Albert Haynesworth showed New England Patriots' fans Sunday that he is ready to contribute to the team's defense in a powerful way.
The defensive tackle did not participate in a lot of activity during his first practices at Gillette Stadium, but when he did, he showed the "disruptive" quality that director of player personnel Nick Caserio was looking for from him. Said Caserio to the Boston Globe:
"He's big, he's strong, he's athletic and he's a disruptive player. I think we've always taken the approach that if the guy's a good football player, we'll find a way to use him. In the end, it's up to the player to determine what his role is going to be."
Haynesworth started on his way to determining his role on the Patriots by dominating the offensive lineman who lined up against him in a few drills, then worked closely with defensive line coach Pepper Johnson for the remainder of the practice. The few drills Haynesworth did excited both the crowd and fellow Patriots, said ESPN Boston writer Mike Reiss:
"On his first contact play, in a half-line running drill, Haynesworth exploded off the line and broke into the backfield. He did it again later in 11-on-11 work, which had linebacker Brandon Spikes tapping his helmet in excitement, almost as if to say "Welcome to New England!"
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