In the seasons that immediately followed the previous two work stoppages in the NFL history books, the Washington Redskins won the Super Bowl both times. I hope you didn’t stop reading at the end of that sentence and empty your bank account on the ‘Skins in Vegas, because the third labor battle will not be as charming for fans of the Hogs.

On the bright side, there’s a lot to be upbeat about in Washington. The team rid themselves of two massive headaches in the condensed offseason, sending washed-up, overpaid quarterback Donovan McNabb to Minnesota and lazy, overpaid defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth to New England.

It was the epitome of addition by subtraction, as the locker room is a much healthier, happier place with those two mistakes out of sight and out of mind. The ‘Skins also worked some addition by addition, re-tooling a defense that is on the right track.

But despite being a free agency winner and having a generally positive offseason, Mike Shanahan’s boys still have a long way to go.

2010 in a nutshell: They start strong, but don’t win a game in regulation after Week 7, finishing 6-10 and in last place in the NFC East for the third consecutive season.

Three predictions for 2011:

1. The defense will be much better: The numbers weren’t pretty in 2010. They finished 31st in total defense, 31st against the pass and 26th against the run, but I’d still consider them to be a unit that bent without always breaking. Ultimately, three division winners — Indy, Philly and Seattle — surrendered as many as or more points than the ‘Skins did last season. Consider, too, that it was the defense’s first campaign adjusting to Jim Haslett’s 3-4 formation — something that usually takes a year or two.

2. They’ll make a lot more plays: Again, we’re really focusing on the defense here. In fact, it might be better to consider this prediction 2-A. The team did a great job improving the personnel on that side of the football this offseason. O.J. Atogwe and Josh Wilson are upgrades and should complement DeAngelo Hall, LaRon Landry, Reed Doughty and Chris Horton in a deep secondary. Free agent acquisitions Stephen Bowen and Barry Cofield will boost the defensive line (watch out for Jarvis Jenkins, too) and rookie Ryan Kerrigan should make the linebacking corps better. If Brian Orakpo can continue to progress into a star, there’ll be a lot of big plays coming from this defense.

3. They’ll have a hard time scoring points: Okay, I got the good news out of the way, now it’s time for the bad news: Rex Grossman is battling John Beck for the starting quarterback job. It’s really disappointing that Shanahan and the front office neglected to address the quarterback situation in the offseason, but now they’re sending those guys out there to work behind a young and mistake-prone offensive line, throw to a batch of unproven receivers and hand off to the likes of Tim Hightower, Ryan Helu and Ryan Torain. From afar, it appears the offense is in complete disarray.

The final word(s): I think they’re on the right track, but there are far too many holes that still have to be filled and the roster is quite young for a team trying to prepare in an abbreviated offseason. Plus, the rest of the division is just too good. They’ll be a 6-10 or 7-9 team once again.

The Washington Redskins (0-0) will play host to the Pittsburgh Steelers (0-0) on Friday night (7:30 p.m. EST) when the two teams meet in the nation’s capital to kick off the preseason.

The Steelers will be in action for the first time since losing to the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XLV last February, and since linebacker James Harrison ripped the commissioner a new one during the lockout, while the Redskins will look to get the bad taste of a 6-10 season out of their mouths.

Pittsburgh, led by Ben Roethlisberger, went 12-4 in 2010 and won the AFC North division, earning a first-round bye, which proved to be key in winning the conference. But can they do it all over again in 2011?

Washington will return to the gridiron without troubled defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth and failed quarterback Donovan McNabb.

FedEx Field will rocking for the return of NFL football, and both teams will have plenty to play for as rookies, veterans and free agents alike battle for a spot on an NFL roster.

The Washington Redskins have waved goodbye to troubled nose tackle Albert Haynesworth and underachieving quarterback Donovan McNabb, but now they enter the 2011 NFL season with arguably more question marks than any other team in the league.

Who will start under center?

How will the players respond in Mike Shanahan’s second season with the team?

Can Washington contend with the likes of Philadelphia in the NFC East?

The Redskins showed glimpses of what looked to be a playoff-caliber team in 2010, but unfortunately, those glimpses faded by October, the offensive line eventually crumbled on top of McNabb and Michael Vick annihilated and embarrassed the ‘Skins in front of millions on Monday Night Football.

But August marks the start of a new football year, and Washington, like everyone else, is undefeated.

