Albert Haynesworth on Sirius NFL

[brent]

Haynesworth says the Bucs offered him more $$$$ than Washington and the Giants offered him a deal that would've made him highest paid defender in nfl.

[GridIron26]

I think I would be surprised if it's actually true?

[Giantone]

Originally Posted by GridIron26

I think I would be surprised if it's actually true?

lol............me too.With the D Line the Giants have ,you pay him that type money you lose everyone else .............you couldn't aford it,not to an outsider.

[brent]

At least he's not a Giant!

[MTK]

What else did he have to say?

[SmootSmack]

Didn't he say that stuff about the Bucs months ago, when he first signed?

[WaldSkins]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

Didn't he say that stuff about the Bucs months ago, when he first signed?

Isn't Haynesworth the highest paid defensive player?

[stu_nna]

is there any way to hear this?

[firstdown]

Originally Posted by stu_nna

is there any way to hear this?

Run out real quick and buy Sirius Radio.

[dan_snyder69]

I believe him. He probably knew he would get taken care of better here when it comes time to restructure and whatnot, due to Snyder's generosity and the front office's relationship with his agent.

[SC Skins Fan]

Originally Posted by dan_snyder69

I believe him. He probably knew he would get taken care of better here when it comes time to restructure and whatnot, due to Snyder's generosity and the front office's relationship with his agent.

No one offered more guaranteed money than Washington. Not a chance. No matter what the contract numbers "said" Washington offered the most real money.

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by SC Skins Fan

No one offered more guaranteed money than Washington. Not a chance. No matter what the contract numbers "said" Washington offered the most real money.

Exactly.

The $41 million guaranteed was the magic number. Neither the Bucs nor the Giants topped that one.

[MTK]

Jim Miller: Welcome to the show, everybody knows about the record contract, but tell us how are you settling-in in Washington after so many years in Tennessee?

Albert Haynesworth: It’s a good fit. Believe it or not I don’t have a ton of pressure on me with the new contract, I actually think there’s less pressure on me now than when I was still in Tennessee

Adam Schein: You’re telling me you had more pressure in Tennessee than in Washington with the 100-Million Dollar Contract!

Albert Haynesworth: Yeah, I’ll try to explain it to people in a way they can understand so here goes. I compare it to elementary school grades 1st-2nd grades vs. 4th - 5th grade. When you are young and the biggest kid in the grade, when you do stuff there’s no flexibility because you stand out; but when you get older and some of the other kids start catching up to your size, some of the stuff you do goes under the radar. Nobody holds the stuff you did in 2nd grade against you because you have changes. It’s like getting a fresh start.

Adam Schein: Was it a situation where everything ran it’s course in Tennessee? Was it time to leave Tennessee?

Albert Haynesworth: Yes it was (time to leave Tennessee). It was time for me to go and get a clean slate and show people what I can do elsewhere.

Jim Miller: How do you not feel the need to live up to the hefty contract?

Albert Haynesworth: I tell people the contract is good, but I have to live up to the contract that is the expectations I set for myself.

Adam Schein: Was the money an issue and why you went to Washington?

Albert Haynesworth: No! I had more on the table in Tampa. They offered a lot more money, but Washington had some things I was more comfortable with. For instance they have a large media aspect that can set you up for life after football. Also Tampa doesn’t have a huge fan base like Washington does, so it wasn’t that hard of a choice to make in the end.

Adam Schein: Were the Giants ever in it (to acquire your services)?

Albert Haynesworth: Yes they were for a while, they were willing to make me the highest paid player in the NFL, but not to the extent that Tampa and Washington were offering. Atlanta was in there, but the Vick dead-money situation hurt them, and Denver was in there, but I wasn’t sure about the new regime there.

Jim Miller: Is Tennessee still upset about how fast you signed. I mean, I see that they filed some papers with the League regarding tampering. Why are they mad? Is it because you just wanted to leave?

