Sounds like Haynesworth knows this is his last shot

[Rob0729]

From SMY's Twitter:

RT @monwalker: Haynesworth said if it doesn't work out w/ the Pats then 'I'm not going to play anywhere else.'

Twitter

Good. Hopefully, this will make him put in a great effort all year.

 

[Rob0729]

Also from Monique Walker (SMY's tweet is a retweet of Walker):

Haynesworth says when it's all said and done he would've given the money back to Washington to come to Patriots.

Twitter

I wonder if Daniel Snyder is consulting with his lawyers to see if this quote is legally binding.

 

[eom]

haha....I'm really starting to like that big dude.

 

[Betterthanmost]

Not saying he will not be alright with us, but what he says means nothing to me. Go listen to his first press conference with the Skins. All it takes is for something to change in the initial agreement and he will be pissed off. I really think he finds it hard to adjust to change.

 

[bagwell368]

Not saying he will not be alright with us, but what he says means nothing to me. Go listen to his first press conference with the Skins. All it takes is for something to change in the initial agreement and he will be pissed off. I really think he finds it hard to adjust to change.

Yeah, maybe. So, have him on the field 35 plays a game and tell him to wind up his motor and go for it. Having him going for it will make up for a lot of raggy short pre season mistakes.

 

[IcyPatriot]

Money doesn't buy a ring ... Albert gets a ring and he gets the last laugh ... kind of said considering what the Skins paid him but it is what it is ain't it?

 

[Betterthanmost]

First day with Skins...

"When I go out on the field and play, I want to be the best player on the field, and 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, Bruce Smith, and all the greats. That's where I want my name. So coming into this free agency, that's kind of what happened, but it's just only the first step."

Then a scheme change occurs, and he can't and does not want to adapt and look at the U-turn that occurs.

Anyway, I am even sure why all of a sudden I am turning heat on him as I have long preached that we give him the chance everyone else deserves. I just don't like people to talk too quickly. Get us to a first win in the playoffs then start talking.

 

[ausbacker]

Money doesn't buy a ring ... Albert gets a ring and he gets the last laugh ... kind of said considering what the Skins paid him but it is what it is ain't it?

I'm not concerned with what the Redskins have paid him. What concerns me is his offensive disruption and the production he provides for the Patriots defense.

Snyder is free to spend his money as he chooses. It's great watching it unfold year after year.

 

[jmt57]

CSNNE has a video and column on Haynesorth's comments:
Haynesworth embraces new beginning with Patriots


It Is What It Is » Albert Haynesworth: ‘I wish I had been here earlier’ >> Mike Petraglia

“I can’t believe it,” Haynesworth said. “We have a lot of experience and a lot of great guys. Also being around the young guys has been awesome. I feel right at home here. I wish I had been here earlier.”

No, he wasn’t talking about missing the first three preseason games. He was referring to taking the best deal that was out there when he was a free agent prior to the 2009 season. That deal came from owner Daniel Snyder and the Washington Redskins.

They gave the former Titans Pro Bowl nose tackle $41 million guaranteed as part of a seven-year, $100 million deal prior to the 2009 season. It appeared to be a no-brainer for the Redskins, who were trying to overhaul their defense with the best D-lineman on the market.

One problem. Mike Shanahan took over before the 2010 season and insisted Haynesworth embrace new responsibilities in a 3-4, gap-driven scheme. All of sudden, he felt very much out of his element. All he wanted to do was play the nose in a 4-3 and Bill Belichick was in the market for such a player to team next to Vince Wilfork. So, the Pats traded a pair of mid-to-low round picks in next year’s draft for Haynesworth.

On Thursday, we finally got to see what it looked like.

Haynesworth: A career-saving place for me - espnBoston - Chris Forsberg

"[Fellow former Redskins defensive lineman Andre Carter and I] were talking, just about how different it is, how we really like this place," said Haynesworth. "For me, it’s a career-saving place for me to come. I had no idea it would be like this. It’s unbelievable. I wish I kinda took two years ago and came here."

