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Junior checks in

FOXBOROUGH -- Linebacker Junior Seau, one of the Patriots' seven captains, held court in the team's locker room today.

One area of interest was when Seau was asked about how the Patriots are rotating him, Tedy Bruschi and Adalius Thomas at inside linebacker in the 3-4 defense. Thomas usually stays on the field for most of the snaps, with Bruschi and Seau generally splitting time based on if the team is in its base defense (Bruschi) or a sub package (Seau).

"If you look at it, it's working very well for us," Seau said. "What the culture here is, it makes sure everyone is fresh and they do a great job of doing that. With the three-headed middle linebacker corps we have, it's been working, but more importantly keeping us in shape and ready for the next game."

Seau, who plays mostly on the weak side because Thomas is a fixture on the strong side, added that he feels fresher at this point of the season than he has in the past. He's enjoyed adapting to his role, even if he never imagined being in such a position ealier in his career.

"If you would have told me, 18 years later, that I was going to be a sub-contractor, in sub packages, I would think you were crazy," he said. "But that's where I am and that's my role. I'm happy with that. It's been working very well."

Seau said the Cowboys' offensive line, from a size perspective, is "probably the biggest offensive line we'll face." He also touched on the threat of quarterback Tony Romo.

"Tony does a good job of kind of improvising, and what he does on the field is basically what you can't practice against," Seau said. "When he gets in trouble, you just can't put that on paper, it's not part of the playbook."

Seau understands why there is added excitement leading up to kickoff.

"The hype is there, it definitely is there, and for the right reasons," he said. "You have two quality teams that are going to face each other come Sunday. It's something you always want to be a part of. But without the drama, it's football. You have to go out there and do the same thing you've been doing."