Adlius Thomas has been released by the New England Patriots with most pundits agreeing that he will likely end up with the New York Jets.
Thomas played with Jets head coach Rex Ryan when he was the defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens, but there are several obstacles to Thomas becoming a Jet.
First, the Jets already have a bunch of linebackers having recently added Jason Taylor.
However, the Jets were hoping Vernon Gholston could become a hybrid linebacker-defensive end. They have just given up on that after two disappointing seasons at outside linebacker and now have Gholston playing strictly his natural defensive end position.
Thomas has already played as a hybrid outside linebacker and defensive end for Rex Ryan, so the Jets could have a place for Thomas in defensive packages that need a hybrid player even with a bunch of veteran outside linebackers already on the roster.
The other problem is that they can’t sign him unless they lose a free agent. Because it is an uncapped year, the top eight teams in the league can only sign a free agent after they have lost a free agent to another team.
The Jets don’t currently have any un-alloted free agents, however other teams might grab unrestricted free-agents DE Marques Douglas or LB Ryan Fowler.
Of the two, Douglas is the more likely candidate. He is an older veteran who can provide depth on a contender or be a stop-gap for a year or two on a team that needs to buy time to develop depth at defensive end.
Fowler hasn’t contributed much to the Jets and it is unlikely other teams would expect him to contribute more in a different situation.
The New York Jets odds to win the Super Bowl currently sit at +1100. Expect them to become an even trendier pick if they add Thomas to their roster.
