Haynesworth was suspended without pay for the rest of the season yesterday for conduct detrimental to the team. I have no problem with this move. I’m sure Shanny could have dealt with things better over the past few months but Haynesworth made it clear he was not happy to be part of this team. What’s most telling is that it seems that most of the team is happy he is gone as well. I’m sure everyone wanted him to play but they wanted him to be a positive force and a good teammate. He was not that and as a result, most everyone got sick of him. He had become too big of a distraction to this team.
Was listening to Grant Paulsen (Redskins reporter) on the LaVar and Dukes show last night and he was saying that Haynesworth had been saying recently that he wanted more snaps and that he still thought he was a top tier D lineman but he is the one that dictated his role. He refused to be the nose tackle in the 3-4 and he was the one that wanted to only play on passing downs. He would show up late to meetings and instead of showing any remorse, he would say things like so what? Everyone is late to meetings/practice every now and then. A couple of weeks ago, he was asked who his best friends were on the team and he said Vonnie Holliday and Jeremy Jarmon. Just a couple of days ago, Holliday criticized Albert for his behavior.
Sure, he is better suited in the 4-3 but it’s not like a totally different position. It’s still D line and he should be a professional. Football is football and he is part of the team and should act like it. Andre Carter, who had one of his better seasons last year with 11 sacks at DE, was asked to play and entirely different position this year. I’m sure he wasn’t happy about it but he has handled himself with the utmost class. That is what a good teammate and professional does.
What’s worse is Shanny gave Fat Al a chance to be released in the Spring but Al said he was on board and then he took the money and reneged on his word.
Bottom line, he is a loser. There is no question that if he puts his mind to it, he can be a very good player but getting his mind (and body) in proper shape is too big of an ordeal.
Frankly, Fat Al is the epitome of the Snyderatto era so I say good riddance to Fat Al
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It just didn't work out. I don't think FA did his part, but I also think that Shanny messed it up. He tried to make an example out of FA that I think went on too long. Either he should have traded him before the deadline, played him, or cut him. Instead he just kept fooling around with FA.
Let me say one other thing. FA can play at a high level in the NFL in the right situation. He is going to go to another team and he will have a good year next year.
Then Shanny will be questioned even more about why he didn't just play FA.
It will be another example of a bad personnel move made by Shanny. Depending on how bad things are next year for the Deadskins and how good FA plays, we may see Danny Boy blow his lid and bring back Cerrato for the ever more likely Snyderatto III.
Then the marketing line will be:
SNYDERATTO III - This time it's personal!
Actually, this is great because at least the drama level will decline for this mediocre team. Good riddens FA. I still think he should be packaged in a trade to the Pears for Cutler!
We could try and put a percentage on who is at fault here. I don't disagree that Shanny could have probably handled certain situations better. In most any long standing argument you have had, you could have probably thought of a situation that you could have handled better.
However, FA was just a jerk in this whole thing. It was clear to many of his teammates he just wasn't a good guy. FA had his issues with Zorn. Shanny inherited him from the old regime and he had his issues with FA.
There is no question he can play but he will only play under his rules. He flat out said that he was not going to play on running downs.
I say good riddance to the guy.
This is what always happens with the Deadskins. They sign some guy, he doesn't play well, and then they trash him and make the fans hate him.
We'll see if Shanny can change his personnel skills and improve their ability to bring in complementary players, but he doesn't have a history of it.
As for FA - this is why the Deadskins were the only ones who gave him the kind of crazy money they gave him - they don't know what they are doing.
No one else was going to offer FA anywhere close to the $41M they gave him. The Titans offered a 4 year contract for about $40M w/about $20M-$25M guaranteed. AND THEY KNEW THE GUY.
SHANNY DIDN'T BRING IN FA!!! SNYDERATTO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT!!!! Don't blame Shanallen for that. It seems like you are blaming them for FA.
How are they trashing him?
I'm certain he was seeing similar type money from the Bucs who were in the running. In fact, Haynesworth said, "They offered me a whole lot more, and even with their tax situation, it could have been 20 percent more. But you look at Washington, they're in a huge market. It's one of the largest markets in the world. You've just got a large, huge media outlet and it can be life beyond football. Going to Tampa, I mean, great city. Looking at it from the off-season standpoint, I love the water. I love to be out in the sun. It's just awesome, but it would've been like another Nashville. Tampa doesn't have that big market and they don't have a huge fan base like the Washington Redskins do, so I think it was just a choice just to look at it that way."
It may be possible he was lying but you say it was crazy money that no one else was offering and I'm fairly certain TB was offering similar type money.
No way - never heard from any credible source that was what they were offering. TB has no history of making such foolish deals.
The fact that FA says something doesn't mean a whole lot to me.
