Felger & Mazz: Same Old Fat Al?
With Albert Haynesworth sitting out his fourth straight Patriots practice this afternoon, Felger & Massarotti opened Tuesday's show by discussing Haynesworth's absence from Pats camp, and debating whether or not we should be concerned with what seems like Fat Al reverting back into the "tub of goo" that he was criticized for turning into last season with the Washington Redskins.
While Patriots coach Bill Belichick has stated that Haynesworth is day-to-day, and is "working really hard" to get back on the field as quickly as he can, Mike and Tony can't help but wonder if this is actually the case, and he is actually being kept of the field by a "knee injury." Is Haynesworth really hurt, or is he sidelined because he once again showed up to camp out of shape and not ready to play, and the coaching staff is trying to get him ready for Patriots football without anybody realizing how far behind he really is?
It may be time to wonder about Haynesworth, even if many, including Felger, were willing to give him a clean slate when he showed up in New England. It's clear that the Patriots need to improve their pass-rush, and they seem to have this need in mind with 21 defensive linemen on the roster, but is Haynesworth really the answer to this hole the Patriots are trying to fill? As Felger put it, even though the Pats do need to get after the Quarterback, they shouldn't do that at the expense of their fundamental defensive philosophy just because they have a new diva lineman.
So, with that in mind, is the abundance of d-linemen on the roster indicative of some larger defensive scheme change for the Patriots, or are they simply safeguarding against the possibility that Haynesworth could potentially be a complete and utter bust? While even Felger agrees that it's not fair to rail on Haynesworth just yet when the Pats are hardly a week into training camp, developments like these make the guys wonder whether or not Fat Al could eventually become a disruption to a team that is still somewhat in transition.
Are the Patriots selling their soul by trading for Haynesworth? Are they going against everything they once stood for, everything that once made them successful, or are we all simply far too anxious to call Haynesworth a failure and write him off as one of the worst signings of Bill Belichick's career? Although it may not be time to sound the alarm just yet, it still remains to be seen whether or not the Pats coaching staff will be able to turn Haynesworth back into the player he was once heralded for being.
With the Pats first pre-season game looming on Thursday, where do you stand on Haynesworth? Should we be concerned, or should we have seen this coming and trust that it will be taken care of? To hear Felger & Mazz's thoughts, listen now! Or, give us a call at 617-779-0985, and let us know what you think!
