Pat Thomas

[Guest Aloysius]

Never heard of Pat Thomas? Well, you're probably not missing much. Here's a scouting report I put together on the soon to be former KC linebacker:

 

Strengths:

 

Hard hitter...Can be explosive as a downhill thumper...Above average at shedding blocks...Sometimes needs to spin to get out of blocks, but has a knack for spinning in the direction of the ball carrier...Was the leader of a LB core that included a group of veterans and a former 1st Round pick

 

Weaknesses:

 

Doesn't have the speed to make tackles downfield..Poor balance makes him easy to block out of plays when moving sideline to sideline...Poor agility also leaves him susceptible to cut blocks...Bites on play action passes...Can take himself out of plays by overpursuing and taking bad angles

 

Conclusions:

 

Thomas was a square peg in a round hole playing ILB in a Tampa 2, yet he was surprisingly productive (47 tackles in 9 games). Still, he likely isn't starting material. As one article put it, Thomas was "the best of a bad set of choices in Kansas City," so he isn't going to come in and solidify one of our starting ILB spots. However, moving to a 3-4 would help disguise some of Thomas's physical limitations, provided that he can deal with blockers while working in a smaller area. If he can do that, he would be a nice addition to our LB depth and someone who could challenge Beau Bell for spot duty on defense.

[Solon16]

Did he attend Auburn? What do you think of EJ henderson lb from Minny? is he a FA this year?

[Guest Aloysius]

Dontarrious Thomas is the guy you're thinking of. He's been marginally productive for the Vikings over the past few years. He is a free agent, but I don't think he'd be much of an upgrade over Leon Williams.

 

E.J. Henderson isn't a free agent (he's signed through 2011).

[Solon16]

Pat Thomas from where???

[Guest Aloysius]

Pat Thomas went to NC State.

 

Here's a scouting report from when he was coming out of college (2005):

 

Positives:

 

Has adequate upper and lower body muscle definition and has been a durable player...Shows a sudden short area burst and the ability to knife through traffic to get to the ball...Adequate to read and react to plays...More instinctive when working in the box than in space...Has enough playing strength to shed blocks and uses his hands effectively to disrupt tight ends in their route progression...Sees plays in front of him and breaks quickly...Adequate blitzer who is best when given a free lane to the quarterback.

 

Negatives:

 

Does well in the classroom, but needs several reps to digest the play...Despite his adequate timed speed, he looks slow and lacks the quickness needed to pursue long distances...More of a downhill tackler, as he lacks man coverage ability and gets poor depth in his pass drops...Simply a liability in passing situations, as he fails to open his hips properly and lacks range to make plays along the sidelines...Might bring better value as a middle linebacker due to his marginal range and foot speed...Not always tied up by the blockers, but if he does not bring his hands up quickly, blockers will immediately get into his chest and ride him out.