As the Baltimore Sun points out, based on his recent comments, it appears as though Rex Ryan and the Jets aren’t interested in free agent linebacker Adalius Thomas.

“I think with [Thomas] we’ll end up first in the league in defense, and without him we’ll end up first in the league in defense,” Ryan said. “If we get him, great. [But] I’m not worried about him, he’s not on our team.”

As I wrote last week, I believe the Packers would be a great fit for Thomas. GM Ted Thompson ignored the Packers’ need for a left outside linebacker in last month’s draft and while Brad Jones is a capable starter, Dom Capers’ defense would be better suited having two pass-rushers on the outside. (Clay Matthews is already a fixture on the right side after an outstanding rookie campaign.)

That said, Thompson is a no-frills kind of guy, so I imagine that if he were interested that Thomas would have already been up to Green Bay for a visit. As of now, the only teams that have shown interest in the free agent are the Jets and the 49ers, who went hard after Thomas in 2007 before he signed with the Patriots.

With OTAs ready to kick off, I wouldn’t be surprised if Thomas were signed soon. He has lost a step over the past two years, but teams are always in the market for pass-rushers.

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It was only a matter of time before the Patriots gave outside linebacker Adalius Thomas the boot. He was already stealing money from them with his poor play before he became a distraction last season, thus leading to his release on Monday.

One team’s trash is sometimes another team’s treasure, as the Packers could emerge as serious contenders for Thomas’ services. Even though GM Ted Thompson insists that the left outside linebacker position in Dom Capers’ 3-4 defense isn’t a dire need, it is.

2009 seventh round pick Brad Jones saw a fair amount of playing time last year when Aaron Kampman went down with an injury. But while he was decent against the run, he’s not the pass-rusher that Clay Matthews is on the other side. And in Capers’ system, both outside linebackers have to be able to get after the quarterback.

That’s where Thomas comes in. While the 33-year-old has lost a step over the past couple of years, Thomas can still get after the quarterback when he’s motivated. And seeing as how Thompson did nothing to upgrade the outside linebacker position during the draft, the Packers could use someone to push Jones for the starting job.

The Packers could upgrade their LOLB spot by adding Thomas to a one-year deal and still groom Jones for the future if they wanted. If Thomas turns out to be a bust, then Jones has already shown that he’s a capable starter and the team could rid themselves of Thomas after the season.

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