It's official, the New England Patriots have informed outside linebacker Adalius Thomas that he will be released today.
Linebacker Adalius Thomas was released by the Patriots on Monday, according to an NFL source, bringing to an end his disappointing three-year tenure in New England.
The move does not come as a surprise after a tumultuous season for Thomas that included him being a healthy scratch for a game against the Tennessee Titans, and being sent home with three others for showing up late for a December morning meeting in snowy, icy conditions.
Thomas, who had three sacks and made 34 tackles last season and would have earned $4.9 million in 2010, is now free to sign with another team. He told Boston radio station 98.5 The Sports Hub in February that he wasn't sure whether he would be released by said he wanted to play "somewhere where I'm wanted and where I'm going to have fun. That's where I want to be."
So ends the career of Adalius Thomas in New England. Even though this move was expected, I still can't help but be a little bit disappointed because of all of those unrealized expectations. Amazingly, the release of Thomas leaves just two starters from the Patriots' 16-0 defense, Vince Wilfork and Ty Warren. The only other defensive players still with the team are Brandon Meriweather, Mike Wright, and Pierre Woods.
I'm not sure where it exactly went wrong with Thomas and the Patriots, but it was obvious he didn't want to play in New England, and his performance on the field reflected that. Could Adalius Thomas have been used better? Probably. But the bottom line is, despite all the money the Patriots dished out for Thomas, Thomas was not a fit, and turned into a locker room cancer, something the Patriots hadn't had in a long time.
The question with Thomas now is, where does he go? Does he return to the Ravens? Does he reunite with Rex Ryan and the Jets? No Patriots fan wants to see Thomas within the division because people know, if Thomas puts his mind to it, he can still play.
So long A.D., we hardly knew ye.