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Both of them
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 10,302
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Thomas finding it easy to fit in
Patriots' Thomas is open to change - The Boston Globe
Quote:
He promised himself he'd come to New England with an open mind. Linebacker Adalius Thomas figured that was the best way to ensure there would be no surprises.
For the most part, things had gone according to plan. Then he hit the practice field and it all blew up.
It was the person standing behind him, the one who tugged at his jersey, who was talking to him after the play, asking what he saw, why he made the decision he did.
Thomas expected such detailed, demanding instruction, just not from the person who was delivering it. It was Bill Belichick.
"It was a shock to see the head coach being there, hands on," said Thomas, the Patriots' big-money free agent acquisition in the offseason. "It did catch me by surprise a little bit."
Those who have followed Belichick's seven-plus years in New England know he gets down and dirty in teaching the fundamentals. He usually works closely with linebackers, the position he first coached in 1981 when a rookie named Lawrence Taylor was breaking into the NFL with the New York Giants.
Now Thomas knows, and he figures the attention he sometimes has received is for the better.
"Being that I'm the new guy, he's making sure I'm on the right page with everybody else," Thomas said. "He does a very good job letting you know what he wants and what he understands, and making sure you understand what you're going through."
For Thomas, the last four months have been about going through transition. Following seven seasons with the Ravens, he's adjusting to life as a Patriot after signing a five-year, $35 million contract that included $20 million in bonuses.
Primarily an outside linebacker in Baltimore, Thomas mostly has played inside during the Patriots' first eight practices, lining up on the strong side and leading the defensive huddle. The change hasn't fazed him. He said that as long as he's on the field, he's content. Turns out he's also made the weight room his second home, earning one of the team's nine offseason program awards.
So, how would Thomas compare his initial experience with the Patriots with his Ravens career? Don't ask, because he isn't interested in recapping the past.
"I'm not talking about Baltimore anymore," he said. "I get that question every day. I left Baltimore and it's over with. When I was there, it was great, but I'm in New England now and I'm focusing on New England."
Thomas, who will turn 30 Aug. 18, acknowledged he feels fortunate to leave one terrific linebacker group that included Ray Lewis and emerging star Bart Scott, and join another with the likes of Tedy Bruschi, Rosevelt Colvin, Junior Seau, and Mike Vrabel.
"The other day we were talking about that, me having the chance to play with some of the greatest linebackers coming from one team to another, guys that have been around," he said. "It makes your job a lot easier when you come into veterans like that."
Thomas has been working most closely with Bruschi, looking to establish the necessary synergy between inside linebackers at the heart of the team's 3-4 defense.
"Everything you do is developing that chemistry and knowing what the other guy sees," he said. "It's been going great."
Thomas has shown flashes of why the Patriots coveted him. He's big and physical when defending the run. He also drops into pass coverage, one time deflecting a pass about 10 yards from the line of scrimmage. And he's smart, adapting to the chameleon-like changes that are common in the Patriots' defense.
Receiver Kelley Washington, who faced Thomas over the last four seasons when suiting up for the Bengals, compared him to another NFL star.
"It's like an offensive player you can do a lot with, kind of move him around, almost like Reggie Bush on the defensive side," he said. "I'm sure they'll use him to the fullest."
Which is exactly what Thomas was expecting. So in that sense, other than a few on-field tutorials from the head coach, there have been no surprises in his first four months on the job.
"I didn't come in close-minded," Thomas said. "I was ready to adjust and adapt to whatever the environment was."
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Thomas finding it easy to fit in
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