Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is set to be the top player to hit free agency next week, which is a position that Albert Haynesworth found himself in six years ago.
Haynesworth left the Titans and signed a seven-year, $100 million contract with the Redskins that will live in infamy. Haynesworth didn’t play well and clashed with coaches about the scheme and his weight, leading to a suspension and an eventual trade to the Patriots in 2011 that ended his stint in D.C. after two seasons.
On Wednesday, Haynesworth gave Suh some advice during a visit to the Greg Pogue and Big Joe show on ESPN Nashville. Haynesworth said that his time in Washington “took my love away from the game” and advised Suh to do research about potential suitors beyond what they offer financially.
“He needs to really study, like, who he’s thinking about going to,” Haynesworth said. “Also, you need to kind of look at the track record of the coach, see if he’s going to stay, talk to some former players, just to get the inside scoop about it, and make sure that they’re playing the exact same defense as Detroit.”
Haynesworth’s story of what went wrong, including claims of dishonesty about his role in the defense, is one-sided and we’ve certainly heard enough from the other side to know that Haynesworth made mistakes well beyond limited research into the Redskins. That said, it’s hard to argue with the idea that Suh should be thinking long and hard on many fronts about where he decides to spend his future because Haynesworth’s tale is as cautionary as one gets.