Patriots Offer Thomas Millions of Dollars, Lifetime Subscription to Reader's Digest

In the least surprising free-agency move thus far this NFL off-season, the New England Patriots today offered a contract to recently released Dolphins linebacker Zach Thomas, ostensibly to break yet another NFL record -- oldest defensive roster in history. If Thomas accepts the offer (he's meeting with the Saints and Cowboys this week), he'll join a linebacking corps most of which could soon be appearing in commercials for Polydent and Life Alert during TNT's Primetime in the Daytime. The Patriots inside linebackers would then include 34-year-old Thomas (who will be 35 by the time the season starts), 39-year-old Junior Seau, and 34-year-old Tedy Bruschi (who will be 35 before training camp).

The Patriots have a long history of picking up players who appear to be past their prime and getting a couple more good years out of them, and that could very well happen this year. After sitting out almost all of last season because of a concussion and a car accident from which he got whiplash, Thomas has to be a favorite for Comeback Player of the Year in 2008 (unless Kevin Everett plays again).

But it is widely assumed that both Seau and Bruschi will retire (probably to Miami, ironically, at least for the winters), leaving Thomas to fill the void inside with Adalius Thomas, who teetered on the edge of underperformance in 2007.

So this begs the question(s): Did the Patriots offer Zach Thomas a contract because they think he can be productive in the long run, or will they draft a linebacker in April and have Thomas in a split roll, largely there to mentor the rookie? And if the latter is true, who will that rookie be?

Provided all the personnel assumptions about the Patriots' off-season are true (Randy Moss will re-sign, Donte Stallworth will be gone, Asante Samuel will get a huge deal elsewhere not be nearly as good as he was with the Pats, Bruschi and Seau will retire, etc.) they have to draft defense. Clearly that was the weak spot on last year's team (well, the specific weak spot was the deep middle, but we'll get to that). So do they go with a linebacker to replace Bruschi and Seau, a cornerback to replace Samuel, or a safety to cover the deep middle since James Sanders and Eugene Wilson aren't getting it done.

The safe bet is cornerback, but there aren't really any CBs that warrant the seventh overall pick. My money is on Vernon Gholston from Ohio State, who can play outside in the Pats 3-4 scheme if Rosie Colvin or Mike Vrabel move inside to fill the void left by Seau and Bruschi. It could be anyone, though, since Bill Belichick almost always drafts the best available player instead of position by position to fill his team's needs. The thing is, however, Belichick isn't used to having the seventh overall pick, where the best available player at most positions is still available.

Or maybe they'll just trade their pick to the Bengals for Chad Johnson. Who knows? Stranger things happened this year.

Report: Patriots Make Offer to Former Dolphins Linebacker Thomas