Report: Redskins To Take $100 Million Gamble on Haynesworth

ProFootballTalk.com, the Houston Chronicle and SI.com have all had blurbs confirming that the Washington Redskins are going to sign Pro Bowl defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth to a contract that will be in the $100 million range, averaging roughly $15 million per year. He's about to be rich like the truck driver in The Chappelle Show skit.

This is great news for Andre Gurode, the linemen whose face Haynesworth used as a doormat in 2006, who will be happy to know that he'll see Haynesworth twice a year now.

This potential signing has the makings of being just another notch in the long line of Washington Redskins disasters in free agency. See: David Patten, Antwan Randle El, Brandon Lloyd, Pete Kendall, Andre Carter, and Jason Taylor.

Those who bet sports don't really care. It doesn't affect anyone's belief in the Redskins long term, really, since no one really had that much faith in them to begin with.

Most sharp football fans know that Haynesworth has mailed it in throughout his career. He was considered "lazy" by his coaches throughout the first five years of his career and after stomping on Gurode's face, and kicking center Justin Hartwig in the chest during training camp, a lot people felt he was a head case. But he Vince Cartered his way through his last two seasons—both contract years—and flashed what he is truly capable of when he feels like it.

The problem is that the Redskins are investing in him at his absolute highest point. He can't play any better than he has over the past two seasons, when he was conveniently working on one-year contracts.

But with this insane contract that will pay him roughly $15 million per year, the Redskins are going to expect him to be in 2007 form every single season for the next six years or so.

Haynesworth is going to be 28 in June, which means he's no longer a young sprite. And almost all 330-pound defensive tackles have motivation issues to begin with, but Haynesworth has a longer track record than most.

Furthermore, Haynesworth hasn't even played in a full 16-game season since his rookie year in 2002.

The only two good years Haynesworth has produced have been the two years where he was expecting to be a free agent. The Redskins might be able to expect a couple of good years from him, but all signs point to this being another huge Redskins gamble.

If you're an NFL betting man, then you know the odds aren't in your favor when you are betting on the Redskins in these situations.