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The Washington Redskins‘ quarterback carousel has twirled away from Donovan McNabb toward John Beck and maybe Rex Grossman. Coach Mike Shanahan is at the controls, and he feels good about a situation that many fans and media have questioned. Really good.

“I believe in the guys,” Shanahan said Friday evening in his first media session since the draft in April. “I’ve been doing this for a long time, and I’m putting my reputation on these guys that they can play.”

Shanahan established the stakes before the anticipated quarterback competition between Beck and Grossman begins. For it to get underway, Grossman must sign a free-agent contract. Shanahan and Beck both said they expect him to re-sign soon. For now, Beck and undrafted free agent Ben Chappell are the only two quarterbacks in training camp.

Shanahan’s faith in Beck became apparent after the Redskins didn’t draft a quarterback in April. Suddenly, Washington’s No. 3 quarterback in 2010 was a favorite for the starting job. Never mind that he hasn’t played in a regular-season game since he lost all four of his starts for the 1-15 Miami Dolphins as a rookie in 2007.

“You evaluate those games and there’s nothing that he shows … that says he can’t do it,” offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan said. “He plays like a rookie in those [four] games sometimes, but he also does some good things. The jury is still out. He’s a second-round pick and a guy that should get a chance.”

Mike Shanahan thinks so, too. His belief in Beck has helped him move on from McNabb’s checkered one-year tenure.

The head coach reflected on his failed union with McNabb and spoke for the first time about the decision to trade him to the Minnesota Vikings.

“I told Donovan when he came in here, I said, ‘Hey, these are the reasons why I think Philly did not sign you,’” Shanahan recalled. “They were going to go with [quarterback Kevin] Kolb. ‘This is what you’re going to have to do to stay on our football team for a number of years. And if you do that, I think you have a chance to go to the Pro Bowl and do the things you’ve been doing throughout your career.’ And it didn’t work out, and we go on.”

Shanahan’s feud with McNabb became ugly and public last December after he benched McNabb in favor of Grossman. Shanahan applauded how McNabb handled the situation and blamed McNabb’s agent, Fletcher Smith, for handling it without class.

During the winter, the Redskins gave Smith permission to find a trade partner, and the deal ultimately came to fruition this week.

“I still think that Donovan has a great future ahead of him,” Shanahan said. “If he decides to do the little things he needs to do to get to the next level, then it will be there. But I’m not going to go into detail about what those things are.”

Shanahan addressed a wide range of topics during his first session with the Redskins media corps in almost three months:

• He might as well have done backflips about trading away maligned defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth.

“I’ll be honest with you,” he said. “Either way, Albert wasn’t going to be here. If we traded him or not, he wasn’t going to come to our camp.”

• He’s pleased with the Redskins free-agent acquisitions so far. Players such as defensive linemen Barry Cofield and Stephen Bowen are young and known to have strong character.

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By Daniel Shiferaw

– Redskins Editor

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Jul 29, 2011 – As we sit back and reflect on a busy day for the Washington Redskins on the second day of NFL free agency, we have to remember last season for a second. To put it plainly, the Washington Redskins had issues on both sides of the ball last season. Not only did they have headaches on each side in Donovan McNabb and Albert Haynesworth, but neither side wound up performing in year one of new systems. The offense under Kyle Shanahan could never stay on the field, while Jim Haslett’s defense could never seem to get off it. At season’s end, there were so many issues up and down the roster that most wondered where the Redskins would choose to upgrade their roster most once free agency started.

While the offense certainly struggled with quarterback that would eventually be shipped out of town, it was clear by the end of 2010 that the Redskins had to upgrade what wound up being the league’s 31st-ranked unit. Last year’s squad featured far more miscasts than fits, with a number of players asked to play positions they had never played before and finding themselves in positions that didn’t take advantage of their strengths. Pair that with the fact that the unit’s biggest weakness, nose tackle, just so happens to be the scheme’s most critical position, and the Redskins found themselves with a bit of a problem to rectify.

So going into the offseason, it was clear that defense would and should be a priority. That process started with the drafting of Purdue defensive lineman Ryan Kerrigan to play outside linebacker, and later with second-rounder Jarvis Jenkins to play defensive end in the scheme. But even with the players they selected in the draft, there were still plenty of holes left to address.

With the signing of Barry Cofield, the Redskins feel as though they have a player who’s athletic skill set is good enough to play him at the nose, a position he hasn’t played at the NFL level. Though Cofield may lack size (he only weighs in at just over 300 pounds), he appears to have the skill set that could eventually translate to success at the nose position. 

