“Oh, man, Haz, he’s doing a phenomenal job, man,” outside linebacker Brian Orakpo said. “He’s just pushing those right buttons.”

A better mix of players has helped. Barry Cofield. Stephen Bowen. Ryan Kerrigan. Those newcomers have made Haslett’s job easier and more enjoyable. They’ve improved his situation. And with Haslett in a good place, the Redskins are better off, too.

Washington’s continued development on defense is essential to Coach Mike Shanahan’s overall plan. Haslett has a big job. Finally, his attention is all on it.

With the Redskins preparing to face the rival Dallas Cowboys on Monday night, Haslett is confident all the team’s defensive players want to play. He has no concerns about the effort they’ll give. On the NFL’s 11th-ranked defense, everyone is together.

That wasn’t always the case during Haslett’s first season at Redskins Park. During the offseason, Albert Haynesworth moved on to the New England Patriots and management invested heavily on defense.

It was a win-win combination for the entire organization, but Haslett benefited most because “we weeded out guys who didn’t want to be here and brought in guys who did,” strong safety LaRon Landry said. “If you’re [Haslett], how could you not” be happy?

Haslett is quick to downplay the “Haynesworth factor.” He says nothing last season diverted his attention from the bigger picture. Haslett has been doing this far too long to let one problem distract him, he emphasized shortly before practice Thursday.

No doubt, Haslett knows how to compartmentalize. He has overcome obstacles as a player, assistant coach and head coach throughout a successful career. Haynesworth’s season-long squabble with Shanahan, however, was an uncommon hurdle. Even for someone with Haslett’s seen-it-all experience, that was a new one.

Haslett was stuck in the middle from the start. Shanahan wanted him to get something from Haynesworth, who made it known he disliked his working conditions and wasn’t particularly interested in giving a lot under the circumstances.

Beginning in training camp, the Redskins gave Haynesworth extra attention, and Haslett had hands-on involvement. Obviously, Haslett still performed his other duties. Each game, the Redskins had defensive game plans regardless of what was happening with Haynesworth.

Every second Haslett spent trying to get Haynesworth up to speed, though, was time he could have directed elsewhere. Each message he relayed from Shanahan to Haynesworth was a wasted motion.

There were better ways in which Haslett could have applied himself, and he acknowledged the Redskins “spent more time trying to get [Haynesworth] ready. That’s true. That’s obvious. But I would do that for anybody.”

The New York Giants’ offseason probably could not have gone much worse.

The Washington Redskins’ offseason was a whole lot better than it was a year
ago in Mike Shanahan’s first season – mostly because Albert Haynesworth(notes) is no
longer around.

The Giants have defeated their NFC East rivals six straight times but face
plenty of question marks heading into Sunday’s opener at FedEx Field.

There will be plenty of festivities surrounding this contest on the 10th
anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. General Colin Powell will serve
as the Redskins’ honorary captain, and family members affected by the attacks
will be honored in a pregame ceremony.

On the field, there are doubts for both teams.

The Giants lost middle linebacker Jonathan Goff(notes) for the season with a torn
ACL suffered in Monday’s practice. He became the fifth key defensive player lost
for the year, joining cornerbacks Terrell Thomas(notes) and Bruce Johnson(notes), rookie
defensive tackle Marvin Austin(notes) and linebacker Clint Sintim(notes).

In addition, defensive end Osi Umenyiora(notes) is out this week after knee surgery
and first-round pick Prince Amukamara(notes) will be out for six to eight weeks with a
broken foot.

Two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Justin Tuck(notes), the team’s defensive captain,
didn’t practice Thursday because of a sore neck and indicated he would not play
in this game unless it improved.

“It is unfortunate that these guys have gone down,” coach Tom Coughlin said.
“There is no question that there are a number of defensive players that have
gone down. There are a number of defensive players that we were counting on that
are not going to be with us and you can’t hide that fact.”

The offseason was tumultuous enough due to the standoff between Umenyiora
and general manager Jerry Reese, with the former Pro Bowler failing in his bid
to renegotiate his contract.

Wide receiver Steve Smith and tight end Kevin Boss(notes) were lost in free agency,
while popular longtime offensive linemen Rich Seubert(notes) and Shaun O’Hara(notes) were let
go. Reese called a press conference during training camp to defend his handling
of the offseason after the Giants went 10-6 and missed the playoffs for a second
straight season.

The offseason went smoother in Washington now that Haynesworth has departed
to New England. The Pro Bowl defensive tackle never got along with Shanahan as
the coach tried to implement a 4-3 defense, and they clashed numerous times last
season.

With the distraction of Haynesworth gone, the Redskins are hopeful of
avoiding a fourth straight last-place finish.

“I think so from your first year and second year, there is usually a big
change,” Shanahan said. “You know what people fit your system.”

After trading Donovan McNabb(notes) to Minnesota in the offseason, a tight
quarterback battle between Rex Grossman(notes) and John Beck(notes) was won by Grossman, who
started the final three games last season once McNabb was benched. Grossman was
a backup in Houston in 2009 when Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan
served in the same role.

“He’s familiar with the system,” Mike Shanahan said. “I thought he was
pretty automatic with a lot of his reads, and hopefully he plays accordingly.”

It’s not clear if tight end Chris Cooley(notes) will be available as he continues
to heal after knee surgery. Safety LaRon Landry(notes) will likely miss the opener with
a strained right hamstring.

Landry won’t be part of a defense that features five new starters. Defensive
tackle Barry Cofield(notes) is one of them, joining Washington as a free agent after
spending his first five seasons with New York.

“Obviously I have my own personal feelings about the game, but the game is
on 9-11 and all of the ramifications of that and being at home, in front of our
home fans for the first time, the first game and what we believe is a new era in
Redskins football,” Cofield said. “There is a lot going into it.”

That defense will be up against a Giants offense that ranked second in the
NFC with 137.5 rushing yards per game last season. Ahmad Bradshaw(notes) and Brandon
Jacobs(notes) helped New York run for 279 yards in the two games against Washington
last year.

Eli Manning(notes) is set to start his 104th straight game – which will become the
longest active streak among quarterbacks if brother Peyton doesn’t play as
expected for Indianapolis. Manning was fourth in the NFL with 31 touchdowns but
also threw a league-high 25 interceptions a year ago.

Washington has won its last four home openers and hasn’t lost seven straight
to New York since dropping eight in a row from 1960-64. The Redskins, however,
lost their final five 2010 home games.

The Giants have also taken the last six season-opening meetings with the
Redskins, prevailing in 2009, 2008, 1998, 1989, 1988 and 1977.

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: 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.