the scope and alignment of his entire line to suit Haynesworth's abilities -- it would make little sense to try to force him into such confines now. "I want to be able to attack my gap, make plays and everybody make plays off of me," said Haynesworth, who regularly beats double-teams. "I want to do almost the same thing I did in Tennessee."
Blache, whose team ranked 28th in sacks and had the third-fewest takeaways in the NFL last season, appears willing to oblige. "When you add a talent to this degree, you adjust things to fit him," he said. "We realize that we've got something that we haven't had before." A year ago, on a smaller scale, the Redskins traded a second-round pick for defensive end Jason Taylor, a player accustomed to being allowed to sacrifice run responsibilities in a 3-4 front to attack the passer. He flopped in Blache's disciplined system, expressing frustration about his role when the season concluded. With Haynesworth -- a player accustomed to angry outbursts -- the fuse stands to be much shorter, and the stakes far higher. Blache's tackles generally bear immense run responsibilities -- his scheme is based on simplicity and stopping the run above all else -- and primarily are utilized to absorb blockers to create room for linebackers to make plays. Haynesworth is used to firing off the line on instinct, relying on his size, strength and "God-given gifts," as Washburn put it, to surge through offensive linemen and make plays.

"If you try to rigid him down and say you have to play this stance, he'll tell them to [kiss off]," one NFL coach familiar with Haynesworth said. "The one thing Albert is really special at is rushing the passer from the inside, and he plays the run on the way to the pass. If you try to screw him down with run technique and stopping the run first, which is how they play, then that's really a disservice to his abilities."

Washburn can attest to that. The Titans knew they were getting a potential problem child when they drafted Haynesworth 15th overall in 2002 out of Tennessee. He had encountered his fair share of trouble through his school years and had "fallen out of favor" with his high school coach in his senior year, Washburn said. But his unparalleled collection of frame and potential was too compelling to pass up, and the Titans hoped Washburn could work him into shape.

"It was very painful coaching Albert for a long time," Washburn said, prefacing his phone interview with the caveat that he would not be taking time out of his day to talk if not for his affection for his former player. "But he matured after a while. I tried to dangle the carrot in front of him sometimes, and he came to see the money some guys were making, and what they were accomplishing, going to the Pro Bowl and things like that, and I think he wanted to achieve that, too." Besides relaxing Haynesworth's technical burdens, Washburn created other avenues to help the tackle flourish. He used him as a defensive end on many passing downs, and would draw significant attention from tight ends and chips from running backs when doing so.

"One-on-one, you don't see anyone blocking him," said Redskins defensive tackle Cornelius Griffin, now slated to start alongside Haynesworth.

"His speed rushing off the edge is tremendous," one NFL personnel executive said, "and he can play right [tackle], he can play left [tackle] and he can play both end positions."

Washburn, who has developed seven top-notch linemen this decade and calls Haynesworth the brightest player he has coached, based much of his game plan on generating advantageous matchups. Washburn would identify the weakest offensive lineman and try to get Haynesworth as many snaps as possible in his face, regardless of whether it was a center, guard or tackle. In 2007, he also switched his best pass-rushing end, Pro Bowler Kyle Vanden Bosch, to the right side to play next to Haynesworth, using one or the other as a decoy and establishing one of the best tandems in the NFL.

"They ate lunch together every day, they sat together at every meeting," Washburn said. "It was a rare combination, and Kyle held Albert accountable."

In Washington, the task is quite different. The team believes that Haynesworth's presence will defy the age and limitations of their starting ends, Taylor and Andre Carter, both of whom are coming off of poor seasons. They are betting that Haynesworth's attitude, fitness and health issues -- he has averaged just 12 starts per season since becoming a full-time starter in 2003, and has never played more than 65 percent of his team's snaps -- are behind him. Instead, they are expecting him to repeat the monster, 8 1/2 -sack season he had in 2008 (one less than Haynesworth had in his first five seasons combined).

With just four picks in April's draft, the Redskins are wagering that a Haynesworth-led defense will put points on the scoreboard and dominate field position, as their 19th-ranked offense, unable to run the ball or pass protect in the second half of the season, awaits reinforcements, particularly on the line, with what little salary cap space remains. [/color]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 02765.html

Red's not a good highlight color.