Haynesworth’s off-season gone wrong is culminating with speculation over how much the big fellow has actually practiced in the seasons past, not to mention the revelation of a mysterious case of “rhabdomyolysis,” a medical condition that has caused him to miss three days of practice this Preseason.  Shanahan claims if he can’t practice, he won’t play, no matter what he has gotten away with in the pass, and seemed to make light of his condition, referencing it as a headache.  Bear in mind, Mike Shanahan was not with the Skins when Dan Snyder decided to pay Fat Albert the big bucks, and the relationship between the two has been strained in the head coach’s first few months.  It would serve the Redskins well, players, coaches and fans alike, if the general conversation surrounding “the elephant in maroon” died down as the regular season quickly approaches.

Currently, the Redskins depth chart suggests second year player Anthony Armstrong, a second year player out of West Texas A&M will serve as the teams’ #2 receiver, however few fans believe this is likely to hold true throughout the season.   Not to say Armstrong hasn’t earned the position thus far this off-season, he simply doesn’t have the same pedigree as some of the other receivers on the roster.  Best case scenario would see Devin Thomas, a third year receiver and former first round pick out of Michigan State, finally emerge as an impact player.  He showed flashes of potential in Preseason Week 1 against Buffalo, hauling in 3 catches for 61 yards and a score, though was held to just 14 yards a week later against the Ravens.  Longtime veteran Joey Galloway is on the roster, however, few outside of Coach Shanahan expect him to make any on-field contribution.  Malcolm Kelly also enters his third NFL season.  The former Oklahoma Sooner has been dogged by injury so far this year, but if healthy, his 6’4’’ frame could provide a sizable red zone target, compared to the Redskins shorter receiving options.

In Philadelphia, McNabb had the advantage of playing alongside a ball-hawking Brian Dawkins-led defense, not to mention a few more weapons on the offensive side of the ball.  From the quarterback-friendly Brian Westbrook coming out of the backfield to Terrell Owens in his prime, more recently an emerging DeSean Jackson, McNabb has had weapons over the course of his career, but never gotten it done.  Yes, McNabb will be motivated with a Brett Favre 2009 size chip on his shoulder, but the Skins simply don’t have the necessary skill players for that frustration to come to fruition on the field.  Sure, Moss is a nice asset split wide, but entering his 10^th year of NFL service he’s not a consistent game-changer.  The chance that Mike Shanahan can mold McNabb and this hearty group of has-beens into winners is quite the coaching challenge for the first year Skins coach, whose own better days may have passed.

It’s possible the Skins are simply trying to trick Donovan McNabb’s fellow aging body into feeling like its 5 years younger, the biggest team’s biggest free agent acquisition is, after all, 33 in his own right, and has already suffered a preseason ankle sprain.  On the other hand, Parker, Johnson and Portis are all deceptively young considering how long it seems their names have been around NFL circles.  Contrary to popular belief, Portis is just 28 years old, the same age as Falcons running back Michael Turner.  Parker is 29, leaving Johnson as the group’s elder at 30.  The Redskins may actually believe there is still some life in these forgotten veterans, though the sheer number of miles both Portis and Johnson put on their legs during their first few NFL seasons would argue that these downward trends should continue.  Parker, though not particularly overused, just looks like he’s lost the elite quickness that set him apart.  Hopefully for the Skins sake, these three can combine to keep each other fresh, if all three make the roster that is, and combine to form at least one of their former selves.