Redskins do some addition by subtraction

The Redskins now have their two biggest potential distractions in the rear-view mirror.

Just hours after completing a deal to send Donovan McNabb to the Vikings, the Redskins shipped Albert Haynesworth to the New England Patriots. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Redskins will get a fifth-round pick in 2013 in exchange for Haynesworth.

A few days ago a report quoted a Redskins team source saying that they would trade Haynesworth for “a ham sandwich.” A fifth-round pick two drafts from now is the NFL equivalent of a ham sandwich.

Haynesworth might regain his old All-Pro form under Bill Belichick, who has taken reclamation projects like Randy Moss and Corey Dillon and has been able to get some good production out of them.

But it really doesn’t matter. Haynesworth was not going to succeed on this team in this system under this coach. They had to cut their substantial losses—they paid him $41 million for 20 games, 6.5 sacks, and 43 tackles—and move on.

It’s the same with the second- and fourth-round picks the Redskins invested in McNabb. The cost is sunk.

On the field and in the short term, the Redskins may be worse off without McNabb and Haynesworth, who are two talented football players. In every other way, the Redskins have done some serious addition by subtraction.

 

Comments

[Dave C.]

Couldn't have described the net effect of the moves with McNabb and Haynesworth any better than you just did. I am thrilled that ShanAllen pulled these transactions off prior to the start of training camp. That's huge, and I was hopeful, but not optimistic, that they would be able to do so. I think they're starting to hit their stride, and on the way toward restoring respectability to the Redskins organization. Dan Snyder, leave them alone and let them "do their thing."!!!

[jahwriter]

1. I'm really glad the Redskins where able to get rid of Donovan Mcnabb and Albert Haynesworth and get picks in 2011, 2012, 2013 for them. With them gone, plus Philip Daniels, Maake Kemoetau and Casey Rabach cut the Redskins saved about 12-14 million in cap space to sign some other guys. Great move to get rid of the dead weight on this team.

2. I expect the Cullen Jenkins deal to get done finally.

3. Also expect the Skins to bring in some Punters today (Chas Henry (FL) and/or Daniel Sepulveda coming in would be ideal.) as well.

4. With Rabach gone, I also expect to Redskins to start bringing in some of the hogs (I expect a C, OG and OT or 2 OG's and a OT depending how they feel about what we currently have on the roster.) in today as well because they have about 20 million right now to sign them (already counting all the rookies being signed today.).

5. I think Brandon Stockley should reconsider his move and come back, with Roydell Williams gone and him not signing thats only 11 receivers currently on the roster, which the Redskins might just go into camp with but I suspect that the Skins really wanted 12 guys and to add a veteran to teach the young guys, I always thought Stockley was great at that and would reconsider at this point.

6.

[Luqman Sh-Hersi]

I think that getting rid of Albert is the best thing that Shanahan has done, because he sent a message to the team that I am in charge and you do what I tell you what to do. I think that Haynesworth should have been gone when Shanahan first came to the Redskins. It was a total distraction, the Redskins are a better team withoutAlbert, and the Skins can use the money they save against the cap for better players and to develop the team.