"Running back Sammy Morris broke through the line and was met by a thunderous hit, the force of which sent him flying, literally, off the ground, before he came crashing down.

The blow, which inspired the training camp crowd on the upper field behind Gillette Stadium to erupt, was delivered by Adalius Thomas.

In the past, most of those devastating hits were authored by Rodney Harrison, who stood as an intimidating presence in the defensive backfield. But the safety has retired.

The Pats could use an intimidator, or two, to keep opposing offenses a bit uncomfortable. They could also use some playmakers on a defense which finished 26th last season among the 32 teams on third downs, with opponents converting for first downs or better 44.4 percent of the time.

Thomas certainly fits the playmaker mold. He's incredibly athletic, can play anywhere on the field, has shown the ability to be a difference-maker, but just hasn't put it all together with the Patriots.

Now in his third season since signing a lucrative free agent deal, this would be an ideal time for him to finally elevate his game and help resurrect a defense that fell way short last season. With a question mark on the opposite side at outside linebacker, Thomas needs to re-establish himself as a pass-rushing force.

Judging by how he's looked the first three days of camp, Thomas appears to have the same thing in mind, as he's been all business on the field. On Friday, the 6-foot-2, 270-pound linebacker, chased down fleet-footed wide receiver Greg Lewis, who was headed to the end zone following a screen pass.

In past training camps, Harrison used to be the one to set the tone on defense with a hit, or a play. It sure looks like Thomas has taken the baton.

"You try to get into hitting shape. Everyone's trying to get into hitting shape," Thomas said. "It's always important to set a tone in training camp to make sure you're in physical shape."

Does Thomas believe the Pats are lacking in either the physical or the playmaking department on defense, as experts have suggested?

"People are going to think what they want to think," he answered. "But all the speaking is done on Sunday. Not in the paper, not early. That's what training camp is for. To get out here, be physical, to establish yourself, and (forge) what kind of identity you're going to have."

Last year's identity was an unfamiliar one: The defense couldn't make plays when the Pats most needed it.

In the media scrum behind Thomas, second-year inside linebacker Jerod Mayo, the 2008 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, who led the team in tackles last year, addressed that very issue.

"Last year, I had a lot of tackles. I was in coverage a lot, didn't blitz a lot," Mayo said, "but this year, I want to make more game-changing plays to help the team win games."

That's what was missing last season from a defense that couldn't make the big plays, and couldn't get off the field during the pivotal points in games.

While Thomas claimed he was not trying to step up and fill some of the void, the example he's been setting is a good one, especially chasing down receivers that look to have a sure pass to the end zone."