This year is supposed to mark a new era in Redskins football, where the team is run by a professional operation with a highly successful head coach and a general manager with a great track record. So to celebrate ... let's take a look at the past.
Specifically, let's try to remember how, exactly, Albert Haynesworth ended up coming to D.C. with a $100 million plus contract.
In one corner: Vinny Cerrato!
The much-criticized former general manager of the team is the one that is widely known to have signed off on the contract, though it's unclear whether his boss, Dan Snyder, made him. Was it him that wanted to bring in Albert Haynesworth?
According to the man himself - sort of. Here's what he told Mike Wise and Holden Kushner of 106.7 The Fan today:
"We had first hand information on Albert, [knew] everything about the guy because [former offensive coordinator] Sherman [Smith] was there from the time Albert got there."
Ah, so it was all Sherman Smith's fault then. Riiiight.
Anyway...
In the other corner: Sherman Smith himself!
That's right: he heard Cerrato's comments and decided to fire back. Via Ryan O'Halloran of Comcast SportsNet.
"They wouldn't give a guy a $100M contract based only on what I said. ... I told them buyer beware ... I told them exactly about our experience in Tenn and you guys make the decision."
So who wins? On one side, we have a guy who has continually made bad decisions and doesn't realize it's Kyle Shanahan, not Mike, that's calling the offensive plays. On the other, we have an offensive coordinator who just so happened to be with the Titans when Haynesworth was there.
I think the decision is clear.