When it was noted he earned a handsome payday for his time -- as turbulent as it was -- with the Redskins, Haynesworth added, "You know what, when all is said and done, hell, I’d give that money back and I’d come here."

Haynesworth started for New England and got tremendous penetration on the first snap which led to a New York fumble. Haynesworth finished with two tackles overall.

"It was great," said Haynesworth. "I need to knock off a lot of rust. I've kind of been just rusting, sitting in D.C. So, I need to get back, get back to that playing form when I was with the Titans."

Albert Haynesworth Calls New England 'Career-Saving Place,' Wishes He Signed With Patriots in 2009 - NESN.com - Jeff Howe

Haynesworth's run with the Patriots is merely a month old, but he has already shown his value on the field. Granted, he missed the first three preseason games and hasn't practiced all that often, but his limited amount of reps have been high-quality ones. He showed it again Thursday night in the Patriots' preseason finale against the Giants, pushing through one-on-ones and wreaking havoc on double- and triple-teams.

It's been a good start, so much so that there's no end in sight. The speculation that this could be a one-month tryout, or a one-year experiment has hit the backburner for the time being. But when the end comes, Haynesworth claimed his NFL run would be done, too.

"If God forbid I got cut from this team, yeah, I know I can go out there and play for another team, but I feel like this is going to be my last place that I'm going to play," Haynesworth said. "If it doesn't work out here, then I'm not going to play anywhere else."

When pressed about the differences between New England and Washington, Haynesworth said, "You name it," and "You can pull them out of the sky." His respect for Bill Belichick has been starkly different from his heated battles with Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan who, ironically, has long since been one of Belichick's better friends.

"You don't have to watch your back or anything like that," Haynesworth said about playing for the Patriots. "You know everybody is here for you, and I really enjoy that. I know my head coach is for me. I know my owner is for me. I know my players are for me. I feel relaxed. I'm having fun again. I'm having fun playing football again."

 

[Patriot_in_NY]

I for one am rooting for the guy.........

Kind of reminds me of Corey Dillon, who never had his work ethic habits questioned like Albert, but was (by all accounts) a monumental d-bag in Cincy before he got here.

All he wanted was to play for a team that mattered and treated him with respect. All he wanted was the ring and he finally got here..... Here's to hoping Albert gets his too.

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

Also from Monique Walker (SMY's tweet is a retweet of Walker):



Twitter

I wonder if Daniel Snyder is consulting with his lawyers to see if this quote is legally binding.

I have a feeling a lot of people have Dec 11 circled on their calendars and it won't be because it's Albert Haynesworth Day at FedEx Field....

 

[RelocatedPatFan]

While his comments are extremely positive, let's see what he's like when he faces adversity for the first time.

Let's prove it on the field as well.

 

[shmessy]

I have a feeling a lot of people have Dec 11 circled on their calendars and it won't be because it's Albert Haynesworth Day at FedEx Field....

Danm straight. There are alot of us Pats fans who live in MD/VA!!!!!!!!

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

Danm straight. There are alot of us Pats fans who live in MD/VA!!!!!!!!

And some who may come down from Philly.......

 

[JoeSixPat]

The thing about Haynesworth and the Redskins is that when you pay someone $40 million upfront you expect them to be an every down player, willing to take on whatever role (NT?) you assign them.

In New England, with what they're paying him and his understanding of the defense, I'm not sure they are going to be expecting him on the field for every down. I think they have a simpler role in mind - namely to get to the QB.

Focused on this role he could thrive here

 

[Headcase]

First day with Skins...


Then a scheme change occurs, and he can't and does not want to adapt and look at the U-turn that occurs.

Anyway, I am even sure why all of a sudden I am turning heat on him as I have long preached that we give him the chance everyone else deserves. I just don't like people to talk too quickly. Get us to a first win in the playoffs then start talking.

