Haynesworth and the Eagles?
By author
As the ending of this dreaded lockout has arrived, we can get to the off season, which should last about, hmmmm….5 seconds. There will be just enough time to get re-signing key players, signing free agents and rookies, learn Andy Reid’s enormous playbook, fill out depth charts, and beat the crap out of each other in hot and sweaty Lehigh before the first preseason game against the Ravens.
The signing will be fast and furious and I cannot wait! The Eagles are involved in a thousand rumors involving a bunch of different high caliber players including Reggie Bush, Plaxico Burress, Nnamdi Asomugha, Jonathan Joseph, Jason Babin, and now even Brett freaking Favre.
Yeah like that one wouldn’t make ESPN drool all over themselves like a dog when they see raw meat? I can just imagine Sal Pal or Ed Werder shoving a microphone in Favre’s face after Michael Vick has a pour outing, asking him if he should be starting. How about we just settle for Trent Edwards please?
The top of my wish list might be a little bit farfetched, yet could be like striking gold if we were to manage getting him. Albert Haynesworth. Now before you all think I’m insane or out right crazy, let me tell you why this monster of a man would look fabulous in green.
First reason: Mike Patterson, Trevor Laws, Brodrick Bunkley, Antonio Dixon. All adequate at best. Big in relativity to the average man, but none are overly large and overpowering by NFL defensive tackle standards.
Haynesworth is listed at 6’6” 335 pounds and is as strong as any player comes in this league. Well, in his Tennessee days that is. Can we consider Bunkley a bust yet? He’s gone. Laws is what he is. Patterson is decent and might be better if he’s got someone like Haynesworth next to him. And Dixon is a nice young player that has an upside to him. None have anywhere near the talent level of Haynesworth. Although, some might argue that none of them have stomped on Andre Gurode’s head before either…
So he’s a little bit of a basket case/whiney baby/brat. But he is also incredibly talented and highly regarded as one of the best defensive linemen in the NFL for a three or four year period from 2005-2008, which leads me to my second reason: Jim Washburn.
When he signed his giant 100 million dollar contract with the Redskins a couple of years ago, he credited Washburn for the success that he had. Washburn, the long time Titans defensive line coach and now Eagles defensive line coach, wants Albert bad and seemingly will get the most out of him, as they have a great relationship.
He clearly is an ogre on the field. He just needs motivation. Who would be better to get it out of him than Wash? We have to keep in mind that he is still under contract with the Skins, with a ton of money still due to him. If they end up releasing him, which is a strong possibility, it’s a complete no-brainer. If we would have to trade for him, I would never give up more than a third rounder for him. The risk is too high for a first or second, given his laundry list of stupidity.
The 4-3 argument is an important one as well. For some reason, even though he’s enormous and could be a great plug at nose tackle in a 3-4 scheme, he does not want to have anything to do with it. He avoided hard work at nose tackle like it was the plague last year. But good news for us, we play 4-3! He’s thrived in it before, and has gotten to the quarterback as well as stopped the run.
We can only speculate at this point, but the idea of a dude that large taking up two and three blockers and freeing up a caged animal like Trent Cole on the outside, makes me think of all of the possibilities of this defense.
And the thought of him eating Tony Romo like a breakfast buffet makes me smile just a bit. This move would cover up the youth and troubles of the secondary. And it would make the signing of player like Asomugha a little less necessary. No matter what, this tiny yet busy off season shall be very exciting as the Eagles seem like they might be going for the whole “Super Bowl or bust” off season.