Albert Haynesworth: It’s not really that (tampering). I made the decision that it was just best for me to move on. I’m not a Titan anymore and I can’t speak to what the Titans are thinking. I’m happy being a Redskin. I’m not sure how disappointed they are that I left because they had an opportunity to sign me for over a year leading up to me leaving and they only discussed a contract once over that entire period of time. It seems like now that I’ve left they just want to get something out of me for leaving. They’re trying to get a draft pick from Washington because I left. That’s not right!

(Interjection/Schein): Wait a minute, there’s an elephant in the room. Our callers wouldn’t let me live it down if I didn’t ask the burning question: How did Haynesworth get all these offers within 24 hours of the start of free agency without tampering occurring.

Albert Haynesworth: It went like this- The Redskins called first, then the Giants, then Tampa, then Denver. Washington, the Giants and Tampa all made offers within the first two hours. Denver never offered a contract. They just wanted me to keep them in the loop.

Jim Miller: What about Detroit, you would have been the perfect fit for their Defense and they have Jim Schwartz:

Albert Haynesworth: I was with Schwartz for 7 years, but Detroit din’t show interest. It’s funny because Jim used to joke that if he got a job within the next year, I would get a call, but nothing came of that.

Adam Schein: We had a few callers that wanted us to ask why it seems like Albert Haynesworth only plays big when he has something to prove or a big payday on the line.

Albert Haynesworth: I always feel I have something to prove. Look at my stats. I always feel I have something to prove. I get better each year. I can say I don’t care about the money, but it wouldn’t make sense because I just signed the huge deal. My goal is to go out there and beat the man in front of me each down to demonstrate that I am the best player in the league. I want to be a 1st ballot Hall of Famer.

After the Dallas situation with Gerrode, I wanted to prove I was a better person for my family and my kids. I know what people were saying and what situation I created by doing that. I just don’t want them to think of me like that. That’s important to me. People change throughout life. I just changed after that.

Jim Miller: I know Greg Blache. He won’t let any body rest on their laurels. What is your take on him?

Albert Haynesworth: Me and Blache have been working together on how he will implement me in his scheme. We run a lot of the same stuff that I ran in Tennessee. They aren’t set in their ways. We are both showing each other new things. And we’re going to see how we can both incorporate what we do to benefit the defense as a whole. It’s a good thing, we have a good marriage.

Adam Schein: How good can the Redskins be? I think WAS is still ranked 4/4 due to the division they play in.

Albert Haynesworth: I can see why a person would say that because this is the toughest division in football. I can’t promise anything, but we have some good players. We just have to play our game and get comfortable with each other. I think we’ll be OK when we do that. They were a good team last year with a strong defense.

Jim Miller: Can Kyle Vanden Boch (sp) be a Pro Bowler again without your presence?

Albert Haynesworth: I don’t know, I took on a lot of doubles, but who knows? It’ll all depend on how they adapt to the schemes changing against them without me in there. The AFC South is a tough division.

Adam Schein: So Peyton’s thrilled to have you out of the Divison?


Albert Haynesworth: Sure! he knows I was the guy he had to worry about. He knows the Titans have a good team, but I was the single player they were looking at.

Adam Schein: Is it possible to replace Albert Haynesworth?

Albert Haynesworth: I never look at myself as irreplaceable; I don’t know what they think. I know I want to make my presence in Washington feel like Albert Haynesworth can’t be replaced

Jim Miller: Can Vince Young have his career reestablished in Tennessee?


Albert Haynesworth: Could he….. He’s a friend of mine, but I just don’t see it happening in Tennessee. Probably not! I know that organization and I played in Tennessee for a long time. I just don’t know!

Jim Miller: Is he mentally-tough enough to rebound?


Albert Haynesworth: I don’t know. He’s a passionate guy. He competes really hard, but he’s emotional. The guy refused to go back into a game, and then he gets hurt the next time he plays. The fans started getting all over him. The fans can make or break you in a place.

Adam Schein: Why didn’t you and Jeff Fisher enjoy a special relationship? He’s a defensive minded coach and you’re one of the best defensive players in the league.

Albert Haynesworth: I can’t say why we didn’t have a special relationship. There wasn’t a problem though. I just don’t know. He was alright.

Jim Miller: A lot is being made about some players relationship with the coach in Washington, how is your relationship with Jim Zorn?

