For the final 10 days of 2011, WEEI.com will count down the top 10 stories of the year in Boston sports. Our next entry in the countdown is No. 7: The Patriots’ acquisitions of Albert Haynesworth and Chad Ochocinco.

Check out our previous entries:
No. 10: NBA lockout
No. 9: NFL lockout
No. 8: Celtics’ playoff loss to Heat

Controversial defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth came to New England in a surprising August trade and left after a couple of unproductive months. (AP)

It is hard to imagine that Patriots coach Bill Belichick, with his stern, no-nonsense demeanor, would ever consider acquiring players with past troubles and larger-than-life personalities. But as he proved in the past with running back Corey Dillon and wideout Randy Moss, players labeled as “troublemakers” could come to New England and be successful.

Still, it may have been a surprise to some when the Patriots traded for both defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth and wide receiver Chad Ochocinco this past offseason. Both are talented players, but both had been involved in their fair share of controversy over the course of their respective careers.

Haynesworth was considered one of the top defensive linemen in the league during his time with the Titans, and was even named the Sporting News Defensive Player of the Year in 2008, when he recorded 8.5 sacks. He was named to the Pro Bowl in both 2007 and 2008.

But Haynesworth’s ability to bullrush the quarterback was overshadowed by his temperament. In 2003, Haynesworth was involved in an incident at practice in which he allegedly kicked teammate Justin Hartwig in the chest and had to be restrained by teammates.

Then in 2006, Haynesworth infamously stomped on the helmet-less head of then-Cowboys center Andre Gurode in the middle of a game. Gurode required 30 stitches from the incident, while Haynesworth was apologetic after the game.

“What I did out there was disgusting,” Haynesworth said. “It doesn’t matter what the league does to me. The way I feel right now, you just can’t describe it.”

The league suspended Haynesworth for five games without pay, the longest suspension for an on-field incident in modern NFL history. Haynesworth, who personally apologized to Gurode, did not appeal the suspension and said he was entering counseling to control his emotions.

Of course, Haynesworth went on to have the two best seasons of his career in 2007 and 2008. An unrestricted free agent in 2009, Haynesworth signed a seven-year, $100 million contract with the Redskins, one of the most lucrative contracts ever, as Haynesworth was guaranteed an NFL-record $43 million.

But things never panned out in Washington for Haynesworth. He made headlines in D.C. after questioning the system of defensive coordinator Greg Blache late in the 2009 season. In 2010, Haynesworth skipped offseason workouts and a mandatory minicamp, then struggled to pass a conditioning test in training camp. He was a part-time player during the 2010 season and was suspended the final four games for “conduct detrimental to the club.”

On July 28, three days after the 2011 NFL lockout was finally resolved, Haynesworth was dealt to the Patriots for a fifth-round pick in the 2013 draft. On that same day, the Patriots traded a fifth-round pick in 2012 and sixth-rounder in 2013 to the Bengals for Ochocinco.

While some of Haynesworth’s actions could be described as malicious, the fun-loving Ochocinco was simply known as a distraction. The ultra-talented wide receiver was chosen by Cincinnati in the second round of the 2001 draft and quickly ascended to one of the top receivers in the NFL.

Then known as Chad Johnson, Ochocinco recorded a franchise record 1,335 receiving yards in 2003 and was selected to his first Pro Bowl. He was a Pro Bowler six times in all between 2003 and 2009. He broke his own franchise record twice more, in 2005 with 1,432 receiving yards and again in 2007 with 1,440 receiving yards.

But with his talent also came the personality. After catching a touchdown against the Ravens on Monday Night Football in 2007, Ochocinco put on a blazer on the sideline, the back of which read “Future H.o.F. 20??” During the 2008 preseason, trade rumors swirled after Ochocinco went on ESPN’s “Mike & Mike” radio show and said he was “labeled as selfish and a cancer. If the team and the organization wants to further itself, I think you need to get rid of the problem.” But the Bengals did not actively try to trade him and he returned to Cincinnati training camp as usual.

And then there was the name change. On Aug. 29, 2008, Chad Johnson legally changed his surname to Ochocinco, a tribute to his No. 85 (anyone with knowledge of the Spanish language will recognize that ochocinco is not the correct translation for 85). In 2009, Ochocinco started using Twitter more actively, even setting up meet-and-greets with fans through the social network.