The Redskins then added former Cowboy Stephen Bowen for what some believed to be a rather bloated five-year, $27.5 million dollar deal. What’s interesting about this move is that it seems to be the opposite of how the team has historically dolled out contracts. Usually, they pay free agent veterans for the type of players they were, and simply hope they are able to maintain their level of play. With Bowen, a 27 year old 3-4 defensive end, they are paying him not for who he was in Dallas, but for what they believe he can be in Washington. Bowen played very well replacing Marcus Spears last season, and with a chance to be a starter, could prove to be a very prudent signing by the club.

Although the essence of the Redskins’ struggles took place in the defensive front seven last year, they still had issues in the secondary that needed to be resolved. The free safety position was one that saw injuries and poor tackling play lead to a number of big plays allowed in the passing game. The team addressed that prior to the lockout with the addition of Rams OJ Atogwe, a player who spent time with Haslett in St. Louis. Atogwe looks to be a major upgrade over incumbent Kareem Moore, and if true could be another big step towards shoring up the secondary.

The Redskins weren’t done there, with the team signing former Terps and Ravens cornerback Josh Wilson to be a potential replacement for the inconsistent Carlos Rogers. Wilson again fits the mold of the type of player the team is seeking in free agency: younger, ascending players who weren’t given the as much of a chance to shine at their previous spot. 

Free agency is not even a week old, and yet the Redskins defense will come into 2011 vastly improved in such a short amount of time, with more moves expected to be on the horizon. The Redskins may still have issues winning games this year, but they seem intent to make sure it won’t be because of their defense.

Read More: Donovan McNabb (QB – MIN), Carlos Rogers (CB – WAS), Barry Cofield (DT – WAS), Albert Haynesworth (DT – NEP), Stephen Bowen (DE – WAS), Marcus Spears (DE – DAL), Josh Wilson (CB – WAS), Kareem Moore (S – WAS), Jarvis Jenkins (DE – WAS), Ryan Kerrigan (LB – WAS), Baltimore Ravens, St. Louis Rams

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The Washington Redskins have officially moved on from the Albert Haynesworth saga. The team has traded the disgruntled defensive tackle to the New England Patriots for a fifth-round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. This occurs just hours before he was scheduled to show up at Redskins training camp.

Haynesworth will now be Bill Belichick’s problem, and not the Redskins’. Rather than risk the remaining players’ patience, the Redskins found a trading partner, even if the return was less than substantial. Mike Shanahan had insisted on receiving more value than a future fifth-round pick, but in the end, the Redskins settled for just that.

Haynesworth’s departure means the Redskins will now have an additional $5.4 million in cap space that can be used to sign some of the big-name free agents out there.

For more on NFL free agency, visit our StoryStream listing key 2011 NFL free agents the Redskins could target. For all your NFL free agency rumors,visit that StoryStream. Also, be sure to check out SB Nation’s Redskins blog Hogs Haven.

Former Washington Redskins linebacker and current Washington Post blogger LaVar Arrington had some interesting insights about one of the Redskins’ newest NFL free agency, defensive tackle Barry Cofield. Arrington played with Cofield on the New York Giants in 2006, when Cofield was a rookie. He had this to say about the tackle’s intangibles: 

“He’s quiet and unassuming, a character guy whom I like for this team. He also was part of the Giants’ Super Bowl team in 2007-08, so he comes here with winning experience.”    

One of Arrington’s concerns about Cofield is his ability to play nose tackle in the Redskins’ 3-4 defensive scheme. At 6’4” and 306 pounds, Cofield could eat the average human being for a snack, but he’s a little small to be taking on NFL interior offensive linemen all by himself. 

Arrington thinks his acquisition indicates that defensive coordinator Jim Haslett intends to throw a variety of quick, athletic nose tackles at opposing offenses instead of employing one behemoth to take them on every snap. Here’s what he had to say about that:

“This would mean lining these undersize nose guards up on angles and in gaps so that they can use their strengths – speed and quickness – to possibly have the same results as a space eater.”

if only the Redskins had a gigantic, extremely talented defensive lineman to play nose tackle alongside Cofield on their roster. Oh, right. They have Albert Haynesworth. Shucks.

For more on NFL free agency, visit our StoryStream listing key 2011 NFL free agents the Redskins could target. For all your NFL free agency rumors, visit that StoryStream. Also, be sure to check out SB Nation’s Redskins blog Hogs Haven.

