Thomas turning heads again

TE is catching up at training camp

(Matthew J. Lee / Globe Staff) New England Patriots tight end David Thomas (86) runs a pass route on Matthew Slater (18).

FOXBOROUGH - It was a tantalizing taste of what David Thomas can do.

As Tom Brady's pass sailed toward the sideline, Thomas dived out of bounds for the ball and then tapped his toes inbounds. It was a catch few tight ends can make and some NFL receivers wouldn't have come down with.

It wasn't the first time Thomas has teased with his talent. There was the Jacksonville game his rookie season when he had five catches for 83 yards and a dazzling, diving 22-yard TD reception, the only one of his career.

The problem is the third-year tight end hasn't been on the field enough to make those types of plays. Nobody doubts whether the 25-year-old, who returned to practice yesterday after suffering a left leg injury Monday that kept him out of practice four days, has the ability to play in the NFL. What they doubt is Thomas's ability to stay on the field.

Last year, he broke his foot during the offseason conditioning program, causing him to miss the first two games of the season. When he returned, he reinjured the foot in his second game back, against Cincinnati, and was put on injured reserve. His final 2007 tally - two games, one catch for 9 yards, and one lost season.

"Well, injuries are frustrating," said Thomas. "Everybody goes through them at some point. You can't worry about what has happened in the past. You just have to worry about moving on, and doing your best to fix what you can now and get back out there as soon as you can."

With the Patriots' penchant for using the position, there is always room for a second tight end alongside Benjamin Watson. The job should be the 6-foot-3-inch, 248-pound Thomas's to lose. But he has to be on the field to win it.

Thomas chalked up his injuries as a short-term obstacle. "Just a tough time, I've never really had a lot of injuries," said Thomas. "I'm just trying to do my best to get healthy and move on past last year."

Inside moves

It was expected Victor Hobson would have a smoother transition than other veterans the Patriots have projected as 3-4 inside linebackers in their system, simply because Hobson played in a 3-4 under Eric Mangini the last two seasons with the Jets.

That hasn't been the case for Hobson, who was used as a 3-4 outside linebacker in New York.

"At first, I didn't feel the defense was coming as fast as I needed it to," said Hobson. "But as of now and the past week I feel like it's starting to come to me, and as it starts to come to me I'll be able to play like myself and be myself out there."

Hobson has befriended rookie linebacker Jerod Mayo, as both try to learn the same position.

"We've actually become pretty close just being here for the short time that we've been here," said Hobson. "We talk. We help each other. We try to answer each other's questions, if we have them. We're both still learning."

Winning moves

On Saturday, his first day back from the physically-unable-to-perform list, wide receiver Wes Welker uncharacteristically dropped a few passes. It didn't take him long to shake off the rust, as he was back to the Welker of old yesterday, after a little post-practice work with the JUGS machine Saturday.

Welker, who caught a franchise-record 112 passes last season, said he felt more comfortable with the speed of passes from his quarterbacks, which he said was the biggest adjustment to practicing again.

"I did. Knock on wood. No drops," said Welker, who was on the PUP with a groin injury. "Hopefully, we will keep that streak going for a long while, and hopefully, I got those first-day jitters out and [I'll be] able to roll from there."

Night moves

Patriots coach Bill Belichick spoke about the value of the team practicing in Gillette Stadium tonight, so players can get used to the surroundings and footing.

"It puts you more in the real setting, so the next time you do it there isn't that little bit of the awe factor for the younger players," said Belichick. "At least they have already been through it once. Hopefully, we will be out there late enough that we will get a little bit of time under the lights. I don't know if it will be totally dark, but it will be darker than what we have practiced in.

"Not that these guys haven't played under the lights before, but it is like anything else. It will be the first time in quite a few months that any of them have done it, so it will be a little bit of an adjustment."

Good moves

Brady was back, a day after he tweaked his lower left leg at practice. Brady showed no effects from the potential injury . . . With safeties Rodney Harrison and James Sanders out of practice, Antwain Spann saw some first-team action. Besides Harrison and Sanders, the non-PUP players absent were cornerback Jason Webster, running back Kyle Eckel, and tackles Ryan O'Callaghan and Matt Light . . . Rookie return man Matthew Slater electrified the crowd when he reversed field on a kickoff return and outran Brandon Meriweather for a long gain. Linebacker Vince Redd, who returned to practice Saturday wearing a red non-contact jersey, wore a blue jersey like the rest of the defenders . . . Randy Moss came up a little gimpy after catching a pass from Brady near the sideline and getting tangled up with Spann, but Moss completed practice . . . For the second day in a row there was a minor dust-up. Mayo got into a shoving match with one of the offensive linemen . . . The Patriots will practice at 8:45 a.m. today. It's open to the public. There is a season ticket-holders only practice inside Gillette Stadium from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Christopher L. Gasper can be reached at cgasper@globe.com.