5 NFL Players Who Aren't in the Best Football Shape

Every year a handful of players show up to training camp out of shape or at the very least not in football shape.

This year the fear of many teams and fans was compounded by the fact that there was a lockout and players couldn't train at team facilities.

In spite of most of these guys being world-class athletes I'm sure several coaches had nightmares of 90 whales reporting to camp once the lockout was lifted.

Here are a handful of guys who, while not whales (well one of them is, let's see if you can spot him), aren't in the best of football shape, yet.

Ben Tate, RB, Houston Texans

Running back Ben Tate is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury.  That in and of itself wouldn't mean that you're not in football shape, but the fact that the Houston Texans doctors believe that he either should be on the field by now or further along in his healing doesn't bode well for Tate.

Tate could just have bad luck or he could have been one of those guys who took it a little too easy during the lockout.

Malcolm Kelly, WR, Washington Redskins

Last offseason, wide out Malcolm Kelly injured himself out in Arizona while working with then-quarterback Donovan McNabb and missed all of the 2010 season. 

This season he hurts his ankle in the first week of training camp.

This begs the question if Kelly has ever been in football shape during his entire career.

Is he simply injury prone or does he not take the best care of himself?  If it were the same injury every time it would be one thing, but it hasn't been.  At this rate the guy will be injuring parts that most folks haven't heard of.

Terence Newman, CB, Dallas Cowboys

Terence Newman is getting up there in age so if he took it a little easy during the lockout I'm willing to look the other way.

However the aging cornerback's body might be giving up on him, at least in football terms.  The last couple of seasons Newman has missed time due to injuries and almost immediately as camp opens he pulls his groin.

He's been out ever since and could miss the second preseason game this week.

Albert Haynesworth, DT, New England Patriot

Albert Haynesworth hasn't been in shape (let alone football shape) for the better part of two seasons now, so just because he changed addresses doesn't mean we should have expected anything else from him.

It was reported that when he got to Patriots camp Haynesworth failed a conditioning test and since then has missed practice time due to mystery ailments.

Bill Belichick has made a career out of turning malcontents into champions, however I think he's bit off more than he could chew this time.

I will be shocked if Haynesworth is still a Patriot by the time his new team plays his old team in Week 11.

J'Marcus Webb, Offensive Lineman, Chicago Bears

This past weekend in the Chicago Bears first preseason game against the Buffalo Bills, J'Marcus Webb was brutalized by Bills linebacker Shawne Merriman.

This could be Merriman's second coming, I don't know. But what I do know is that Webb looked slow and exhausted, and it appeared that he lacked any intensity.

He didn't admit to lacking intensity but he said he couldn't match Merriman's, that is no good Bears' fans.