Former Washington Redskins linebacker and current Washington Post blogger LaVar Arrington had some interesting insights about one of the Redskins’ newest NFL free agency, defensive tackle Barry Cofield. Arrington played with Cofield on the New York Giants in 2006, when Cofield was a rookie. He had this to say about the tackle’s intangibles: 

“He’s quiet and unassuming, a character guy whom I like for this team. He also was part of the Giants’ Super Bowl team in 2007-08, so he comes here with winning experience.”    

One of Arrington’s concerns about Cofield is his ability to play nose tackle in the Redskins’ 3-4 defensive scheme. At 6’4” and 306 pounds, Cofield could eat the average human being for a snack, but he’s a little small to be taking on NFL interior offensive linemen all by himself. 

Arrington thinks his acquisition indicates that defensive coordinator Jim Haslett intends to throw a variety of quick, athletic nose tackles at opposing offenses instead of employing one behemoth to take them on every snap. Here’s what he had to say about that:

“This would mean lining these undersize nose guards up on angles and in gaps so that they can use their strengths – speed and quickness – to possibly have the same results as a space eater.”

if only the Redskins had a gigantic, extremely talented defensive lineman to play nose tackle alongside Cofield on their roster. Oh, right. They have Albert Haynesworth. Shucks.

For more on NFL free agency, visit our StoryStream listing key 2011 NFL free agents the Redskins could target. For all your NFL free agency rumors, visit that StoryStream. Also, be sure to check out SB Nation’s Redskins blog Hogs Haven.

ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — The Washington Redskins welcomed old players back Tuesday and reached out to some new ones, the start of a frenetic week for a last-place team trying to rebuild itself in a compressed timeframe.

Yet, in one sense, nothing changed during the 4 1/2-month lockout. Marquee disappointments-turned-distractions Donovan McNabb and Albert Haynesworth were still on the roster – still a pair of simmering, tiresome issues that needed to be resolved.

“Albert, McNabb, you name it, we need to start winning ballgames right here,” Pro Bowl linebacker Brian Orakpo said, “and forget about all the drama that we go through each and every year.”

Orakpo was among several players who walked in the front door at Redskins Park shortly before the 10 a.m. start time decreed for the reopening of NFL business following the lockout.

Quarterback John Beck and tight end Chris Cooley weren’t far behind, and soon a group of players were on the practice field, going through some basic conditioning drills. More players arrived throughout the day to meet with coaches and get reacquainted with the play book.

“I came for the free lunch,” quipped receiver Anthony Armstrong.

Neither McNabb nor Haynesworth was among the early arrivals, hardly a surprise given the lingering acrimony from last season. McNabb was benched twice by coach Mike Shanahan and demoted to third-string for the final three games, while Haynesworth feuded often with the coach and was suspended for the final four games.

The lockout meant Shanahan couldn’t trade or release either player until this week. Now, with time running short, the Redskins had little leverage to strike a deal because other teams know the team has wanted to be rid of both. McNabb and Haynesworth will be required to report when training camp opens Thursday if they’re still part of the team, an awkward and potentially divisive reunion for an organization trying to move forward.

“With Donovan, I don’t know what’s going to happen with that situation,” Beck said. “There’s no telling. I’m sure they have a plan.”

Even if Shanahan and general manager Bruce Allen were willing to divulge the plan, they were too busy to spend any time talking about it. They were working the phones to start the process of signing draft picks and undrafted rookies. Tuesday was also the day that teams could begin negotiating with unrestricted free agents, although those players can’t be formally sign until Friday afternoon.

Santana Moss was the first of the Redskins own free agents to return to the fold, agreeing to a three-year, $15 million deal that includes a $5 million signing bonus, according to ESPN. The 32-year-old receiver caught 93 passes last season for 1,115 yards and six touchdowns.

The Redskins’ other free agents include Rex Grossman, Carlos Rogers and Rocky McIntosh. The team needs to address most positions on both sides of the ball, with right tackle, running back, receiver, defensive line, linebacker, cornerback and quarterback all potential departments to visit when a 6-10 team makes a trip to the free agent store.

“With this whole free agency opening up, it’s going to be crazy,” Beck said. “Our team’s going to look different. I don’t think it’s a secret that we’re going to be bringing guys in to compete. I know my position, there’s going to be guys coming in. Could be one, could be two, you just never know. It’s all about putting together the best team you can.”

Beck will face scrutiny like never before, having made the climb from obscure backup to co-favorite for the starting quarterback job despite the fact he hasn’t taken a snap in a regular season game since he was a rookie in 2007.

