Newly Signed Carter Was Frustrated With Haynesworth Last Year In Washington
An interesting note first pointed out by Jimmy Toscano of CSNNE.com, and that was regarding a rift between newly signed Andre Carter and his former teammate, Albert Haynesworth, during last season while Haynesworth was unhappy about the transition to Mike Shanahan's 3-4 defense.
 Former Redskin Andre Carter apparently wasn't happy about Haynesworth skipping the offseason workouts last year. (FILE:Icon/SMI) |
“I haven't experienced a player prioritizing his position on the field over working with the game. It's disappointing because Albert could fit in this scheme. All we can say is we wish him the best and we will see what happens in a month. He made his statement that he didn't want to play in this scheme and we are not going to force him to play. He's a grown man. We have moved forward,” Carter said.
At the time Haynesworth skipped the offseason workouts and didn't report until the start of training camp. It left him behind in learning the new defensive scheme, and also obviously put a strain on his relationship with the rest of his teammates. That included Carter, who clearly felt he was being selfish, and needed to leave his "BS at the door" whenever the disgruntled defensive lineman decided to return.
“I can't really speak on [behalf of] Albert. We have moved on as a team. If he shows up he has to prove to us he is back for the organization and not all about him,” Carter said.
“He would have to leave the BS at the door,” Carter said. “Negativity around positive and optimistic people won't work. He will need to work hard and prove himself by showing that he's trustworthy and reliable in the scheme and as a teammate.”
Obviously Haynesworth came back and played out the season, so one would have to believe that all this is simply water under the bridge at this point. Both players now have an opportunity for a new start, and early indications certainly make you think that they should make New England's defense even better as we wait to see it first hand in the team's first preseason game this Thursday night.
