Haynesworth deal a turnaround for Pats defense

Albert Haynesworth.

ALBERT HAYNESWORTH???!!!$$$???

ESPN (Adam Shefter) is reporting that he has been dealt to the Patriots.

Now we know what Bill Belichick was doing buried in the bowels of Gillette Stadium during the lockout. He was changing his defense.

The Patriots' stunning theft (5th-round draft choice in 2013) of Haynesworth from the Redskins must mean that New England is switching its defense from a linebacker-oriented 3-4 to a 4-3, with Vince Wilfork and Haynesworth in the middle. Haynesworth made life miserable for Mike Shanahan when he refused to adapt to Washington's 3-4, and there is no other explanation for the trade to New England unless the Pats are now going to the 4-3 as their basic package.

Something had to be done. The linebacking corps, already mediocre, was weakened earlier this week when the only pass-rusher of note, Tully Banta-Cain, was released. With Haynesworth in a suddenly-powerful D-line, linebackers play a lesser role, and Jerrod Mayo, Brandon Spikes, Rob Ninkovich and Jermaine Cunningham now look more than serviceable.

Depending, of course, on whether Haynesworth behaves like a human being and produces anywhere near the way Randy Moss did when he fell in line in his first year in Foxboro. If he does the 11.5 win total on the Pats could be covered by Game 13 or 14.

Things just got a lot more interesting in the AFC East.

Your move, Jets.

they have a better chance of having a motivated, in shape aretha franklin playing next to wilfork.  if the patriots paid more than a $25 gift card to tom and jerry's, they paid too much for this guy.

How well was Randy Moss playing for the Raiders before he came to NE?And if Haynesworth turns out to be useless, big deal they wasted a 5th round choice.

He cared when he was ripping it up in TN.

This is a no brainer.  Pats are one team that commands respect.  And you know BB will basically sit him down and say, "you need us more than we need you.....so here's the deal.  You fall in line and work hard or you're out on the street."

And he can say that with a straigh face because everyone knows he'll kick him to the curb if he's disruptive or doesn't stay in shape.

No brainer for NE to pull off this move. 

i agree with you that if anyone can turn this fat slob around, the patriots can.  i just don't think they can.  i think hayneswroth is in a different category than moss and dillon.  we shall see.

and i do think there is a big downside to moves like this if it doesn't go well, more than just losing a mid round draft pick.  

And the way NE stock-piles picks, it's not too much to give up. 

I do think they will put in some 4-3 packages for him. 

Since my Vikings look to be crappy to mediocre, this is going to be one of the more entertaining things for me to watch this year.