Shanahan effusively praised Beck after signing him a year ago, and Beck was proactive during the lockout – arranging throwing sessions with receivers and teaching the play book to the rookies during the player-organized minicamps.

“He’s been basically showing countless effort to be out there and do the work,” Armstrong said. “He’s flown in from California time and time again to throw routes. I almost had to ignore his phone calls and text messages. Always he wants to throw.”

Beck said he didn’t know many details of the lockout-ending agreement because he doesn’t have cable television in his house, but he knew enough to make a beeline for Redskins Park on Monday soon after the deal was announced. He wasn’t allowed in because the security guard didn’t recognize him. Plus, he was a day early.

The Redskins are expected to re-sign Grossman to compete with Beck in what promises to be the No. 1 story of camp – assuming McNabb and Haynesworth have moved on.

“There’s going to be a lot of questions about who’s going to be in that role,” center Casey Rabach said. “Obviously the leader of the team, the leader of the offense. I think John Beck has definitely stepped up in his leadership role this offseason. It’ll be interesting to see who will be our starting quarterback.”

Players will take physicals Thursday, with the first practice set for Friday. With no offseason program as a foundation, the new players are going to face a steep learning curve.

“It’ll be difficult because they haven’t been in a meeting with (offensive coordinator) Kyle Shanahan,” Armstrong said. “Sometimes he speaks extremely fast, and you’re left with your head spinning.”

Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Read More: Donovan McNabb (QB – WAS), Albert Haynesworth (DT – WAS), Washington Redskins

UPDATE: The Redskins have clarified and said Friday, not Saturday, is the first official practice, but it is closed to the public.

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The full Washington Redskins 2011 training camp schedule has been released to the public, and now, we know what it will mean for the players. Training camp will officially begin on Thursday, but the first open practice won’t be until Saturday morning. As it turns out, that also will be the first practice with pads all week.

Mike Jones of the Washington Post reports that the first three days of training camp will not feature full practices. Here is the schedule:

#Redskins timeline: Wednesday is report day, Thursday is physicals; Friday is conditioning work and first official practice is Saturday.

This is hardly a surprise, but now it is official. Players began using the facilities as early as Tuesday, though not everyone was present. Wednesday is the day that everyone needs to report, so it will be interesting to see whether Donovan McNabb and Albert Haynesworth show up.

For more on the Redskins, visit Hogs Haven.

Read More: Donovan McNabb (QB – WAS), Mike Furrey (WR – WAS), Reed Doughty (S – WAS), Kedric Golston (DE – WAS), Rocky McIntosh (LB – WAS), Santana Moss (WR – WAS), Carlos Rogers (CB – WAS), Jammal Brown (OT – WAS), Albert Haynesworth (DT – WAS), Rex Grossman (QB – WAS), H.B. Blades (LB – WAS), Stephon Heyer (OT – WAS), Chris Wilson (LB – WAS), Washington Redskins

Now that the NFL lockout is over, we can begin to focus on NFL free agency. The league has released its official list of 2011 NFL free agents, and there are 12 members of the Washington Redskins on it. All 12 are unrestricted free agents with four or more seasons accrued in the league.

Santana Moss and Carlos Rogers headline the list. Moss is the team’s leading receiver for the past several years running and is one of the longest-tenured members of the club. Rogers is one of the team’s starting cornerbacks and has also been with the team for a while, though his tenure has been a bit rockier.

The Redskins are expected to be among the most active teams in free agency. Here are their 12 free agents, in alphabetical order.

• H.B. Blades, Linebacker
• Jammal Brown, Offensive Tackle
• Phillip Buchanan, Cornerback
• Reed Doughty, Safety
• Mike Furrey, Wide Receiver
• Kedric Golston, Defensive Tackle
• Rex Grossman, Quarterback
• Stephon Heyer, Offensive Tackle
• Rocky McIntosh, Linebacker
• Santana Moss, Wide Receiver
• Carlos Rogers, Cornerback
• Chris Wilson, Linebacker

Other players could be cut and added to this list, most notably Albert Haynesworth or Donovan McNabb.

For more on NFL free agency, visit our StoryStream listing key 2011 NFL free agents the Redskins could target. Also, be sure to check out SB Nation’s Redskins blog Hogs Haven.

