Albert Haynesworth.

ALBERT HAYNESWORTH???!!!$$$???

ESPN (Adam Shefter) is reporting that he has been dealt to the Patriots.

Now we know what Bill Belichick was doing buried in the bowels of Gillette Stadium during the lockout. He was changing his defense.

The Patriots' stunning theft (5th-round draft choice in 2013) of Haynesworth from the Redskins must mean that New England is switching its defense from a linebacker-oriented 3-4 to a 4-3, with Vince Wilfork and Haynesworth in the middle. Haynesworth made life miserable for Mike Shanahan when he refused to adapt to Washington's 3-4, and there is no other explanation for the trade to New England unless the Pats are now going to the 4-3 as their basic package.

Something had to be done. The linebacking corps, already mediocre, was weakened earlier this week when the only pass-rusher of note, Tully Banta-Cain, was released. With Haynesworth in a suddenly-powerful D-line, linebackers play a lesser role, and Jerrod Mayo, Brandon Spikes, Rob Ninkovich and Jermaine Cunningham now look more than serviceable.

Depending, of course, on whether Haynesworth behaves like a human being and produces anywhere near the way Randy Moss did when he fell in line in his first year in Foxboro. If he does the 11.5 win total on the Pats could be covered by Game 13 or 14.

Things just got a lot more interesting in the AFC East.

Your move, Jets.