Peter King
One guy might have been underpaid in Lunatic 2007 Market Dollars: Adalius Thomas. He signed with New England for five years and $35.00 million.
The breakdown, according to Management Council documents obtained Sunday night:
• Signing bonus: $12 million in 2007.
• Option bonus: $8 million payable in 2008, applied for cap reasons in equal $2 million increments in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011.
• Salaries: $900,000 in '07, $900,000 in '08, $1.9 million in '09, $4.9 million in '10 and $5.9 million in '11.
• Workout bonuses: $107,000 annually if he participates in the Patriots' offseason workout program in Foxboro.
I say "might have been underpaid" because there is always a danger that a unique, great player in one system might not translate to that kind of player in another system. But I'll go on record saying this is a tremendous signing -- for both sides, not just the Patriots. Thomas gets what he wants, staying in the Eastern Time Zone (he did not want to move to California), playing with an annual contender, working under a coach who obviously is an imaginative defensive strategist and playing for a team that isn't a sideshow.
The Patriots get what they want, signing a versatile 29-year-old linebacker (mostly) to buttress a rapidly aging unit, adding a perfect locker-room influence, and leaving