Washington Redskins defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth has been linked to the Detroit Lions since last summer. Once Haynesworth basically had a falling out with new head coach Mike Shanahan and made it clear he didn't want to play in Washington's new defense, the calls for a trade grew louder and louder. At one point it looked like a deal was very possible to send Haynesworth to Detroit, but nothing ever developed.
Even since the trade rumors quieted down, there has still been talk about Haynesworth joining the Lions if he's released. I personally have been against the move from the very beginning for a variety of reasons, such as his lack of effort, bad attitude and seemingly poor play in non-contract years. Also, if found guilty, you can add this to the list:
Washington Redskins defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth has been formally charged with misdemeanor assault stemming from a road rage incident earlier this month.
The encounter that led to the charge occurred on Feb. 2. Police said a 38-year-old man told investigators he was assaulted by the driver of a pickup truck who was tailgating him. The driver was later identified as Haynesworth.
Haynesworth's agent says that his client is innocent and the alleged victim is "seeking fame and money." Considering we just went through a situation where a Lions player was accused of something and no charges were filed, I'm inclined to give Haynesworth the benefit of the doubt. Yes, he has been charged already, but he is still innocent until proven guilty. In that regard, this story needs to play out before adding another thing to the list of reasons why I don't want Haynesworth.
In other players-in-trouble-with-the-law news, running back Michael Bush was charged with an OWI on Saturday (via Northleft12). He is set to become a free agent this offseason and has been mentioned as someone the Lions should look at. I doubt an OWI will affect him too negatively, but if you're a free agent you definitely don't want to be getting in trouble with the law.