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New England Patriots Pro Bowl linebacker Adalius Thomas will have surgery on his broken forearm tomorrow, thus most likely ending his 2008 season. Adalius broke his arm during Sunday’s 20-10 win over the Buffalo Bills. Fellow linebacker Mike Vrabel assessed the situation:

“I think it will be difficult. He’s a guy that certainly, like a lot of guys here, plays a lot of different positions and plays them pretty well, so it will be tough. He was a leader. He was a veteran guy that played well, and we’ll just have to find guys to step up.”

Enter Pierre Woods, who could make his first career start Thursday against the N.Y. Jets. I want to say the Patriots are in trouble, but if any head coach can maneuver his way out of an injury fix, it’s New England’s Bill Belichick. He’s managed a 6-3 record so far this season despite having lost the most important player on his team (and arguably the entire league), quarterback Tom Brady. Plus, two other key starters — running back Laurence Maroney and safety Rodney Harrison — also suffered season-ending injuries. It’s a “next-man-up” attitude in New England and because they seem to bring the right people into the organization, I won’t be surprised if they don’t miss a beat. The Patriots are just good like that.

Source: Boston.com, Photo: Newscom

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Adalius Thomas Surgery Ends Season

Just as an NFL player watches game film to prepare for his next opponent, I watched my share of previous Super Bowl Media Days on YouTube to get ready for today. But nothing could really replace being here. Media Day at the Super Bowl features a throng of reporters from all over the world. And a record number participated today.

Naturally, 2007 National Football League MVP Tom Brady was the center of attention as he had the most traffic around his podium. And I thought he handled it very well. Which is not surprising for someone who has had to get used to being in the spotlight both on and off the field. I didn’t even bother sticking my nose into that mob scene, preferring rather to talk with those players who were meandering about. But Tom was getting the most questions. He even received a wedding proposal from a reporter from TV Azteca in Mexico. Naturally, he declined, but the way he worked through the sometimes stupidity and absurdity of this “circus” was a thing of beauty. He’s done this before. He knew what to expect. And he more than made the best of it, although he admitted he prefers talking about football over his personal life:

“You just deal with whatever question is asked, and try to handle it the best you can. I’m obviously more comfortable answering the football questions. Those are much easier for me.”

We had one hour to speak to the players. My challenge was to get to as many as possible and take pictures as well. Having never worked Media Day before, I had a ballpark number of players in my mind to talk to (5-10) and had specific questions for specific players. I also had general team questions that any player could answer. But despite all the homework I did, I could not possibly know every single player. So I stuck with those I knew. If one player was busy talking to someone else, I either waited or moved on to another. I found that waiting was more or less a waste of time.

The Patriots who were at podiums/risers were Tedy Bruschi, Rodney Harrison, Laurence Maroney, Bill Belichick, Asante Samuel, Tom Brady, Richard Seymour, Randy Moss, Mike Vrabel, Junior Seau and Vince Wilfork. In designated areas in the stands were team owner Robert Craft, VP of Player Personnel Scott Pioli, Troy Brown, Kevin Faulk, Larry Izzo, Ty Warren and Wes Welker. The rest just mixed and mingled.

For the BIGPLAY Radio NFL Podcast, I spoke with Logan Mankins, James Sanders, Kelley Washington, Ty Warren, and Benjamin Watson. Adalius Thomas, who seemed a little agitated and ready to leave before the hour had elapsed, commented on my meticulous notetaking. “Look at you,” he said. “You’ve got everything written out.” I nodded approvingly: “This is what I do.” (Actually, I would like to have individually laminated sheets and a color-coding system like NFL coaches. Hey, I take this seriously. Maybe too seriously.) Anyway, Adalius was one of the few who refused a cell phone interview from a reporter. I saw quite a few players doing “mobile interviews” which I thought was unusual. I guess my feeling was you should either be here at the event or be out of luck. Otherwise, those of us that are here are standing around waiting for the cell phone interview to end. It’s like being at a retail store and having the clerk attend to a phone call instead of dealing with the customer who’s in the store. That was kind of irritating.

Anyway, it was a quick hour. Of course, I felt like I needed more time but one hour is sufficient and really all that can be expected from the players. The media proceeded to brunch for a 60-minute break while a field crew prepped for the Giants.

Photos by David Kindervater

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

SBXLII Media Day: New England Patriots

New England Patriots S Rodney Harrison was suspended four games for violating the National Football League’s substance abuse policy. Am I surprised? Yes and no.

In his 13-year career, Rodney has earned the reputation as one of the game’s most “aggressive” players — which just happened to result in over $200,000 worth of fines so far. But as much as other teams hate to play against him, his own teammates appreciate the way he practices and plays. He plays the game with heart and passion. So, I really didn’t see him turning to performance-enhancing products to help his cause. But let’s look at the situation. Rodney is going to be 35-years-old in December and his career has been riddled with injuries — not surprising for a guy that plays the way he does. He was sidelined for eight games in 1999 with a shoulder injury. He played in just three games in 2005 before tearing his ACL, MCL and PCL. He broke his right shoulder blade last season and missed six games, then returned for two more before straining his right knee and missing the rest of the regular season and playoffs. Let’s face it. Rodney Harrison is on his last legs. But he made the wrong decision to use (reportedly) human growth hormone to speed his recovery from the punishment of another NFL season.

A statement from the NFL read:

“Rodney Harrison of the New England Patriots has been suspended without pay for the team’s first four regular-season games of 2007 for violating the NFL policy on performance enhancing substances. Harrison’s suspension begins immediately. He is eligible to return to the Patriots’ active roster on Tuesday, October 2 following the team’s October 1 game against the Cincinnati Bengals.”

Rodney took complete responsibility for his actions and made the following comments (in-part):

“I want to make it clear that not once did I ever use steroids. I did admit to the commissioner that I did, in fact, use a banned substance. I will be absent from the team for the next four weeks. That is a penalty that I have to serve. I intend to return and do my best to really help this team in any capacity I can help this team get back to winning the championship. This is something that Rodney Harrison did, and Rodney Harrison did alone. My teammates didn’t do it. As they prepare for the Jets and games after that, I would ask that you give them the respect, not badger them with questions because they don’t have any information. I sent the wrong message with my actions. I have not made excuses, nor will I make excuses. I made a mistake and I am very sorry for that. I do not condone my behavior. I am very, very embarrassed by it. I am disappointed in myself. My purpose was never to gain a competitive edge. Rather, my use was solely for the purpose of accelerating the healing process of injuries I sustained while playing football.”

Somehow, the Patriots will still find a way to win games without him. They’re just that good. Coach Bill Belichick always has another player to “plug-in” to get the job done. Enter James Sanders, who is listed as Rodney’s backup at strong safety. And look for rookie FS Brandon Meriweather, plus Mel Mitchell and Rashad Baker to also get into the mix until Rodney returns.

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Rodney Harrison Suspended Four Games