Smoke Signals: Power Struggle @ Redskins Park

The Redskins can't trade disgruntled DT Albert Haynesworth for cash, it violates NFL rules. [Such things are allowed in Major League Baseball, for example.] In other words, the Redskins can't ameliorate their financial commitment to Haynesworth after paying $32 million for one year of work by getting some team to give them money in exchange for the rights to Haynesworth. However, my old law professor Andrew Brandt, writing at The National Football Post, notes that Clinton Portis could help solve the situation.

"Yeah, I missed some workouts," Plummer told the author. "And you know what? Mike Shanahan, you can kiss my [expletive] for being [ticked] at that. You can quote that. I made 85 percent of my workouts and he's still mad about it. He still brought that up. Give me a break. That's the dumbest [expletive] thing on earth.

"He's got to have me to be his leader," Plummer offered sarcastically. "Well, listen. When I'm out there on a Thursday, when everyone's half-assing it and just going through the motions, I'm the one who was calling [expletive] out, saying, 'Let's go.' No one else. Eighty-five percent workouts? Mad about that? And he's still mad about it? Well, if that's the reason [I was benched], then I'm glad I didn't make those. Because I don't want to be here every [expletive] day of the offseason. You don't get any escape.

"But hey, he felt like I crossed him in some way. Once you do that, he'll never let those things go. If you cross him in some way, he'll hold on to that more than the times you've done good by him."

"Take a look our running backs. People don't realize we released five running backs. We signed two," Shanahan said. "We lost a left tackle; we lost a [right] guard. They were starters. We signed one. So when you take a look at it, it's a rebuilding process [where] you take a look at salary, you take a look at guys that you believe can help your football team win."

Generally, though, teams rebuild by getting younger, not older. They rebuild through the Draft, primarily, not by trading multiple draft picks for a quarterback in his mid-30s. I'd bet money that Shanahan sold the move to Washington to McNabb by telling him he plans to win immediately. Why would McNabb, at his age and after what he has accomplished, want to come to a team planning to win in 2 or 3 years?

Speaking of McNabb, he was working out with Redskins receivers this afternoon and made a positive impression on them. Here's Chris Cooley:

"This is arguably the worst offensive line in the NFL," he said. "You'd better use that fourth pick on an offensive tackle.... The bottom line is you better protect [McNabb] or you won't get a year out of him."

Hard to argue with that -- we've been writing that for some time now.