Projo Pats Blog

Who knew when we got the e-mail yesterday saying that Adalius Thomas would be available early this morning to chat that it would be so interesting?

The veteran linebacker, who said his rehab for his broken right arm is on track, is catching a flight to Florida later this morning and will attend the Masters at Augusta National next week, staying in a house on the course as part of an auction deal he purchased at Heath Evans' charity event in February.

But when a simple question -- how does he feel about the league potentially switching to an 18-game regular season -- was asked, Thomas' smile faded.

"My idea of it -- it sucks," he said. "Going to an 18-game season -- for what? I'm just trying to figure out, what's the purpose?"

Told that money was a big motivator, Thomas got fired up.

"Exactly. As far as that goes, with me, the money thing, stop. Just stop. If (the NFL owners) want to cry about money, then open your books up to an independent audit to really show how much money you're making. If you really want to cry about money, open your books up, put what you really make in the paper like you put our salary in the paper every year so that the fans can say 'well they're making this much money, why don't they do this?' Why don't you do the same thing? I'm sick of people talking about, crying about, well, we need to make cuts here...I mean, that's your business, if that's how you want to run things, that's fine, but going to an 18 game season...for what? I mean, I'm just trying to figure out, what's the purpose? At the end of the year, when players go to playoffs, (they say) it's been a long season, so now you're going ot say it's a longer season?"

Thomas, who was a Players' Association representative for several seasons when he was with the Ravens, spoke passionately about several issues, saying that if the league extends the regular season all contracts will have to be redone.

He also didn't like the "Brady rule" which says that defensive players can't lunge at a quarterback's legs in a second effort once they are on the ground. While he is completely in favor of player safety, Thomas took issue that a quarterback's safety might be viewed as more important than a linebacker or defensive back.

"You might as well give (the quarterback) some pom-poms and put him in a skirt," he said. "No one person's knee is more important than another person's knee."

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