Detnews.com: Albert Haynesworth could have been a Lion? You must be joking

[Griff]

I did a search and didn't see this, sorry if this has already been posted.

http://realredskins.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Albert-Haynesworth-vs.-Gian.jpg

TIM TWENTYMAN
The Detroit News

A case of simple miscommunication could be the reason Washington Redskins All-Pro defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth isn't playing in Detroit this season.

When Haynesworth was a free agent in the off-season, he said he didn't get a call from the Lions and wonders if it was a something he said to Lions coach Jim Schwartz.

Schwartz was Haynesworth's defensive coordinator for seven years in Tennessee.

"During (last) season I was always joking with (Schwartz), saying 'Hey man, Detroit is looking mighty attractive for you and I'm going to bet you that you'll be the head coach there,'" he said. "He was like 'No, no.'"

Haynesworth was then asked if Schwartz ever tried to convince him to come to Detroit.

"I said, 'Aw, hell no. There's nothing up there for me.'

"I was joking. I don't know if he took it seriously or not because they never called me. That defense is what I grew up on in the NFL. Maybe he took it seriously but, hell, he shouldn't have. I was just joking around with him."

The Redskins ultimately paid Haynesworth a contract worth $100 million, which is a likelier reason he's playing in Washington and not Detroit.

Haynesworth and the Redskins (1-1) visit the Lions (0-2) this Sunday at Ford Field.

http://detnews.com/article/20090923/SPORTS0101/909230414/1004/sports/Albert-Haynesworth-could-have-been-a-Lion?-You-must-be-joking

[Skins-Canes-Mounties]

If Detriot offered $101 million, with more guaranteed, he would be there.

[rd421]

If Detriot offered $101 million, with more guaranteed, he would be there.

In all fairness....so would I and so would you

[santana_4_prez]

If Detriot offered $101 million, with more guaranteed, he would be there.

Fiction. Didn't Tampa Bay offer him more money?

[maskedsuperstar]

yes, Tampa offered more money, according to Haynesworth. Giants were up there also.

[Griff]

Fiction. Didn't Tampa Bay offer him more money?

That is true, here you go:

Haynesworth: Bucs offered more money

Some interesting news about the Bucs in an interview that Redskins defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth had on Sirius NFL Radio. Haynesworth, the biggest jewel in this season's free-agent crop, chose the Redskins over an offer from the Bucs, apparently giving up money to do so. Here's the juicy parts:

Host Adam Schein asked if money was the No. 1 issue in him choosing the Redskins, and Haynesworth said "No, I could've made more money with Tampa Bay if I really wanted to."

Asked why he chose the Redskins -- who finished last in the NFC East last season and went 8-8, one game behind the 9-7 Bucs -- here's what Haynesworth had to say:

"They offered me a whole lot more, and even with their tax situation, it could have been 20 percent more. But you look at Washington, they've got a lot of the pieces together. They're right there. They're in a huge market. It's one of the largest markets in the world. You've just got a large, huge media outlet and it can be life beyond football. Going to Tampa, I mean, great city. Looking at it from the off-season standpoint, I love the water. I love to be out in the sun. It's just awesome, but it would've been like another Nashville. Tampa doesn't have that big market and they don't have a huge fan base like the Washington Redskins do, so I think it was just a choice just to look at it that way."

In case you're wondering, by the numbers, Washington D.C. is the nation's ninth-largest TV market, while Tampa is 13th. Did we mention that the Bucs play at the Redskins in Week 4 on Oct. 4?

http://blogs.tampabay.com/bucs/2009/06/haynesworth-bucs-offered-more-money.html?cid=6a00d83451b05569e201157159d804970b

[Skins-Canes-Mounties]

In all fairness....so would I and so would you

Yes, you are correct!

And I'm not sure I buy the Tampa story. In any event, I'm not knocking the guy. I think he's been solid for us.

[DGREENHULK]

Fiction. Didn't Tampa Bay offer him more money?

I think so Haynesworth made it known that yes the money was nice but the exposure in D.C was a big selling point....every Lions game has a chance of being blacked out....Why be the best DT in the game if no one is going to see it....

[Griff]

yes, Tampa offered more money, according to Haynesworth. Giants were up there also.

Here is what he said about the Giants offer:

Q: You had a few offers as a free agent. Did the Giants come after you seriously?

A: I guess they did. They called my agent and I had money on the table.

Q: How much money did they have on the table?

A: A lot.

Q: Not as much as the Redskins, huh?

