Albert Haynesworth is a Redskin!!!!

Huh? Yeah the Browns as a team were a bust last year but Rogers was a pure beast for them and was in the Pro Bowl.

Did he make the players around him better? Why does he already want out after one year?

I havent read all 6 pages here, but on ESPN980 this morning, Cerrato said Haynesworth took less money to come here than he was being offered by another team (presumably Tampa Bay.) Now, we can't necessarily beleive this because, of course, Cerrato wants to give fans the impression we got a great player and at a "bargain." However, if Cerrato can be beleived, then it gives me hope that Hyanesworth is not all about the money. He's getting a ton of money, but he wanted to come somewhere:

1) In the spotlight. Haynesworth certainly wouldnt want to be in the spotlight if he had the intention of being a lazy SOB who didnt try.

2) Where he feels he has a chance to win.

Perhaps Haynesworth will play at - or above - the level he did in Tennessee for the next 2-3 years. It certainly sounds like we plan on using him sparingly. Cerrato said he anticipated Haynesworth to participate in 55-60% of the plays here, and that we plan to move him all over the line.

He said both Hall and Haynesworth passed on better offers to play here?

haynesworth should open up weaknesses in the opposing o-lines for griffen, taylor and carter to all exploit. he should improve all of their performances. good signing, kinda scared of the contract but we got a great player no doubt

The Jets didn't make the playoff because Brett Favre threw a whole bunch of interceptions at the end of the season. I think they fielded a decent defense, given how competitive the AFC East was this past season.

Shawn Rogers was not necessarily a bust, and just like us, the Browns had their offensive issues as well (remember Braylon Edwards dropping all those passes?).

And I think the 49ers were giving up on their coach this year, yet don't forget that they were a few games away from being the AZ Cardinals.

My point is bringing in high priced FA's doesn't seem to translate into wins. Does it?

I honestly dont know how we are fitting he and Hall under the cap. Allegedly, we are playing Haynesworth 32M over the first 13 months of the contract. The league will undoubtably have to approve the contract today. Since there is no salary cap in 2010 as of this point, they league has no reason to reject the contract.

However, what if a new CBA is reached between now and the start of free agency next year? What if this contract (along with others) puts the skins over the cap and there is no way for us to get under, even by cutting players, because of the cap hit? Does this mean we would lose 2010 picks, or would there be some other penalty? I guess no one can answer that question, because the new CBA would have to determine the terms for violating the cap. Its just something ive been thinking about.

My point is bringing in high priced FA's doesn't seem to translate into wins. Does it?

You forget the redskins official motto in the Daniel Snyder era:

"Just because its never worked before, that doesnt mean it wont start working now."

My point is bringing in high priced FA's doesn't seem to translate into wins. Does it?

Not always of course (though Plax and Pierce didn't hurt the Giants), but not doing anything doesn't seem to translate into wins either.

He said both Hall and Haynesworth passed on better offers to play here?

Yup, heres a link to the podcast, i think this must have been done at 6AM or something. In case you cant listen to stuff like that at work, Cerrato also said he polled the defensive players and asked what they thought about Haynesworth and they were all in favor of getting him. He specifically mentioned talking with Fletcher and that Hall said, "go get the big guy."

ESPN 980 Audio Vault - Play Now (http://www.stationcaster.com/player.php?s=65&c=427&f=22080)

I would have rather grabbed Canty...re-signed Hall...then get Dockery. From a locker room standpoint...is London Fletcher still going to be able to be a leader...or are Hall and AH going to be like F off old man we get paid more. Same thing with Chris Samuels and all those other guys that restructured. They broke their you know whats for this franchise...took pay cuts...then watch two punks...(and they are punks lets not beat around the bush here) get paid more than they have ever seen. I thought we were on the right path last year by building through the draft and grabbing small pieces in FA to enhance the team. Here we go again.

Last off-season we were in a situation where we unexpectedly had to search for a new coach, none of the free agents really appealed to us, and we had a heavy dosage of draft picks. This year, unless we are able to pull off trades (anyone else hearing that Springs is going to Houston for the Texans' 4th rounder they just from Minnesota? Got a weak source on that one) we have to look at free agency.

I don't want to be a downer but I would like to be the voice of reason.

Is anyone old enough to remember the Dana Stubblefield and Dan Wilkinson signing years ago?...Don't get too excited for Haynesworth yet because he has yet to show what he can do in OUR system.

We got two stallwort DT's with Stubby and Wilkinson and their effect on our defense was minimal. Haynesworth is one person and subject to the scheme that he plays in.

Let's have some tempered realism with our expectations.

Wikinson had two good years with us, and put up some really good numbers in his first year. His numbers were not the same the next two and had a bad final year with us.

Year Tkls/Solo/Sacks/FF
1998 44/38/7.5/0
1999 32/23/8.0/1
2000 21/16/3.5/0
2001 25/19/4/0
2002 16/12/0/0