New England Patriots Links 3/16/10 - Adalius Thomas Claims He Didn't Know Workouts Began Monday

Karen Guregian received an email from Adalius Thomas, disavowing any talk about him wanting to be a Jet.

"I’ve heard of all the chatter up there about me," Thomas wrote. "It was about something Bart Scott said on TV, (and) that’s not what was said . . . I have never told anyone that I wanted to leave and go play for the Jets."

"I have been asked by coaches, reporters (and) players, ‘Where are (you) going to play next year?’ And my response has been I don’t know," Thomas wrote in the e-mail. "I’m still a Patriot unless you know something I don’t know, but reporters report any type of hype.

"Not once did anyone of (the media) . . . pick up the phone or e-mail and ask if (that) was what I said. So I’m a Patriot until otherwise noted from Bill (Belichick) or the organization."

In his e-mail, Thomas claimed he didn’t know workouts began for the Pats yesterday.

Mike Reiss reports Ty Warren is forgoing the off-season workouts in Foxboro, and his $250,000 bonus, to finish up his college degree at Texas A&M.  It's the first one he'll missed in eight years.

"I try to put the kids in the best educational system possible and I think there is something to be said for their father, who has been blessed to play in the NFL and do something he's loved to do, going back and finishing what he started," Warren said from the campus of Texas A&M. "In the big picture, I think it's important for me to do what I'm doing. I can sacrifice that bonus for that."

"If I'm fortunate enough to play 12, 13 years, but then find myself getting cut in training camp, I'm not going to put myself in a situation where I don't have my degree," he said. "I'm not going to give myself up like that. I need to have options, so I feel like right now is a time where I need to dictate what I'm doing in the offseason.

"Working out has never been a problem of mine, I do it regardless. I'm self-motivated," he said. "I've always been a working person. Ask anyone who knows me, I've been working and supporting my two siblings and now my own family since I was 13. No matter how much I have in the bank account, I'll always work.

LOCAL  LINKS

• Jeff Howe notes at least 40 players were in attendance Monday at Gillette Stadium for the Patriots' first day of voluntary off-season workouts.  Big Vince was one of them.
• Albert Breer lists the NFL offseason program rules and how it all works.
• Tom E. Curran observes that in spite of Asante Samuel's opinion that the Patriots don't care about players, they received two honors from the league for doing just that.
• Jeff Howe thinks the Jets are keeping their fingers crossed with their risky LaDainian Tomlinson signing.  A big name addition that could come back to bite them Favre style.
  
• Mike Reiss reports Stephen Neal's contract is for two years, totaling $6.5 million. With signing bonus and salary, it pays him about $4 million this season, with the remainder coming in 2011.   A win-win for both sides.
• Albert Breer says it's a good bet the Patriots could help open the Jets new stadium for the first Monday Night game of 2010.
• Mike Reiss notes one of the top questions he's heard over the last 10 days is about what has prompted the team to open its checkbook this offseason.
• Michael Felger wonders what possessed Mike Holmgren to pony up $12 million for 3 years for Benjamin Watson.  What does he see in him that New England didn't?
• Albert Breer reports the Patriots Hall of Fame Nomination Committee met to vote on the All-Decade Team for the Aughts and nominees for the 2010 enshrinee.
• Ian Rapoport has his eye on RB Ryan Matthews (Fresno State) for the Pats to pick up at number 22 in the Draft.
• Mike Reiss examines the bond between Belichick and La Russa.

NATIONAL NEWS

• Matt Bowen (Nat'l Football Post) Do NFL offseason programs have value?
• Jack Bechta (Nat'l Football Post) The disconnect in scouting: Foot soldiers (regional scouts) are often left behind at crunch time on Draft day.
• Joe Fortenbaugh (Nat'l Football Post) WR Mardy Gilyard and QB Tony Pike to meet with Patriots today in Cincinnati.
  
• Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady encourage the world to participate in Earth Hour by filming two videos to invite people to join them in turning off their lights for one hour Saturday, March 27th at 8:30pm.
• Pro Football Focus All AFC East Team.  Eight Patriots make this team.
• Tim Graham (ESPN) Another All-AFC East team to consider.
• Clifton Brown (Sporting News) Signing LaDainian Tomlinson was a sexy move for the Jets, but not necessarily a good move.
• James C. Black (Yahoo! Sports) Tomlinson, others forced to retire elsewhere.
• Dave Goldberg (AOL Fanhouse) 1998 NFL Redraft: Still Peyton's place.
• Tim Graham (ESPN) Measuring the wealth of NFL owners. Robert Kraft tied for 655th on Forbes 2010 list of the world's richest people.
• Luisa Kroll and Matthew Miller (Forbes) The World's Billionaires.
• Tim Graham (ESPN) The NY Jets took out a full-page, full-color ad in Monday morning's edition of the Kansas City Star to express gratitude to former RB Thomas Jones, and it only cost them $15,000.
• Tim Graham (ESPN) Bills might model 3-4 D after Saban's.
• Don Banks (SI) Quinn's short tenure in Cleveland just another QB failure for Browns.