Handicapping Trading Partners for Haynesworth and McNabb

[sportscurmudgeon]

I don't think Haynesworth "giving back money" means that it lands in Danny Boy's pocket. I think those checks are cashed and those are sunk costs. What Haynesworth may agree to do is to take less money in the remaining years of his contract such that he is less burdonsome from a salary point of view to the team that might seek to acquire him. His salaries in those final years are not trivial sums of money!

Even so, I do not think there will be a herd of GMs milling around outside the doors at Ashburn begging to have "rights of first refusal" on any deal involving Big Al. Most other GMs know that Mike Shanahan would greatly prefer not to have Big Al on the team - - whether or not he is playing or is on the bench or is inactive every other week. I suspect the bidding starts with a 6th round pick this year and a contingent 6th/7th next year.

McNabb's market value could be a lot more - - so long as there is no more overt dismissal of McNabb by the Shanahans. Miami needs a QB upgrade if they hope to compete in the AFC East; SF needs a QB upgrade no matter what; if Seattle loses M. Hasselbeck, they need QB help too; Arizona has three hugely mediocre QBs on their roster at the moment; in Minnesota, Joe Webb is at least a year of learning/study away from being a decent NFL QB; Cincy may or may not remain satisfied with Carson Palmer; Tennessee might be in the QB market; Denver might lose K. Orton. PLUS, never rule out Al Davis when it comes to a QB who can throw the long ball...

The key to getting something of value for McNabb is twofold:

1. There has to be a plausible sense that more than one team is actively engaged in putting togfether a deal for him.

2. The rest of the league's GMs cannot have the sense that the Shanahans simply cannot wait to have him put his house on the market here in the DC area.

Neither of these conditions will be easy to create - - but if the Skins hope to get value for McNabb, they are going to have to do it convincingly.