Albert Haynesworth: Jim Zorn is just a cool guy. I’ve talked to him more times since I came here than I talked to coach Fisher the whole 7 years I was in Tennessee. It’s just a different situation here in Washington. I mean I never talked to Bud Adams (owner) either, but I’ve talked to Mr. Snyder a number of times already. He’s really cool.

Adam Schein: Talk about that relationship with the Tennessee front office:

I don’t know, it’s just different. In Tennessee I never talked to the GM, but I’ve already had a few conversations with Vinny. It’s not even about football all the time, we talk about life in general.

Jim Miller: You know that Honeymoon can wear off quick?


Albert Haynesworth: I know. At first I thought everything was all-good because I was the new guy, but then you talk to the players that have been around Washington for a while and they’re all like “Nah, this is how it is around here.” Everything is just dofferent. I mean from the classroom to the weight room, things are just different. When I was with the Titans I thought that environment was the best in the league based on conversations you have with other players around the league, but this atmosphere is great!

Adam Schein: Albert great stuff. Best of Luck in 2009! We look forward to seeing you at training camp.

[BDBohnzie]

Originally Posted by Mattyk72

Jim Miller: A lot is being made about some players relationship with the coach in Washington, how is your relationship with Jim Zorn?

Albert Haynesworth: Jim Zorn is just a cool guy. I’ve talked to him more times since I came here than I talked to coach Fisher the whole 7 years I was in Tennessee. It’s just a different situation here in Washington. I mean I never talked to Bud Adams (owner) either, but I’ve talked to Mr. Snyder a number of times already. He’s really cool.

Adam Schein: Talk about that relationship with the Tennessee front office:

I don’t know, it’s just different. In Tennessee I never talked to the GM, but I’ve already had a few conversations with Vinny. It’s not even about football all the time, we talk about life in general.

To me, this stands out. He seems very genuine that he wants to be here and to play ball. I still worry about what he'll bring (as far as work ethic and taking plays off, etc) but it seems that he has a bit of a chip on his shoulder to prove he's only getting better and better.

[Rajmahal33]

Originally Posted by Mattyk72

Jim Miller: A lot is being made about some players relationship with the coach in Washington, how is your relationship with Jim Zorn?

Albert Haynesworth: Jim Zorn is just a cool guy. I’ve talked to him more times since I came here than I talked to coach Fisher the whole 7 years I was in Tennessee. It’s just a different situation here in Washington. I mean I never talked to Bud Adams (owner) either, but I’ve talked to Mr. Snyder a number of times already. He’s really cool.

Adam Schein: Talk about that relationship with the Tennessee front office:

I don’t know, it’s just different. In Tennessee I never talked to the GM, but I’ve already had a few conversations with Vinny. It’s not even about football all the time, we talk about life in general.

Jim Miller: You know that Honeymoon can wear off quick?


Albert Haynesworth: I know. At first I thought everything was all-good because I was the new guy, but then you talk to the players that have been around Washington for a while and they’re all like “Nah, this is how it is around here.” Everything is just dofferent. I mean from the classroom to the weight room, things are just different. When I was with the Titans I thought that environment was the best in the league based on conversations you have with other players around the league, but this atmosphere is great!

Adam Schein: Albert great stuff. Best of Luck in 2009! We look forward to seeing you at training camp.

This little excerpt is pretty bothersome to me because i think this is why our front office seems incapable of making objective decisions. As heartless as Belicheck is, he runs a tight ship over there and has shown that he can make tough decisions even at the cost of his closest players. I'm not saying we have to do that here but the proof of that approach is in their on-field product. We can give any excuse(s) we want to but the Redskins have simply not gotten it done on the field in the Vinny Cerrato years (and i'm not blaming only him). Maybe a good reason for our failures is this "different" easy going culture we have in Ashburn.

Hate to be pessimistic here but I don't want the skins to be known as having a "great" lockerroom atmosphere if it means putting out a soft team on the field. I think the stigma in some player's minds is that its a free lunch on a redskins roster. You can't tell me that, for example, Jason Taylor really had the fire and passion that he had in Miami when he came here. It just raises some flags for me...