Albert Haynesworth a Player Too Far? New England Patriots Trade for Tackle

Recent reports have the New England Patriots acquiring Washington Redskins malcontent Albert Haynesworth for a fifth-round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft.

Bill Belichick and the Patriots will assuredly continue their successes with shrewd player management and rehabilitating "problem" players. Haynesworth will return to his All-Pro form and help put the Patriots back on top of the AFC East.

Please.

Belichick has had plenty of success with other talented but unhappy players before. Corey Dillon came to New England after a solid but unfulfilled career with the Cincinnati Bengals, winning a Super Bowl with them in 2004.

Randy Moss then came to town in 2007, the same year the Patriots released Dillon. Moss had a poor off-field history in Minnesota and a miserable on-field performance with Oakland. Pairing Moss with Tom Brady, however, shattered records and put New England in its fourth Super Bowl appearance of the decade.

With Moss traded away last year, it's time for another project. Haynesworth appears to be in, and the "New England mystique" has fans and sportswriters alike believing this will be the resurrection not only of Haynesworth's career, but also of a New England defense that has been in decline the last couple years. The Patriots hemorrhaged yards last season, giving up an average of 366.5 yards per game.

Despite the intense faith that borders on a cult following fans have in Belichick, the Haynesworth trade seems more likely to explode in New England's face rather than in opposing teams' offensive lines. Haynesworth's primary source of discontent was the shift in Washington's defensive scheme. Moving to the 3-4 nose tackle guaranteed a drop in gaudy sack numbers for Haynesworth, where his responsibility is more to tie up blockers rather than make the big plays himself.

It just doesn't make sense that Haynesworth will be any more excited about playing the position than he was last year when Mike Shanahan installed the 3-4 defense in Washington. Because of the aura of success that has surrounded the Patriots the last decade, it's almost assumed that any moves they make come from divine inspiration rather than calculated risk.

This would not be the first time New England made a poor personnel choice. In 2007, New England dove into the free agent mark and signed Baltimore standout Adalius Thomas to a five year, $35 million contract. Thomas and Belichick were thought to pair up and revolutionize the linebacker position. Instead, it was a failed experiment after Thomas was released last spring.

Haynesworth is one of the most talented players in the league, and one of the best ever at the defensive tackle position. But "Patriot Way" or not, Haynesworth will likely not be any happier in New England's defense than Washington's.