When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers claimed Albert Haynesworth off waivers a week ago, I wasn't expecting much. Heck, no one was. The Buccaneers were banged up on defense and needed to take a gamble, and Haynesworth had the most upside of anyone on the waiver wire. He was worth taking a flyer on, but based on the personality and attitude problems that haunted him in both D.C. and Boston, he seemed more likely to cause clubhouse chaos than to help the Bucs on the field.
↵So with all that as a backdrop, I never-ever-ever expected to hear these words said about Haynesworth:
↵↵↵Talking on his weekly radio show on WDAE, [Josh] Freeman praised Hayneswrth's approach to the game. Haynesworth has said some things about how some of the Bucs' young defensive players don't know how to let a bad play go and move on, which also leads to defenders being afraid to make mistakes.
↵"You've got a veteran guy who's been around the league and played with different teams, and he's seen it done every which way. For him to see that and relay the message that it's a long game, and there's so much that goes on - you can't let one small thing affect you, whether it's a play or a penalty." (Doug Farrar, Yahoo! Sports)
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Haynesworth impressed in his first outing with the Buccaneers last weekend, playing well on the field and also speaking up on the field and keeping the younger squad focused. Could it be that he's found a place he feels good? Am I deluding myself with false hope, or could Tampa Bay finally be the place Haynesworth puts it all together? It's only one game, but so far, the signs are encouraging.
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