Monster Aquisition! Patriots sign Adalius Thomas..Ravens should have franchised him !

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Thomas has the skill to be the very best defensive player in the game....not sure if there is a better athlete in the NFL right now than this guy...tremendous signing for New England, and a terrible loss for Baltimore. :ohno:

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<SMALL>AP - Mar 3, 4:15 pm EST</SMALL>
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BOSTON (AP) -- Linebacker Adalius Thomas, one of the most sought-after free agents, signed Saturday with the New England Patriots, giving the three-time Super Bowl winners a player in the mold of the departed Willie McGinest.
The 29-year-old Pro Bowler, one of the keys to the Baltimore's defense last season, can play several positions, including outside linebacker and defensive end -- as McGinest did until he left last season for Cleveland.

Thomas, at 6-foot-2-inches and 270 pounds, said he even lined up at cornerback in a defensive package designed to handle Pittsburgh's physical receivers, matching wideouts stride-for-stride.

"I'm a football player. I don't play a position. Whatever is needed for me to do here, I'm going to do," he said. "That's why the Patriots have been so successful here because they don't look at it as position. They look at it as football." The Patriots also announced the signings of two other veterans: tight end Kyle Brady from Jacksonville and back up running back Sammy Morris from division-rival Miami.
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Personally and professionally, we are very impressed with Adalius Thomas," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. "His playmaking, toughness, intelligence, versatility and character were all factors in our decision to pursue him."

Many professional scouts had considered Thomas the most talented free agent on the market, coming off an 11-sack and 106-tackle season as one of the anchors on Baltimore's stout defense that gave up an NFL-low average of 12.6 points per game.

The signing period for free agents was fewer than 36 hours old when Thomas signed his deal. He said he did not want to test the market after receiving a phone call from New England -- a team he said is primed to compete for its fourth Super Bowl win in seven seasons.

"We don't want to come here and play games," he said. "There's no need to go looking around for the best, when you start with the best. My first offer was here and there was no need to go anywhere else."

Thomas cited a motto that he learned from his father in Alabama -- "Be humble or get humble" -- when reflecting on his steady rise from a sixth-round draft pick out of Southern Mississippi in 2000 to a special teams Pro Bowl pick in 2003 to one of the league's top linebackers.
He has five career defensive touchdowns, 38.5 sacks, six interceptions and six fumble recoveries.
He said Belichick has a penchant for molding a system around versatile linebackers, drawing a comparison to Mike Vrabel, another linebacker known for lining up in other positions, notably as a goal-line tight end.
 

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Baltimore was in a tough position, if they kept Thomas and frachised him they would have been real limited with any other moves...this is a terrible loss either way.

New England got themselves one hell of a player.
 

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is bALT GOING TO RESIGN Jamal??? or did they lose him for goog to Jman?
 

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Wont help a bit. N.E. is a start of along decline.

haha...yeah huge decline...oh my

* Make the AFC Championship just last season.

* Have arouind $20+ million of salary cap to play w/...and have already made huge acquisitions/contract extensions w/ the money

* How many teams have better/youngers o-lines & d-lines than the Patriots...? Ty Warren/Vince Wilfork/Richard Seymour is prolly thee best/youngest d-line in football.

* Two first round picks.

* Best coach in football

etc
etc
etc

Yeah- I really see the big decline as well:ughhh:
 

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I think NE would have to be right near the top to win it all...great signings .

Would be nice to see them get a real great WR though.

They were one play away from winning the SB , had they not given the Colts that first down before the half I believe they would have won that game and won the SB .
 

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The Wes Welker signing is a bit odd, imo...yes, he seems like a typical 'Patriots' type of player...but surprised at the chunk of change he received (7 yrs/$35.8 million).

You wont see anymore big WR signings from them, imo...they still have 'some faith' in high draft pick Chad Jackson...and could use a high draft pick on a deep WR class in the draft...not many years you can get a Rice/Meachem/Bowe/etc in the late first round.

But it seems like most of the position players...are players the Pats have drafted high in the past 5 years...i just dont understand how people are saying they will drop off...I mean, to be honest they played sub par in the Playoffs and nearly won the whole damn thing. A Troy Brown completion before halftime, or his pass intereference call. Still very young...have franchise type of players like Brady/Symour locked up long term...and now are dipping their hands into free agency for the first time in 3-4 years.
 

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According to the Boston Herald, there was talk at the NFL Combine last week that Chad Jackson's knee injury wasn't as serious as first reported.
The Boston Globe reported Jackson tore his ACL during the Pats' loss to the Colts in the AFC Championship, but the Herald says it may have only been a partial tear. Either way, his status for training camp is in doubt.
Source: Boston Herald

not saying he's a vital key part...but he's still a 21 yr old, w/ potential.
 

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Baltimore was in a tough position, if they kept Thomas and frachised him they would have been real limited with any other moves...this is a terrible loss either way.

New England got themselves one hell of a player.


Not so sure terrible loss. Ravens had great talent on d with Rex Ryan putting to gether some great schemes. Now, Thomas is expected to be the man to some degree. Not sure if he's that GREAT. We'll have to see.
 

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Not so sure terrible loss. Ravens had great talent on d with Rex Ryan putting to gether some great schemes. Now, Thomas is expected to be the man to some degree. Not sure if he's that GREAT. We'll have to see.

I am sure.
 

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Sure that he'll be great with Pats or sure that ravens made big mistake by not retaining his services?

I would put him in the top 10 defensive players in football right now.

Then again I ve been calling him the most underrated player in football for the past 3 years around here....guy is a stud .
 

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