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**Professor** · 08-12-2007, 01:43 AM

An intriguing debut: LB Thomas a quick study - N.E. Patriots - BostonHerald.com

excerpt:

Adalius Thomas, signed to a free agent contract worth $35.04 million over five years, has been billed as a difference-maker on defense.
After Randy Moss, he is the offseason pickup Patriots [team stats] fans most want to see during games, the player they’re most curious about.
Friday night, they got their first look. The versatile linebacker made his debut in the Pats’ preseason opener, a 13-10 loss to Tampa Bay.
While he played mostly on the outside in Baltimore, Thomas has been moved inside - at least that’s where he’s been heavily showcased - during training camp, and that’s where he lined up against the Buccaneers. He played with the first unit on the inside, next to Tedy Bruschi
Technically, he operated from the strong inside linebacker slot, or “mike” position.
While Thomas is not totally comfortable with his new role, he certainly made his presence felt in the Pats’ gap-control defense.
Against the run, he dashed from one side to the other, picking up three tackles for his efforts. He didn’t have much of a problem dealing with Tampa Bay’s guards. On the Bucs’ first series, he made his presence felt in the backfield, collapsing the pocket around quarterback Jeff Garcia on a blitz up the middle.
In obvious passing situations, his versatility came into play, as he was moved over to the edge. While Thomas wasn’t dominant during his time on the field, one could see where his impact will be made.
“I think it’s just like practice. You practice hard, you come out here and do the same thing. You make plays, you make tackles. You look at the film, and grade it as such,” Thomas said. “We made some mistakes. So you correct it after watching the film.”
Playing the “mike” linebacker is a bit different than what Thomas is used to. He’s responsible for a lot more in terms of making reads, setting the defensive line, and communicating those reads with Bruschi.