Enough with the Albert Haynesworth Talk Already

It seems that Albert Haynesworth has been disgruntled with the Washington Redskins' defensive scheme even before the new coaching staff was brought on.

He's claimed that he was told when he signed that he would be pass rushing, but when the regular season came it seemed he was more a plug up the middle.

Then after the horrendous 4-12 season was brought to a merciless end there was a light at the end of the tunnel.  Mike Shanahan was named the head coach of the Skins and the fortunes of the team would be reversed.

Shortly after that announcement Jim Haslett was hired on as the defensive coordinator and with him he brought the 3-4 defense.

Well that just added one more thing to tick off a man who has a guaranteed $41 million in his contract.

Before Coach Haslett even started filling out where the players would play it was assumed that Haynesworth with his killer whale sized girth would play nose tackle.  This didn't sit well with the big man who wants the glory of burying the quarterback into the turf.

Then comes the trade for Donovan McNabb.  It was rumored that in the initial discussions that Haynesworth was offered in the trade talks, but the Philadelphia Eagles declined.  In the end they took the Redskins' second round pick in this year's draft and a third or forth conditional pick next year.

This is all the media needed to create all kind of speculation that Haynesworth was even more disgruntled because of the trade rumors and the fact that he didn't show up for the team's first voluntary mini-camp.

More speculation was thrown out that the Pro Bowler would be traded on draft day.  Reports flew from everywhere that Shanahan didn't want a player that didn't want to be there.

For his part Shanahan tried to quell the media's speculation and stated several times that Albert would not be traded.  And despite the media's assertion this was merely a smoke-screen Haynesworth was not dealt on draft day.

Since then there has been two more voluntary mini-camps and two no-shows by Haynesworth. 

With very little football news to talk about in May the media (local and national) have been all over it.  Even Philip Daniels of the Redskins made the comment that he wishes Haynesworth was in camp.

As a fan I wish he was there too, but at the same time these camps are not mandatory, so I'm not worried.

As long as he shows up to the mandatory training camp and in shape (well the kind of shape you can expect a man of his size to be in) all should be fine in the world.  And if on that first Sunday of the season he has a hell of a game all will be forgotten.

Basically what I'm saying is "lay-off".  It's May, these camps are voluntary so it's not a big deal.  It's not like he's a quarterback who needs to know this giant play book.  He's a bulldog whose job is to be let off the chain and to maul the ball carrier. 

I'm sure there are some schemes he needs to learn but I'm confidant as long as he shows up to training camp he'll be able to learn them long before the first preaseason game.

In the end it would be great if he was there with the rest of the guys, but in the end I think the media is making a ountain out of a tiny, tiny, ant hill.