If it was really close then FA would not have signed just after midnight. He got the crazy money he desired from Danny Boy - who has a clear history of this kind of nonsense.
As for Shanny - he had the opportunity to cut or trade him earlier. Instead he has played this foolish game all year with FA and is now going to cut him anyway.
He should have traded him at the trade deadline - the Titans offered something for him - there was a rumor that it was as much as a 3rd round pick, but the Deadskins wanted more. Shanny made the choice not to trade him because he thought he could get more - that is on Shanny. Even a 7th round pick would have been worth it to the Deadskins. They would have unloaded a major problem, gotten rid of some of his salary for this year, and had a pick. Now they get nothing.
They just spend their time trashing the guy so the fans will blame him - in part - for the disasterous year they are going to end up with.
We don't know what TB offered. Fine, you believe FA is a liar. That's fine.
When Shanny came in, he told FA, "We let Albert know at that time that we would give him until April 1st to go to any team that he wanted in the NFL, so if he wasn’t pleased in playing defensive end, nose tackle, or any other position that we had for him that we’d let him take a look at any team that he wanted to go to. But, on April 1st, where we owed him a check of $21 million we said, ‘If you do take that check, we expect you to be the best defensive end, best nose tackle, if we play you at free safety, you’re expected to be the best free safety. Even though he’d have to lose a little weight.’
“Well, I think I was pretty clear on the direction we’re going. I’m not going to get specifically what we are going to do for obvious reasons, but anytime that you are letting a person that you had on your football team seek other opportunities because he was interested going into a four-man front and we gave him that opportunity, we were very specific that if he did take our signing bonus that we expected him to do the best job for the Washington Redskins and whatever position we felt like playing him that he would do the best job possible to help us win. This is a team and we made that very clear. To get specific on the other issues I think it’s a little premature at this time and for obvious reasons I don’t want to go down that road.”
Why would Shanny cut a guy who is one of the better DL in the league when he says that he will play the way the coaches want him to play? They didn't know that he was lying.
Again, how does Shanny spend his time trashing the guy? If anything, Shanny was sick all year of the questions he received on FA and said on different occasions that he wasn't going to answer those questions any more.
What I think is funny is that you want to believe FA when he says he got a contract offer from the Bucs that was comparable - there is no way that is true because there is no history whatsoever of Tampa doing that, and we know that FA likes to exaggerate. However, at the same time you accuse FA of lying to the Deadskins/Shanny regarding his commitment to playing when he accepted the $20M.
You cannot have it both ways - at least I am consistent. FA lied about the Bucs and then he lied about being committed.
I'm not blaming Shanny for him becoming a Deadskin.
But there is no question that Shanny has mishandled FA from the beginning. He gave him his bonus money and then tried to embarrass him with the nonsensical fitness tests. Then, as it became clear things weren't working out he didn't trade him - when he had some trade value and the Titans were willing to make a deal.
Now they get nothing and they have had to put up with FA most of the year. In today's Post, Shanny is quoted as saying suspending him was an easy choice, he's not playing well, he didn't practice well, etc.
Shanny needs to stop wasting his time talking to the newspapers about FA and figure out how to get his team prepared.
Lovie didn't trash Cedric Benson or Tank Johnson. He doesn't talk about Tommie Harris or other players who may not be playing up to par. Shanny does. That is why guys love playing for Lovie and guys don't really like playing for Shanny.
I never said that FA wasn't a liar. In fact, I was about to type in the previous post after I said that you believe he is a liar that that is not something that is not far fetched to believe because he certainly lied about being committed.
So I am not having it "both ways."
To me, Shanny handled things early on as he should have. He went to FA and told him the plans and gave FA the choice. FA showed poor character by saying that he would be committed but then took the money and proved that he wasn't committed at all.
Look, I don't doubt that Shanny probably wishes he could have done certain things differently. Again, in a long standing feud with someone, we probably all wish we could have done/said something differently.
Again, Shanny doesn't go out of his way to go to the papers and bash players. He was the one that wanted the questions to stop and kept much of the discussions private. He was the one that told the media that he will no longer talk about FA and will only focus on football related questions. So I still don't understand your line of thinking in that he somehow pursued the media to share the details of feud.
When Tank was cut, Lovie addressed it. When Tommie Harris was benched, Lovie addressed it. I don't get your point.
The Skins players largely seem to agree with Shanny and getting rid of FA. You don't know how players feel in the locker room. Don't give me that B.S. about how you read LaCanfora or Reid or listen to Paulsen or this or that or Haugh, read the Rosenblog and that gives you true insight into the locker rooms of the Pears and Redskins.
Look, it boils down to winning cures all. If the Pears struggled this year, there is no question players would start second guessing decisions.
Shanny hasn't even finished the first year in D.C. and you are being the typical fan and saying it's all unraveling.
