Former Green Bay contract negotiator and current National Football Post columnist Andrew Brandt hatched a trade idea that would give the Redskins financial relief in another way. It calls for Haynesworth to keep all of the Redskins’ money while the acquiring team takes on the expensive contract of another Redskins veteran — namely, running back Clinton Portis.
Portis is due to make $7.2 million in 2010, of which $6.43 million is guaranteed. The Redskins would get some financial relief, and the new team would have to guarantee a total of $15.43 million for Haynesworth and Portis combined. The Redskins already have veteran running backs Willie Parker and Larry Johnson on their roster, while the Lions could surely use some backfield depth while Kevin Smith rehabilitates his knee injury.
As I alluded to in the title, the idea is certainly unconventional, but not far-fetched. The Redskins want to recoup at least some of the money that they unwisely gave him last year and now that he’s unwilling to play, they might as well rid themselves of him in the process.
That said, acquiring Haynesworth as is would be a bargain for any team because the Redskins have already paid most of his salary. Even though he’s an elite player when his head is on straight, why would any team want to acquire Haynesworth and pay Portis’ contract? Haynesworth is already forcing the Redskins into a corner, so teams might as well wait and see how the situation plays out, instead of taking a more proactive approach.