A: Not quite as much, but not too far away.


http://www.giants.com/news/transcripts/story.asp?story_id=40930

[Dat Moss]

In all fairness....so would I and so would you

I dunno 101 mil to play for a team that has not won a game in over a year, or 100 mil to play for a team that has a chance to win? Id take 1 mil less to atleast win some games and enjoy my work. If it wa slike a 6 or 5 million contract then that would be a different story. But once you hit 100 mil is it really that big of a deal

[Skins-Canes-Mounties]

I don't think Detroit would have been in the running anyway. They decided not to hold onto Rogers just a few years ago. Haynesworth is in the same mold. The Detroit papers are just stretching for some positivity!

[IbleedBnG83]

Haynesworth is here. He probably could have gone other places. He got paid, so its not like he took a big hit to be here. Lets not forget the guaranteed money we are giving him.

[tshile]

he came here for the fans, and the media market. something detroit and tampa don't have to offer.

that being said, if new york had offered him a competitive contract with the skins, i'd be willing to bet he woul dhave gone there. Its a better team, in a bigger market, with just as good of fans.

[skinsfan1523]

Here is what he said about the Giants offer:

Q: You had a few offers as a free agent. Did the Giants come after you seriously?

A: I guess they did. They called my agent and I had money on the table.

Q: How much money did they have on the table?

A: A lot.

Q: Not as much as the Redskins, huh?

A: Not quite as much, but not too far away.


http://www.giants.com/news/transcripts/story.asp?story_id=40930


If we worked out the deal so quickly after the deadline, how would these two teams be able to offer him anything? They shouldn't be talking to his agent before free agency right? I'm just asking because they are still trying to get us for tampering, why are they not going after Tampa and NY too?

[IbleedBnG83]

he came here for the fans, and the media market. something detroit and tampa don't have to offer.

that being said, if new york had offered him a competitive contract with the skins, i'd be willing to bet he woul dhave gone there. Its a better team, in a bigger market, with just as good of fans.

If you believe that, you are naive.

Its all about that gauranteed money. I am willing to be no one else offered him THAT much gauranteed. Sure, NY's contract may have been higher, but I bet ours offered more up front. I'm certain TB and Det couldn't contend.

$110 mil is worth more than $110 mil, but $40 mil gauranteed is worth more than $30 mil

[skinsfan1523]

If you believe that, you are naive.

Its all about that gauranteed money. I am willing to be no one else offered him THAT much gauranteed. Sure, NY's contract may have been higher, but I bet ours offered more up front. I'm certain TB and Det couldn't contend.

$110 mil is worth more than $110 mil, but $40 mil gauranteed is worth more than $30 mil

I think players are well aware of that. And I think you mean 110 is more then 100. But when a player talks about how much his contract is, you can be pretty sure he's talking about the guaranteed. Now if what he says is true or not we will never know.

[sknsrbck26]

It's all about the $$$$, and who ever has more get the guy. But...didn't Haynesworth say the Bucs offered the same, and he came to D.C.?

[GothSkinsFan]

As much as I despise growing up in the D.C. area, it is the center of political power in the U.S. and there is far more to do within 20 miles of wherever you live than in Tampa. If he's considering life after football, D.C.'s a good place to start. If Riggo had been in Tampa, he'd have said "lighten up Sandy baby" to some local Florida judge at some rubber chicken dinner.

[tshile]

If you believe that, you are naive.

Its all about that gauranteed money. I am willing to be no one else offered him THAT much gauranteed. Sure, NY's contract may have been higher, but I bet ours offered more up front. I'm certain TB and Det couldn't contend.

$110 mil is worth more than $110 mil, but $40 mil gauranteed is worth more than $30 mil


right...
there's 40 or 45 mil gauranteed from washington. and yes, there is a difference. and he said it, NY didn't offer him the kind of money that WAS did.

whats exactly what I said...

if DET offered a contract simlair as WAS did, then yeah, he came here for the media market, the greater chance at being on a winning team, and the better fan base. he makes money when his jersey sells... when he has a big name and gets sponsorships for commercials and such... thats the advantage of being in a bigger market...

and as I said... if NY had offered a contract that was close to what WAS offered, we could suspect he would go to NY... they have an even better chance at winning than we do, and an even bigger market...

so yeah, was probably offered much more gauranteed, and overall. but if it was close (say 90 mil total, 38 guaranteed, or 120 mil, 30 garaunteed) you honestly think he would have chosen DC over 10 mil, when you think about the chance at a ring? He probably goes into the contract thinking half of that 'bonus' money he's going to get anyways... unless he plans on falling off.

so i'm not sure what your grip with my post was... i said if the contracts between WAS and NY were similiar, he'd go to NY... but they weren't, so he came here...