If there is no improvement in years 2 and 3, then sure, I don't doubt the team will second guess Shanny and we should think about change. However, I agree with Deepie's comments from a recent post in that the rebuilding has already started and it will take a year or so to get Shanny's guys and systems implemented. You seem to want to cast the guy off after 3/4 a year. That is the line of thinking of the quintessential "typical" fan.
I'm not a fan. I am just observing a team that is getting destroyed on a regular basis and doesn't seem to have much fight in them. Their beatdowns against the Eagles and Giants don't inspire much confidence in the Shanny program.
Shanny has completely blown the FA situation. He paid him. He tried to embarrass him into playing. He didn't play him - even though the guy could have made some difference (as little as he has played he still has 2.5 sacks which is second on the Deadskins). He could have traded him and didn't. Now he is going to cut him for nothing.
All the while he has had to deal with the distraction and has spent an inordinate amount of time talking about FA to the media. What a complete waste.
But don't worry, next year Malcolm Kelly will return and all will be well - until their not. Then you will see the Deadskins pick some other guy to throw under the bus and blame for their problems.
Lovie did not bash Tank or Tommie or Cedric. The way Lovie addressed it is very different than the way Shanny "addresses" things with FA.
Winning does cure all - it also proves that things are working. I don't see how the Deadskins can say the Shanny program is working. With the younger, better teams in the East, I don't see how the Deadskins improve much with the roster and the coach they currently have.
Typical "football" fan. That was what was meant by typical fan.
Shanny could have played FA? FA dictated his role. He said that he would not play running downs in the 3-4 and only play passing downs in the 3-4. Players have corroborated this. London Fletcher said that even last year FA wanted the defense to revolve around him.
Sure, Shanny could have forced a disgruntled FA to get on the field but that is not fair to the rest of the team to put a disgruntled guy out there who you are fairly certain will not give you maximum effort just to make an example out of him.
He kept FA because he was led to believe from FA that he was on board with the program. You don't just give up on a talented guy like him who said he was committed and who you just paid $30+M to.
He didn't choose to spend and "inordinate" amount of time talking about FA. The media would not ask any other questions. AGAIN, he said a few times that he would not talk about FA any more and would only address football related questions.
What is the difference in how Lovie handled Tank?
In regards to cutting Tank, Lovie said, "A lot of people within our organization gave extra time and energy to support Tank: players, coaches and our front office. We did our best to establish an environment for him to move forward. Ultimately, Tank needed to live up to his side of the deal."
Jerry Angelo also stated, "We are upset and embarrassed by Tank's actions last week. He compromised the credibility of our organization. We made it clear to him that he had no room for error. Our goal was to help someone through a difficult period in his life, but the effort needs to come from both sides. It didn't, and we have decided to move on."
What is the major difference?
If I recall, Benson had some words for Lovie when he was released. I could be wrong on that though. Again, winning cures everything. The fans, media, and I'm sure some players were on Lovie the last couple of years and this was an important year for him staying as head coach. The Pears have done well so far but they are coming up on their what I would consider their first tough stretch of the season. We'll see how they do.
Wrong about Benson. They hugged and had some nice words for each other before last year's game.
The difference is obvious - the Bears cut Tank and said what they said on his way out. When he was in jail Lovie visited and supported him publicly. Shanny has been bitchin' about FA all year.
If FA wouldn't play then you cut him. The sad part is he is still second on the team in sacks. That is how pathetic the truly awful Deadskin D is.
Upon his release, Benson said, "I heard all the rumors that were said coming out of Chicago. Even the Bengals told me all the things, that they would call and inquire about me and get nothing but negative things. Just that I didn't work hard, that I was I guess a prima donna or I didn't work hard on the field, just wasn't focused, just anything negative that they could say, it was said. I'm sure that contributed largely to me not getting picked up right away."
Things may have been patched up but he was certainly upset with the Pears after he was released.
I don't know what you are talking about when you say Shanny has been bitchin' about FA all year. AGAIN, he is being asked about it all year and has gotten to a point on different occasions where he has just said that I am not talking about FA anymore and will only answer football related questions. So I still don't understand when you say he has been bitchin' all year. It's not true.
Bears players loved TJ and did not like Benson. Show me where Lovie has ever criticized his players to the media. He just doesn't do it. Go back and see what he said about Rex after his worst games.
Shanny has been regularly quoted about FA. He also botched the McNabb benching. If you don't think he has been public in his bitchin' that's fine with me.
Robs, Shanny has been constantly hounded by the media and asked questions about FA. Shanny has not gone out seeking the media to bash him. He has not gone out of his way to bitch and moan to everyone about FA. Not sure how you can not understand that.
So I have shown you examples of Tank and Benson and then you just throw out TJ...OKAY!
