Associated Press
ASHBURN, Va. ó Start with the trade of Donovan McNabb. Add the signing of Barry Cofield. Throw in a host of 30-something receivers: Jabar Gaffney, Donteí Stallworth, Brandon Stokley and Santana Moss. Oh, yeah, thereís also Kellen Clemens and the quarterback quandary, plus Josh Wilson at cornerback.
Itís hard for even the players to follow the frenzy of news surrounding the Washington Redskins.
ěBy the time I get to Redskin Park look like I will see a whole new team,î defensive end Phillip Daniels said Wednesday on Twitter. ěDeals are fast and furious.î
Not all of the deals were complete and some wonít be official until Friday afternoon, according to the rules implemented at the end of the NFL lockout, but the Redskins ó like all their competitors ó were moving quickly to reshape their roster.
Near the top of the list was the need to get rid of the distraction duo of McNabb and Albert Haynesworth, whose various tribulations helped drag down the team during coach Mike Shanahanís first season in Washington. McNabb was sent to the Minnesota Vikings for a 2012 sixth-round draft pick and a conditional sixth-rounder in 2013, according to two people with knowledge of the transaction .
McNabbís departure closes the book on Shanahanís first major Redskins gaffe. He gave up second- and fourth-round draft picks for McNabb last year but ended up benching the six-time Pro Bowl quarterback for the final three games of a 6-10 season.
ěHe was going to come in and really help us win more games, but it didnít work out,î Redskins linebacker Lorenzo Alexander said. ěRelationships broke down, and now heís not here, but you canít really focus on that. Youíve got to continue to move forward.î
Haynesworth remains on the roster ó at least for the time being ó but the Redskins found a replacement in Cofield, who agreed to a six-year, $36 million contract with $12.5 million guaranteed. Cofield has been a steady contributor up front for the New York Giants for five seasons, although heíll have to make the transition to nose tackle in Washingtonís 3-4 scheme.
ěHeís explosive, he gets off the ball, heís relentless,î Alexander said. ěThose are the types of things you need in a D-tackle. And you donít really hear too much about him complaining. A lot of the other guys get all the glory, but heís down there doing all the grunt work and thatís what you need in a nose tackle.î
If Alexanderís assessment is true, Cofield will be everything that Haynesworth wasnít. Signed to a seven-year, $100-million contract in 2009, Haynesworth has little production to show for two turbulent seasons in Washington and was suspended for the last four games of 2010 by Shanahan for insubordination.
The Redskins faced uncertainty at receiver when the lockout ended, and Shanahanís theory seems to be to address it with a swarm of experience in hoping that something works out.
Moss was first, agreeing to a new deal to remain in Washington. The 32-year-old wideout will sign a three-year, $15 million contract that includes a $5 million signing bonus, keeping a respected veteran in the locker room.
The 30-year-old Stallworth is set to sign a one-year deal. He caught only two passes with the Baltimore Ravens in 2010 after sitting out much of the year with a broken foot, and he was suspended for the previous season after pleading guilty to DUI manslaughter. His best season came in 2005, when he caught 70 passes for 945 yards for New Orleans.