Do you see the difference in the language between the 'Skins' quote and the Pat's one? In the Skins' quote it is all about him. He is going to be the best player; he is going to be a hall of famer. In the Pat's one it is about the organization, scheme, and the team.

Could it be BS? Of course, it could go terribly wrong in a couple of months, but it is different than what he was saying then.

SSDD

 

[Raymond]

I have a feeling a lot of people have Dec 11 circled on their calendars and it won't be because it's Albert Haynesworth Day at FedEx Field....

Something I hadn't even thought about.

If Albert becomes a defensive force on the Pats this season, there's going to be a lot of hate in those stands.

 

[Patriot_in_NY]

I have a feeling a lot of people have Dec 11 circled on their calendars and it won't be because it's Albert Haynesworth Day at FedEx Field....

Something I hadn't even thought about.

If Albert becomes a defensive force on the Pats this season, there's going to be a lot of hate in those stands.

To say nothing about the fact that the last time we played them for real (2007), we handed them a brutal 52-7 beatdown that had the their coaches, their players, their fans and the clowns in the media crying about us running up the score on them. That was the game that started the whole 2007 "running-up-the-score"-gate

There will be plenty of hate in the stands whether or not Albert takes the field or not. There may be riots when Albert pushes through their line and mauls their QB.

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

I have a feeling a lot of people have Dec 11 circled on their calendars and it won't be because it's Albert Haynesworth Day at FedEx Field....

I'm going to the game.

Couple of notes:

Current stubhub prices are above face value so depending how the Redskins do, they might get expensive.

The Redskins do not put single game tickets on sale until a week before the game. If you wait, ya might have to strike early.

Hotel prices per priceline are really cheap for the weekend.

 

[patfanken]

I tried to watch Haynesworth closely during the first half. I'm hoping one of the guys who DVD and chart the game, will do a more detailed report. These are just some anecdotal observations;

1. According to this thread he was in there for 14 plays. About half these plays he pushed the pocket a good 3 yds. I don't know what the match up was on the OL, but who ever it was had his hands full

2. On his best play, he showed the kind of potential we can hope for on a more consistent basis. On that play he broke through the LOS to the defensive right side of the line, then went down the LOS to make a tackle for no gain on the left side

3. On his worst play he missed a relatively easy tackle at the LOS that turned into a 7 yd gain.

4. There were several plays where he DIDN'T get penetration, but rather controlled his man on the LOS. Hard to tell if he was being effectively blocked or he was executing 2 gap techniques

5. The play I liked the most was something I saw on reply. It was a short completed pass. In the replay you could see Haynesworth take two steps up field then take off when the ball was thrown to try and help with the tackle. I don't think the Albert Haynesworth of the last 2 years would have made that 2nd effort

6. I saw at least 2 plays where he was late off the snap. For a guy whose main contribution will be penetration, this has to improve.

7; I'm sure in the film room where he will be criticized for having his pad level too high.

On the whole there was enough good to think this could work out well. But it STILL a work in progress. Undoubtedly the good news is the Pats will get there money's worth from him. The bad news is that the Pats didn't pay much for him in the first place .

In Washington Haynesworth was the coaching point for a new HC trying to make statement and change the culture of a team into his image. Plenty of blame to go around that entire situation on BOTH sides.

Here in NE where the egoless HC doesn't have anything to prove, He's protected Albert his entire stay. (mostly from the media) He gave him 3 weeks to get himself into some semblance of shape (like he's done with Ellis) It was also a test to see if he would work hard to comply with the "patriot way". Clearly he has worked hard to do what the team has asked. No cell phones and newspapers in the meeting rooms.

Right now what WAS a 50-50 chance that this will work out has risen to 80-20. And the 20% chance it won't work out is more likely about if Haynesworth can still play at a high level, rather than if he just wants to.