New England Patriots: Albert Haynesworth Impressive at Training Camp

When the New England Patriots traded for Albert Haynesworth a few days ago, the collective groan from fans might have caused an earthquake in the Foxborough area.

The question was heard loud and clear: Will he even be in shape enough to practice?

On Sunday, fans got their answer as they warmly welcomed Haynesworth onto the practice field for the first time in a Patriots uniform.

Sunday morning's practice was mainly a low-speed practice that truly lived up to the name of a walk-through. The afternoon practice, however, was a different story.

In 11-on-11 drills, Haynesworth had a nice play where he blew right past guard Rich Ohrnberger to disrupt the play in the backfield. The "oohs" and "ohhs" from the crowd were a clear indication of the impressive display of athleticism, especially from a guy who hasn't practiced yet just getting his legs under him.

That wasn't the only play of its kind, however. Haynesworth found himself in the backfield in 7-on-7 drills, as well, disrupting a running play to Thomas Clayton.

It bears mentioning, as well, that Ohrnberger and center Dan Koppen double-teamed Haynesworth later on in drills.

Haynesworth wasn't practicing for long, though, and was kept out for the most part, spending his time watching practice next to defensive line coach Pepper Johnson. Don't read too much into that, though, as Haynesworth's lack of practice time probably has more to do with Belichick getting him up to speed than any lack of conditioning some might assume he has.

Haynesworth's practice time was spent lining up alongside Vince Wilfork in the 4-3 alignment that the Patriots have utilized in the early-goings of training camp. Again, that's not something to read too much into, as it could just be a symptom of the lockout and the Patriots working their personnel slowly into the 3-4 alignment.

In any case, Haynesworth and Wilfork have been a disruptive force in the middle of the defense throughout much of practice, and the prospect of the two lining up next to one another is becoming increasingly enticing for the Patriots.

Erik Frenz is the co-host of the PatsPropaganda and Frenz podcast. Follow Erik on Twitter @erikfrenz.