When the Washington Redskins brought in Mike Shanahan and general manager, Bruce Allen, ownner Dan Snyder knew that the team needed a shakeup from the foundation on up. Jim Zorn's short tenure proved a failure and Snyder was not going to make another reach for a coach without quality credentials. Shanahan give the Redskins the coach with a winning history and ability to build high octane offenses. The organization cannot continue to live in the shadows of Joe Gibbs and Shanahan gives fans hope for something more.
Many coaches take over teams that are bereft all talent on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. The Redskins gave Shanahan a quality situation with a roster that includes receiver Santana Moss, pass rushers; Andre Carter and Brian Okrapo, and linebacker London Fletcher to man the middle of the linebacking corps. As soon as Shanahan was given the keys to the car he immediately invested one of his second round draft picks to trade with their division rival, Philadelphia Eagles. They made a trade to acquire former Nebraska standout, Adam Carriker while adding a couple veteran running backs with Larry Johnson and Willie Parker. On the defenisve side, 3-4 defensive mind, Jim Haslett was brought on board to man the defensive coordinator position. Throwing in a solid draft that included the additions of offensive tackle, Anthony Davis and linebacker, Perry Riley and the Redskins added quality depth along the offensive and defensive lines while acuqiring a franchise quarterback to kickstart a stagnant offense.
Things began to look up for the Redskins until offseason conditioning started and OTAs inched closer. Albert Haynesworth decided that he did not want to play a role in the new defense installed bhy Haslett. Haynesworth claimed he felt deceived by the organization for failing to keep the 4-3 defense that attracted the defensive tackle in the summer of 2009. Haynesworth is just a year into his 100 million dollar contract that made him the richest lineman in the NFL but is more concerned with his personal statistics than being a asset to his team. Haynesworth was a force when he played for the Tennessee Titans but delivered inconsistently in 2009. He has always been questioned for his lack of motivation and drive and many teams shied away from signing the massive tackle because of the warning signs.
The Redskin organization finds itself in dire straits while it tries to sort out its 350 pound problem. One would think that if a player was rewarded with the richest contract in the NFL, he would reciprocate the compensation with a consistently stellar performance. After averaging 7 sacks during the 2007- 2008 seasons Haynesworth declined to just 4 sacks while making fewer big plays. The statistical decline is only a small portion of the problem because his refusal to play Nose Tackle proves that he is only concerned with personal fame and glory.
Washington should seek trade partners that are willing acquire a physically gifted, yet frustrating athlete and boost up its draft options for 2011. The additions of defensive lineman Maake Kemoteau and the recent signing of Vonnie Holiday provide some solid depth should Haynesworth not return. If Shanahan somehow was able to reach out to Haynesworth and get him to agree to play either defensive end or tackle in his defense while possibly being put into pash rush situations on third downs. It seems unlikely that the coach would over extend himself to a player that has only been more of a problem than a solution. If Haynesworth had any dignity left inside him, he will hopefully change his tune and show up at OTAs.
Regardless of the Haynesworth situation, the organization and their fan base should be excited for having an improving its passing game with the addition of Donovan McNabb. McNabb should perform well in a familiar West Coast system to the one he used in Philadelphia. The switch to a 3-4 gives the defense more options for creating pressure along the edges and up the middle and Haslett is sure to keep offensive coordinators on their toes. As training camp approaches, the fog should hopefully clear with the Haynesworth situation and the offense should build the chemistry it lacked under Zorn and Campbell.
No comments:
Post a Comment