It was February 27th, 2009. The Washington Redskins had just signed unrestricted free-agent and former Tennessee Titan, Albert George Haynesworth III to a seven-year deal worth $100 million and $41 million guaranteed with $31 million of that available within the first year. From the moment the ink dried on his contract, the Redskins were in for a ride.

Washington knew headed into the situation that Haynesworth had a few issues. In October of 2006, he made a literal doormat out of former Dallas Cowboys center, Andre Gurode. If you recall, Haynesworth removed Gurode’s helmet and opened a nice hole in his forehead (for which he served a multiple-game suspension and was fined). Albert also had a series of legal issues while in Tennessee that included warrants for arrest, failure to pay loans and even an accident that left a man partially paralyzed. You would think that Danny, or at the very least, somebody in the front office, could have seen this coming.

The Redskins not only signed this man to a contract, they front-loaded it as to fit the majority of the guaranteed money into a potentially (and eventually) uncapped year. Albert Haynesworth wasn’t the only player to have his structure his contract this way; the Redskins did something similar with DeAngelo Hall. Back to the point.

Prince Albert fails a basic physical for camp, naps on the field and assaults a waitress, all the while earning $35.6 million of Dan Snyder’s money and ending up suspended by the team. The Redskins, surprisingly, get a fifth-round pick in 2013 from New England for him. Haynesworth is now out of the league.

The National Football League decides that the Redskins (and Cowboys) used the uncapped year to frontload contracts and thus should be penalized $36 million against their cap, to be divided over two years however they wish. The question that everybody wants the answer to, including Skins GM Bruce Allen, is “why?” We know why, but how can the NFL enforce a rule that didn’t exist?

These are the words of one journalist from NationalFootballPost.com in 2011:

Not known for their savvy cash and Cap management, the Redskins did do a clever thing with Haynesworth’s contract last year to prepare for this day.

They inserted a player voidable clause, allowing Haynesworth to end his contract early. Due to Cap rules, the signing bonus following the voidable clause will not prorate through the remainder of the contract.

Haynesworth’s $21 million bonus last April that was restructured in the manner described above to have the entire amount count in 2010 with no accounting in future years. Thus, for Cap accounting, there is no remaining Cap hit on that money in future years and it allows the Redskins to trade Haynesworth without Cap consequences.

Kudos to them for preparing for this inevitability well.

The Redskins got creative with a contract for a player that ended up being, what many consider to be, the single worst free-agent signing of all-time. The signing of Albert Haynesworth caused a chain reaction that created an alternate 2011 and 2012 in Washington, DC. This wasn’t Hill Valley though, this was a move that forced the Redskins to build on the players they currently have and begin to draft smarter. A terrible season, helped along by the lack of play by Haynesworth, which set the stage for another awful season with Rex Grossman at the helm, allowed for the Redskins to get within striking distance of the 2nd overall pick in 2012 and eventually land Robert Griffin III. The cap issues didn’t restrict the team in 2011 as much as they have now (see Pierre Garcon), but it appears that the team is again focusing on signing their own talent as opposed to bringing in another O.J. Atogwe. The effects of 92′s brief career in Washington will likely be felt until at least the end of the 2013 league year and probably forever in most fan’s minds. The Washington faithful can also thank the Minnesota Vikings for trading a sixth-round pick to the Redskins for another failed project, Donovan McNabb. That pick would later become Alfred Morris.

The Redskins acquisition of Haynesworth has created both positive and negative events, or positive change through the negative. Many people regard his signing as a poor decision, this is understandable. I, for one, believe it to be the kind of kick in the groin that gets a team motivated to change (after several bags of ice). Since Haynesworth’s departure, the team has acquired Pro Bowl talent through the draft and even had some luck in free agency with what limited money they have. Imagine this team with some wiggle room? The NFC East belonged to the Redskins in 2012, and with a completely healthy RGIII and some cap space on the horizon, it’ll be interesting to see what else they can achieve in 2013 and beyond.

More opinions and news on Riggo’s Rag to come! Follow us on twitter @RiggosRag!

After his recent "crusade" of words, McNabb is the only one who is all smiles Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

In the world of sports, one is destined to hear or see something confusing at often times, causing them to ask themselves, in the words of the late-great Andy Rooney, “Did you ever wonder why?” Being a Washington Redskins fan, you all may, I mean do, know what I’m talking about. It seems like every day there is new drama we are dealing with, and sometimes we can’t decipher it. Each week, I will take the most mind-boggoling piece of Redskins news and ask myself and all who listen, “Did you ever wonder why?”

In this weeks edition, I will discuss an interesting topic. On Wednesday, disgruntled ex-quatarback turn analyst Donovan McNabb had some harsh words for the Redskins and coach Mike Shanahan.

“McNever” was a guest along-side controversial television host Skip Bayless, via “First Take” ESPN2. After a series of questions, McNabb was asked if he believes Robert Griffin III will succeed in the Shanahan offense. His reply was a simple “no”, but good ole’ Don was just getting started.

Here of some of the comments McNabb had to say for his old team:

Are you going to cater the offense around his talent and what he’s able to do? Or are you going to bring the Houston offense?

Of course, McNabb is referring to Kyle Shanahan’s former work in Houston with the Texans, a completely useless statement if you ask me. Obviously, the Redskins are going to do everything they can to “cater” the offense around this rookie powerhouse. It would be foolish of them not to.

