For the third time in the last eight months, an NFL team has decided it doesn’t want Albert Haynesworth around anymore: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced today that they have released Haynesworth.
The move is no surprise, as Haynesworth was due more than $7 million in salary and bonuses and hasn’t performed to anywhere near a level that would justify that kind of money. Haynesworth was traded from the Redskins to the Patriots after the lockout, and the Patriots placed him on waivers in November.
Now the 30-year-old Haynesworth is an unrestricted free agent, and he’s probably going to have to settle for slightly less money than the $41 million guaranteed he got from the Redskins the last time he was a free agent, three years ago. The Bucs were the only team to put in a claim when the Patriots waived him, so it’s safe to say there’s not going to be a big market for his services.
A potential landing spot could be Philadelphia, where defensive line coach Jim Washburn, who coached Haynesworth in Tennessee, is reportedly still a big supporter of the big defensive tackle. Bringing in a bunch of big-name free agents didn’t have the desired effect in Philadelphia last year, but at the right price Haynesworth could be the right fit in Philadelphia this year.