The media always asks questions. You don't have to answer them. The examples about Benson and Tank were not weekly discussions. As another example, Lovie was asked about Rex every week and all he would say is, "Rex Grossman is our starting QB."
That is how he operates. He doesn't air dirty laundry in public. Shanny is constantly elaborating on player issues - it is very different than what Lovie does.
If you don't care, that is fine. If you don't think it is a problem, that is fine. But please don't try to argue that Shanny and Lovie operate the same way. That is just not true.
As another example, there is a Post story today about Haslett talking about Haynesworth. I guarrantee you that Shanny put Haslett up to it - or at the very least approved of it. Shanny is a control freak - good or bad - that is what he is.
Snyder - who rarely speaks to the media - is quoted about Haynesworth.
This is just the same old stuff from the Deadskins.
As I said, Shanny had said on multiple occasions, I AM NOT ANSWERING ANY QUESTIONS ON FA!!!! IF YOU WANT TO TALK FOOTBALL, THEN GREAT!!! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!!!!
Washington Redskins coach refused to discuss Albert Haynesworth’s critical comments, speficially the players’ accusations that the organization was trying to make him look bad because he boycotted offseason workout programs and practices.
“First of all, I’m not going to go through the communication I had with Albert. I had a conversation with Albert, but I don’t discuss that for obvious reasons,” the coach said. “If you want to talk about football, we’ll talk about football. But to keep on talking about things that are outside of football, to me, that’s completely ridiculous.”
The question of if any disciplinary action had been taken against Haynesworth, or how the coach was handling the situation, was redirected toward Shanahan, but he maintained his stance.
“Any more football questions? That’s how I deal with that question,” Shanahan replied. “Any conversation I have with a player stays between me and the player. If I address it, I address it with him, and obviously, not to the world.”
Robs, each situation is different. Lovie's situation with Rexy is not a good example of Shanny and Haynesworth. Rexy is not considered the star/talent and high profile athlete that Haynesworth is. Also, Rexy was not at odds with the coach. His situation was that pretty much everyone thought he sucked. With Haynesworth, it is a guy that was a constant pain for the coach and team.
So what about Snyder? I saw his interview on Comcast. He basically said that he was disappointed at the whole thing and the was it. What's the big deal? He didn't bash FA.
Regarding Haslett, I also saw it on Comcast. I thought it was pretty funny. He said basically that FA didn't like the 4-3. He doesn't like the 3-4. What does he want? A 2-5? I actually chuckled.
I've read through some of this stuff and I have to say, Robs...You're up to your old hateriffic self. The Bears do no wrong and the 'Skins are the scum of the NFL world to you.
You've already said a lot so I'll just keep it brief. Shanny has a system that 52 guys bought into. One problem child who has no concept of team in his being is constantly ridiculed by his teammates for being selfish and is constantly having to be coddled by the coaches to get some productivity out of him...and you believe Shanny is the one who's been wrong from the beginning. You, my friend, have proven once again that your analysis of what happens with the 'Skins has no merit.
The fitness test was ridiculous. TB didn't offer FA a large contract. FA has 2.5 sacks so Shanny should play him. Lovie did Rex and Cedric right in the way he dealt with them, whereas Shanny's approach was completely different and incorrect. Blah, blah, blah. We get it. You'll say anything to discredit the 'Skins because of your hatred of the organization.
Shanny could have done things differently, but what's lost on Robs is the fact that everyone else on the team has bought into his system. FA was brought in by the previous regime and Shanny has tried to accomodate the guy buy creating schemes to insert him into that he likes to play. The new regime wanted to get value out of the most talented player on the defense so they did whatever they could to make it work instead of giving up on him before they gave it a chance as you seem to believe they should have. You believe he'll play better somewhere else. Why should the 'Skins have just gotten rid of him if he's still capable of playing better? They took a chance and it failed. Blame it on Snyderatto, but not on Shanallenhan. To extend the mistakes of the past onto the current regime and assume that the org's M.O. hasn't changed is plain stupid.
We'll see if they are changing. It looks bad right now, but maybe Malcolm Kelly will get things turned around.
MK is going to have 75 catches and 1200 yards next year with McNabb. Hail Skins!
He sure will - when he and McNabb move to the Tiny Football League.
The sad part is he will ONLY get 1200 yards against 6 year olds before he blows out a hammy and dings his knee and misses the rest of the season following the second game.
I think that we should invite MK to our little CEAFOD get together. Anyone dare me to try?
You shouldn't call him. He'll tear a tendon in his thumb and break a wrist picking up the phone and end up on IR for next year. Then JKSD will cry.
Robs comment actually gave me a little bit of a chuckle.
I do dare Scott to give MK a call and see if he'd be willing to come out with us.
Deepie, don't you have connections with MK?
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