Thomas suffers broken foot
Tight end David Thomas, who showed promise in his rookie season in 2006, broke his foot this week while participating in the Patriots' offseason program. The injury will affect Thomas's training, although he is expected to make a full recovery. A timetable for his return is not known.
Thomas, a third-round draft choice out of Texas, totaled 11 catches for 159 yards last season. He played in 15 regular-season games with three starts, filling in for the injured Benjamin Watson late in the season and playing a key role in the team's AFC East-clinching victory over the Jaguars Dec. 24 with five catches for 83 yards, including a diving 22-yard touchdown grab.
Thomas, 23, got a jump-start on his training, returning to Gillette Stadium a few weeks before the offseason program began.
"I think I could stand to get a little more weight on my frame and just get stronger, both upper body and lower body," the 6-foot-3-inch, 248-pound Thomas said in late March.
In yesterday's Globe, backup quarterback Matt Cassel was incorrectly listed as becoming a restricted free agent after the 2007 season. Cassel is signed through 2008, and will become an unrestricted free agent after that season. 