Last offseason, Washington Redskins defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth(notes) got a lot of attention for not showing up to camp on time. This year, he’s suddenly getting a lot of attention because the word is that he plans to be there ready to go whenever the lockout gets lifted, according to ESPN Radio.

A team that’s signed a player to a seven-year, $100 million contract should expect him to be at camp, right? Haynesworth signed such a deal back in February of 2009. Of course that was before he became frustrated with the coaching situation in D.C. and well before he said he couldn’t last another year with the team if the defense stayed the way it was.

The 30-year-old was briefly loved in Washington and is now mostly despised by Redskins fans, particularly after last season when he only had 16 tackles and three sacks, well down from the 51 tackles and 8 ½ sacks that he had with the Tennessee Titans only two seasons before.

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Source: ESPN Radio

Related: Tennessee Titans, Washington Redskins

Read More: Albert Haynesworth (DT – WAS), Washington Redskins

ESPN 980′s Chris Russell quoted a source on his twitter account who said that “of course” Washington Redskins defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth will be present for the start of the teams’ training camp if and when the NFL lockout ends. This, we assume, is if Haynesworth is even on the roster.

With the lockout taking up the entire offseason so far, teams have not been able to make any personnel moves for the upcoming season. If they had, the Redskins would have almost certainly gotten rid of the embattled and expensive lineman by now. As it is, Haynesworth will still be under contract as a Redskin when the lockout ends, which will likely be just a few days before the start of training camp. 

It’s a sad state of affairs when a player declaring his intentions to honor his contract is newsworthy, but considering Haynesworth’s history with the Mike Shanahan regime, this is certainly worth reporting. 

It remains to be seen whether there’s any chance of reconciliation between the player and the Redskins’ coaching staff that would allow him to play another season in D.C., but few expect that to happen. Shanahan and GM Bruce Allen will likely either trade Haynesworth immediately after the lockout, or he’ll become such a big distraction in training camp that they’ll be forced to release him. 

Albert Haynesworth deserves no mercy.

The Washington Redskins defensive lineman has been a colossal two-year bust. Unlike many other free agent failures, Haynesworth simply stunk because he chose to do so. He didn’t want to attend offseason camp, get in shape, play most packages or even get up after getting knocked down on plays.

Haynesworth once disrupted opposing team’s offensive game plans when he played for the Tennessee Titans. Now he just disrupts everything. The past offseason included an out-of-court settlement over a road rage incident and a pending trial for allegedly sexually abusing a waitress. This guy never learns.

The Redskins don’t want him anymore whenever training camp begins. They should trade Haynesworth for a Dulles Toll Road EZ-Pass. Unfortunately, other teams know Washington will eventually release Haynesworth, so they’re not wasting even a late draft pick once the NFL returns to work.

The Redskins don’t want Haynesworth moving to Philadelphia as a free agent. No sense having the lineman realize his career is one or two bad incidents away from forced retirement and suddenly playing well for an NFC East rival. Haynesworth was once known for playing 12 of 16 games annually. He might drop to two good games, but they’d be against Washington.

What to do — can’t trade Haynesworth, can’t keep him, can’t let Philadelphia benefit for free.

Ultimately, the Redskins may have to let Haynesworth go to the Eagles. But waiting until the final preseason cuts could minimize Haynesworth’s chances of greatly helping another team.

Arriving days before the season opener means Haynesworth gets what he wants — simply rushing the passer 10 to 15 snaps per game. He won’t have time to learn another system and effectively play 45 snaps. At least Haynesworth won’t be a difference maker on another team.

Waiting until the last moment gives Haynesworth the minimum leverage for a new contract. He’ll essentially be a role player for another team and take a smaller contract. Maybe Haynesworth is an incentive-driven player because he certainly wasn’t motivated after signing a blockbuster deal with Washington.

This payback move by Washington comes with some pain, though. Haynesworth must stay through training camp and that will cause disruptions. Coach Mike Shanahan endured it last season, but the team needs to move on from such nonsense.

Shanahan could simply tell Haynesworth the team will try to work out a trade and in the meantime get in shape and be ready. Then again, maybe Haynesworth will miss a couple weeks of camp by not passing the conditioning test for the second straight year should Shanahan have it. Then the lineman will be out of sight and a lesser disruption.

In a just world, Washington trades Haynesworth to some frozen outpost that never wins like Buffalo for even a 2015 seventh-rounder. But if there’s no deal, then they should at least try to diminish his play for a rival.

Examiner columnist Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more on Twitter @Snide_Remarks or email rsnider@washingtonexaminer.com.