I was misused (in Washington). Absolutely.

Now this is the part where you might feel a little bad for the guy. In his defense, the Shanny’s had a much different plan than he was prepared for. But, he might not of had tried to cope as hard as he could, and make the team better. But taking shots at your old ball club is never the answer, ecspecially when they gave him chance and helped him off the beach after he had “washed-up”.

  A lot of times ego gets too involved when it comes to being in Washington.

I can also see where he’s coming from here, but i believe Bruce Allen and Mike Shanahan will do everything to make sure RGIII’s superstar status doesn’t get in the way of the team. McNabb’s ego got in the way during his tenure with the ‘Skins, and that affected him greatly. Some may also think head coach Mike Shanahan’s ego will get in the way, but who’s wouldn’t when your trying to win games and your on the “hot seat”.

If this doesn’t work this year — we don’t see the splash, like a Cam Newton splash — this could be it

In case your not catching on, McNabb is commenting on the chances Shanahan stays in Washington in Griffin fails, like past projects Rex Grossman and John Beck, as well as the “man behind the desk”, Donovan McNabb. Shanahan will be all but dead if RG3(or Andrew Luck) doesn’t pan out as projected. But, this was clearly another chance to take a shot at Washington, so he took it.

As for it not working this year, I don’t see it happening. Griffin will come in with a lot of energy and positive attitude, and it may be enough to push the Redskins into the play-offs for the first time in serval seasons.

I can understand the last quote, but then McNabb went on a rant about past QB’s Mike has failed with as a coach, misleading us viewers even more. Already mentioning Beck and Grossman, he went on to make comments about Jay Cutler and Jake Plummer, as well as Brian Griese, all during his time in Denver. He even managed to make a few statistical errors along the way.

The bottom line is “sour grapes” are a real thing(or type of self-pity), and are clearly the motive behind this most recent discussion. McNabb failed in Washington, and there is no changing that. Yes, you feel a little sorry for someone who was forced to leave the game, but he brought it amongst himself.

After all is said and done, the question remaining is:

“Did you ever wonder why” McNabb said all this? Was he a little jealous of what Griffin may be?

I want to hear your thoughts fans.

Sitting next to Skip Bayless would make me agitated and argumentative, as well.

But when Donovan McNabb was asked point-blank whether or not he thought Robert Griffin III would succeed in Kyle Shanahan’s system his answer was a resounding “no”.

Do tell, Don, do tell.

OK, so Donovan doesn’t like the fit. Fine. That’s his opinion but what we also need to remember, as I’m sure a lot of you have already forgotten, is that McNabb himself was the fixture of a doomed experiment to revitalize his career in Washington under Mike Shanahan.

It was a botched stab at a career turn-around that saw McNabb benched mid-season in favor of the indomitable Rex Grossman. Months later, Donovan would resurface in Minnesota where a similar scene would play out and result in Donovan McNabb’s swan song and exit from the NFL.

So given McNabb’s recent history with the Redskins and the historic rise of RGIII, this could be a case of “it is what it looks like”.

More specifically, McNabb doesn’t want to admit that Griffin III will succeed where he failed.

McNabb went on to list all of the quarterbacks that failed at establishing franchise status under Shanahan, thereby implying that RGIII is destined to become yet another statistic in a long line of unrealized talent.

If you want the details, Michael David Smith of NBC Sports has written up a pretty good synopsis of all the wisdom that Donovan McNabb unloaded.

I feel like McNabb, who was widely regarded as a classy guy throughout his career, missed an opportunity to cast a vote of confidence for Griffin III today. I mean, it certainly wouldn’t have hurt.

If McNabb has a stockpile of vitriol for the Shanahans that’s one thing, but you, as a veteran who tasted success in the NFC East, should be eager to dish out some confidence on live TV for a kid is about to shoulder kilotons of expectations right off the bat.

Instead, McNabb came of wounded and spiteful. He compared his own skill set to RGIII’s and insists he was misused and that Griffin will find himself in a similar boat.

While McNabb was a mobile, big-armed quarterback back in his day, I wouldn’t consider him even close to possessing the same level of talent as RGIII.

Whether or not McNabb was sincere, and I’m sure parts of what he said absolutely were, it came out as a bunch of sour grapes.

All of us, including RGIII, are aware that a learning curve will have to be navigated and that Waco and Washington, DC are vastly different places. Griffin III will have to learn on the fly how to work and communicate with the Shanahan’s, luckily he is beyond capable of doing this.

Will the Shanahan’s misuse Griffin III? Sure, if they refuse not to play him at all.

McNabb might have read off of a laundry list of ex-quarterbacks and alluded to his own travails during his time in DC and, while none of this was wrong, it was all presented under a layer of jilt and bitterness.

McNabb was good during his career, at times very good, but never great. Robert Griffin III will arrive in Washington with a clean, unsullied slate. He’ll have everything in front of him and no set routine or predetermined idea of how to do things holding him down.

Why will he succeed? Because it will be all he knows. He’ll become the player the Redskins need and excel.

McNabb was a complete product when he got to DC, a veteran dog who wasn’t fully committed to learning new tricks. It’s a shame he went with the line that he did as it could’ve been a good opportunity to speak positively about a promising young talent.

As it is, we’ll just keep looking forward. We’ve just about forgotten about McNabb, anyway.