Redskins owner Daniel Snyder seems to be serious about making a dramatic change to the manner in which the franchise he has owned for more than a decade is managed.
Gone is long-time Snyder confidant Vinny Cerrato, and Snyder seems to be willing to keep his ladle out of the soup moving forward. (Then again, Snyder tried that approach in 2001 -- and it lasted for a year.)
But Snyder needs to make one more change in order to properly break from his fantasy-football mindset of seasons past.
He needs to get rid of defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth.
More accurately, G.M. Bruce Allen needs to make the decision to get rid of Haynesworth, and Snyder needs to let Allen implement it.
Haynesworth is far more trouble than he’s worth, as Haynesworth’s recent actions have demonstrated. Sure, he’s talented. But he’s a divisive personality who can’t deal with adversity and can’t stay healthy and the Redskins never should have signed him.
Making the move easier in 2010 will be the absence of the salary cap. With no cap, there will be no cap consequences, allowing the Redskins to dump Haynesworth and move on.
So put him on the trading block. Someone else will think they can get through to him, even though in reality not even Vince Lombardi could get this guy to give his all on every snap.
The only argument in favor of keeping Haynesworth around is that they have given him $40 million in guaranteed money and he has the potential to be dominant. Still, if the goal is to win a Super Bowl, Haynesworth is likely to do more harm than good in that regard -- especially if the team encounters any adversity in 2010.