Beyond the football field, Ochocinco was also a contestant on “Dancing with the Stars” in 2010. He has had his own segment on the show “Sports Soup” on Versus. On VH1, Ochocinco had his own reality dating show called “Ochocinco: The Ultimate Catch.” During the lockout, Ochocinco tried (and failed) to secure a spot on Sporting Kansas City of Major League Soccer, competed in a Professional Bull Riders event and acted in cameos of the television shows “Blue Mountain State” and “The League.”

(See more entertaining Ochocinco videos here.)

Still, Belichick had always appeared to have a fondness for Ochocinco.

“I like Chad — I like him as a player. I like him as a person,” Belichick said early in the 2010 NFL season. “I like his enthusiasm and the fun he has with football, and I like how he competes on the football field. I have a lot of respect for that.

“[We’re] an odd couple, but in the end I think we have a lot of things in common.”

So there was plenty of excitement surrounding Ochocinco and Haynesworth joining the Pats. Both were seen as talented players who could turn their recent troubles around under Belichick in New England. Aaron Hernandez welcomed Ochocinco to New England with open arms, giving him his No. 85 that Hernandez had worn last season for New England. Ochocinco was expected to be yet another threat to an already potent Patriots passing attack with fellow wide receivers Wes Welker and Deion Branch, and tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Hernandez.

On the other side of the football, Haynesworth was set to team up with Vince Wilfork and newly acquired Shaun Ellis and Andre Carter on the defensive line in Belichick’s new 4-3 scheme.

Both Haynesworth and Ochocinco restructured their contracts so that each would make significantly less money as part of the deal to bring them to New England, making the moves seem even less risky on the Patriots’ end.

However, Haynesworth struggled through training camp and the preseason with a knee injury, making an already short offseason due to the NFL lockout even shorter for Haynesworth. He only saw action in one preseason game, the final one against the Giants. But he was healthy going into the regular season and was excited at the prospect of playing the Dolphins in the season opener, saying it was time for him, “the sleeping giant, to awaken.”

Ochocinco, meanwhile, was on the field throughout training camp, but he was hounded with questions early on about dropping passes in the first week of training camp. He responded to those questions by simply saying, “I’m human.”

Other than that, Ochocinco was praised all around by his teammates and coaches in August. Belichick said he “has worked really hard and I’ve been impressed with what he’s done so far.” Tom Brady said he’s been a “hard worker … and it’s fun to be out there with him.” Devin McCourty said that Ochocinco’s work ethic is “incredible to watch.”

Despite the optimism surrounding both players heading into the regular season, neither performed as most thought they would.

Haynesworth far and away was the bigger disappointment. Much like during the preseason, Haynesworth struggled to get on the field during the regular season. He saw limited reps in every game, struggling to reach even 20 defensive snaps per game. His conditioning was called into question. Due to a back problem, Haynesworth missed two games in the middle of the season. His lone tackle in an Oct. 30 loss against the Steelers was his third tackle of the season.

The Haynesworth situation came to a head during the Patriots’ loss to the Giants on Nov. 6., when he was seen in a verbal altercation with defensive coordinator Pepper Johnson. Just a couple of days later, on Nov. 8, the Patriots released Haynesworth and placed him on waivers. The Buccaneers claimed Haynesworth, and he has been more productive on Tampa Bay, albeit a less competitive team than the Patriots. And thus ended the short-lived Albert Haynesworth era in New England.

Ochocinco has managed to stick around on the Patriots roster, but his productivity has not been that much better than Haynesworth’s. No. 85 has not caught more than two passes in any game this season. While Ochocinco has stayed healthy and in shape, some have speculated that he has not been able to acclimate himself to the complicated New England offensive schemes.

Ochocinco did take advantage of Branch’s absence in New England’s win over the Broncos on Dec. 18. He caught just one pass, but it was a 33-yard touchdown in the first quarter, his first TD in a Patriots uniform. It remains to be seen if Ochocinco will continue to have an effect on the game as the Patriots close out the regular season and prepare for the playoffs.

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