NFL

No Middle Ground for Redskins Anymore

Posted Feb 28, 2009 7:30AM By Chris Burke (RSS feed)

Filed Under: Redskins, NFL Free Agency

Text SizeAAA
Albert HaynesworthThe Redskins accomplished two things on the opening day of free agency: they signed three talented players that will immediately be expected to play key roles. And they killed any chance at having a "decent" season.

Washington will either be very, very good or very, very disappointing -- there is no possibility of simply meeting expectations. Why? Well, when you fork over $180 million for 13.6 percent of your team's starting lineup, you do so with the goal of winning the Super Bowl. Nothing less will be acceptable, not after this.

The centerpiece of all these raised hopes, of course, is Albert Haynesworth, who is the proud new owner of the largest contract for a defensive player in NFL history. When he's been healthy and motivated, Haynesworth has been one of the most dominant players in the league, and he'll have to be that guy in D.C. because, well, you don't shill out nine-figure contracts for so-so efforts.

"With the contract, it's going to be all on me," Haynesworth said at his first Washington press conference. "My goal is to be the best player on the field and to eventually get to that Hall of Fame status and be mentioned with Reggie White and Bruce Smith and all the greats."

Of course, we've seen this dance before in the nation's capital. Do the names Adam Archuleta, Jeff George or Deion Sanders mean anything to you? If you're a Redskins fan, they probably do. All of those guys stand as examples of when Washington owner Dan Snyder opened the pocketbook without really thinking. All of those players endured disastrous runs as Redskins.

So you can forgive the Redskin faithful if they watched with a cautious eye on Friday.

Cautious, ironically, just happens to be the one word you can't use to describe Snyder's work so far. I mean, a six-year, $54 million deal for DeAngelo Hall -- a guy that has already played himself out of Atlanta and Oakland -- is at the opposite extreme of cautious. Like somewhere around foolhardy.

It's hard not to think that Washington drove the price up on itself here, because it's hard to believe there was a $9 million-a-year market out there for Hall. Regardless, he must perform to that standard.

And guard Derrick Dockery, the third guy that Snyder added on Friday, must perform as well. His five-year, $26 million deal doesn't even get him in the same monetary ballpark as Hall, let along Daddy Warbucks Haynesworth. It's still a huge amount of dough for an offensive lineman – let alone an offensive lineman who was just days ago a salary cap casualty in Buffalo after an average 2008.

DYST V3 test

    LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers watches as Mo Williams #2 takes a shoe to the face by Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers after a steal in the closing seconds of the first half at The Quicken Loans Arena on February 8, 2009 in Cleveland, Ohio. (David Liam Kyle, NBAE/Getty Images)

    David Liam Kyle, NBAE/Getty Images

    Brazil's Diogo (L) vies for the ball with Paraguay's Hernan Perez during their U-20 South American Championship football match in Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela on February 8, 2009.(Juan Barreto, AFP/Getty Images )

    Juan Barreto, AFP/Getty Images

    A Dalmatian looks at its handler as a judge goes to touch the dog during the first day of the 2009 Westminster Dog Show in New York February 9, 2009.(Lucas Jackson, Reuters)

    Lucas Jackson, Reuters

    Denver Nuggets forward Chris Anderson touches his head during a time out in the first half of their NBA basketball game with the New Jersey Nets in East Rutherford, New Jersey February 7, 2009. (Ray Stubblebine, Reuters)

    Ray Stubblebine, Reuters

    Margarita Marbler, of Austria, skis to a bronze medal finish the ladies moguls freestyle FIS World Cupskiing qualification at Cypress mountain in West Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009. (Jonathan Hayward, The Canadian Press/AP)

    Jonathan Hayward, The Canadian Press/AP

    West Virginia guard Darryl Bryant (25) is fouled by Providence guard Jeff Xavier (1) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Morgantown, W.Va. Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009. West Virginia won 86-59. (Don Wright, AP)

    Don Wright, AP

    Missouri's DeMarre Carroll, top, celebrates the Tigers' 62-60 win over Kansas in Columbia, Missouri, Monday, February 9, 2009. (Rich Sugg, Kansas City Star/MCT)

    Rich Sugg, Kansas City Star/MCT

    David Clarkson #23 of the New Jersey Devils fights Erik Reitz #4 of the New York Rangers during their game on February 9, 2009 at The Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey (Al Bello, Getty Images)

    Al Bello, Getty Images

    Driver Patrick Sheltra (60) begins to spin coming out of the fourth turn during the ARCA 200 auto race in Daytona Beach, Fla. Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009.

    Darryl Graham, AP

    Spain's Nuria Llagostera Vives serves the ball, in this multiple exposure, to Iveta Benesova of the Czech Republic during their Fed Cup tennis match in Brno February 7, 2009.

    Petr Josek, Reuters



That's not important now. All that matters now, once the ink dries and the checks clear, is that Washington has just raised the bar as a franchise again. In itself, that's not an easy task, given the rabidity of Redskin Nation and the constant anticipation of hugely successful seasons. The type of glory yearned for by those fans, though, has rolled through the nation's capital less and less.

Still, almost every year, the organization renews hope with moves similar to these.

The pressure is going to be boundless in 2009. Every Haynesworth, Hall and Dockery performance be scrutinized, but they are not alone. Can Clinton Portis finally stay healthy for an entire year? Is Jason Campbell ready to take that next big step toward becoming a frontline quarterback? Will Jim Zorn win games?

Every question looms large over this team now, because every question and every challenge must be answered swiftly and forecefully by the Redskins.

There's no "Wait 'til next year." Washington must get the job done in 2009 -- as of Friday, there are 180 million reason why.

Tags: albert+haynesworth, AlbertHaynesworth, dan+snyder, DanSnyder, deangelo+hall, DeangeloHall, derrick+dockery, DerrickDockery, washington+redskins, WashingtonRedskins

Related Articles

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)



NFL Team Photos




Latest NFL Photos