Today’s questions about the Broncos come from Erik. Send your questions via e-mail to jlegwold@denverpost.com.
Q: Why don’t the Broncos take a look at Adalius Thomas? Their pass rush has been subpar, and (the Broncos) don’t have much depth at outside linebacker. Furthermore, then we could bring Mario Haggan back to the inside.
A: Erik, with the way Thomas and the New England Patriots parted ways this year, it’s unlikely a player like him would appear on the Broncos’ radar.
The rocky three-year relationship between Thomas and the Patriots ended in April when the team released him. NFL personnel people say it’s telling that his former defensive coordinator in Baltimore — Rex Ryan, now the Jets’ head coach — didn’t sign him, nor did his former team, the Ravens.
This summer, I asked a few personnel folks about Thomas, and they all said the same thing — he wants too much money to be the part-time player most teams believe he is now. And scouts expressed some concern whether Thomas could even have significant impact as a spot rusher.
He had three sacks in 2009 in a year when he openly battled Patriots coach Bill Belichick. After the season, Thomas said publicly he had concerns about how he was being used.
During the season, he was a healthy inactive against the Titans, was among a group of players sent home early one day for being late to a meeting, did not publicly apologize for the incident and continually bristled at his role on the team.
He had rushed the passer more before he got to New England, and that wasn’t really part of the deal with the Patriots.
And he just turned 33.
Given how the Broncos’ way of doing business, both in personnel and in off-the-field matters, mirrors what Belichick does with the Patriots, Thomas likely doesn’t fit.
The pass rush is certainly still a work in progress, with a question mark or two remaining. Because of Elvis Dumervil’s injury, the Broncos are rotating players at weakside outside linebacker with Jarvis Moss, Baraka Atkins, Jason Hunter and rookie Kevin Alexander all getting a look.
Of that group, Moss has worked with the starters the most. He likely has the inside track to play in pass-rush situations, but the Broncos will use a rotation if one of those players doesn’t secure the job outright.
On the other side, Robert Ayers has had a productive offseason, but he had no sacks last season despite playing plenty of snaps in pass-rush situations.
Jeff Legwold: 303-954-2359 or jlegwold@denverpost.com
