By Rich Tandler
After getting traded from the Redskins to the Patriots last summer, Albert Haynesworth had a tough year. He had just two tackles in six games in New England. They unceremoniously dumped him in midseason and the Bucs claimed him. Albert was slightly more productive there if you can call 20 tackles in seven games “productive.” The Bucs decided that his services were not worth the $7.2 million he was to receive in salary and bonuses this year so they released him on Wednesday.
And to nobody’s surprise, Haynesworth had a long line of excuses for having such a year. He actually came up with them prior to being released. In a Jan. 3 article on TampaBay.com, (h/t to Hogs Haven), after admitting that, “you’ve probably seen me at my worst” Haynesworth told his tale of woe:
It was just me not having a good offseason, worrying about whether I was going back to the Redskins, all that stuff.
One day before reporting to (training) camp, I get traded (to New England), then I’m there trying to learn that system and dealing with that. I had a lot on my plate and a lot on my mind.
So, it’s as though because he wasn’t sure where he would be playing, he wasn’t able to get into shape. Of course, a year earlier, when he knew exactly where he would be playing, he blew off the Redskins’ offseason program and then was unable to pass the team’s conditioning test. So he really doesn’t need a reason not to be in shape.
Whatever the problem was, however, it wasn’t his fault.
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