ESPN

• Rankings: Is Albert Haynesworth the NFL's best defensive player?

When a player who signed for $41 million in guaranteed money earlier in the year is sitting out practices and talking about normal "wear and tear" during the first week of August, well, it's not the kind of thing that will help comparisons to Reggie White. But Albert Haynesworth returned to practice earlier this week after sitting out a few rounds of training camp, averting the kind of health-care crisis that would capture D.C.'s attention more than anything on Capitol Hill.

Aside from Clinton Portis, Haynesworth is the player SportsNation feels the Redskins could least afford to lose to serious injury, no small feat of public recognition for a guy who plays on the defensive line. But if Haynesworth is the Redskins' best defensive player, is he the league's best defensive player? He's not a pure pass-rushing force like DeMarcus Ware, or a shut-down corner like Nnamdi Asomugha, but it's tough to put a guy who closes down the middle of the line anywhere other than No. 1.

• Brian Orakpo will provide a pass-rushing complement to Haynesworth.
• Defense is one reasons Redskins fans feel better about their team these days.

“

Haynesworth is a Beast.. I don't know if I've seen one Person make such a diffeence on the defensive side of the ball, since Reggie White.

” -- galyssa427

“

you guys paid way to much for big al watch out he's going to get injuryed right away.

” -- titans_freak23

• How would you rank the top 25 players of the decade in the NFL?

The NFL season is right around the corner, and in its own way, so is the end of the decade -- in geologic terms, it's practically yesterday. So even though there's technically one more season to play before we hit double digits in this century, it's never too early to start looking back (which is also decent advice for Matthew Stafford when he plants in the pocket this season behind the Lions offensive line).

ESPN.com's NFL bloggers have been putting their minds to the task of sorting out our current decade, with the Patriots topping the Power Rankings, Ray Lewis and Derrick Brooks among those leading the all-decade defense, and Tom Brady edging out Peyton Manning as the all-decade quarterback and MVP.

• Today's chat: All-decade chat extravaganza begins at 1 p.m. ET
• These guys weren't threats to make it; rank the NFL's most overrated players.

“

how can the patriots possibly be considered in ANYTHING?!!? THEY CHEATED...let me spell that out C H E A T E D. NO team in NFL's glorious history has EVER been caught cheating. It's too bad the NFL just swept this under the rug to save face instead of call them out for what really is...what a discrace, not a champion...

” -- RIPredskins21

“

Manning Should be MVP! What the heck he has 3 NFL MVPs this decade and Brady 1.....Doesn't that right there tell you Manning is more Valuable? Plus Matt Cassel proved that the Pats are a decent team without Brady, making Brady not as valuable. I wonder how the Colts would do with Sorgi as starter?

” -- pucrepeap