The signing took the two top free agents off the market in the first two days -- former Buffalo cornerback Nate Clements signed Friday with San Francisco for $80 million over eight years.

Thomas led Baltimore with 11 sacks last year and played in the Pro Bowl, where the Patriots' Bill Belichick was his coach for the AFC. He also can play defensive end, much like McGinest, one of the mainstays of New England's three Super Bowl winners.

''I'm a football player. I don't play a position. Whatever is needed for me to do here, I'm going to do,'' Thomas said. ''That's why (the Patriots) have been so successful here because they don't look at it as position. They look at it as football.''

Belichick said Thomas brings a number of things to the Patriots.

''His playmaking, toughness, intelligence, versatility and character were all factors in our decision to pursue him,'' Belichick said. ''Adalius has contributed in many ways to some excellent defensive units and we look forward to getting to work with him.''

In another major move today, guard Kris Dielman re-signed with San Diego after making a trip to Seattle to test the market.

And the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed Jeff Garcia to compete with Chris Simms for the starting quarterback job and traded with Denver for the rights to Jake Plummer, who's considering retirement.

The 37-year-old Garcia took over from the injured Donovan McNabb last season and led Philadelphia to the playoffs. Plummer was benched after 11 starts for rookie Jay Cutler.

''Throw age out the window because that's not how I play. That's not how I focus. That's not how I mentally prepare. That's not who I am,'' Garcia said.

Both Plummer and Garcia are well schooled in the West Coast offense run by Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden and either or both could beat out Simms, who missed the final 13 games of last season after rupturing his spleen. Simms signed a two-year contract extension in December.

There have been reports that the 32-year-old Plummer wanted to be traded to Houston to reunite with Texans coach Gary Kubiak, his former offensive coordinator with the Broncos. Tampa Bay general manager Bruce Allen said only that he didn't acquire Plummer to trade him.

Dielman agreed to stay with the Chargers at about the same time that another coveted guard, Eric Steinbach, signed a $49 million, seven-year deal to join Cleveland from Cincinnati.

''This morning my agent called me with some good news,'' said Dielman, the left guard. ''I told him, 'Get me out of here, man. Get me home, back to sunny San Diego.'''

Dielman had flown to Seattle yesterday on a private jet provided by the Seahawks. He returned in a coach seat on Alaska Airlines.

A person familiar with the terms said Dielman will get $39 million over six years. It kept together the Chargers' top offensive unit, which helped lead them to a 14-2 record, best in the NFL.

''I thought he was gone,'' Pro Bowl center Hardwick said. ''I didn't think we were going to get him back. He called me and said, 'Are you ready to make a run at the Super Bowl?' He was pretty excited.''

Washington stayed busy today, agreeing to terms with cornerback Fred Smoot. He'll receive a signing bonus of at least $2 million, returning to the team he left two years ago before two tumultuous seasons with Minnesota.

Smoot will sign his deal tomorrow, when he'll also be formally introduced during a news conference at Redskins Park.

Washington's second-round draft pick in 2001 joins linebacker London Fletcher as the first two signings of the free agent period for the Redskins, who are looking to improve a defense that ranked 31st in the league last year. Cornerback Travis Fisher also visited the team today, as did offensive lineman Leonard Davis.

Houston signed Pro Bowl receiver Andre Johnson to a multiyear contract extension. Johnson, who had a career-high 103 passes for 1,147 yards last season, had two years remaining on his current contract.

The Texans lost one of their free agents when linebacker Antawn Peek signed a three-year deal with Cleveland.

A few teams held on to some of their free agents: New Orleans re-signed right tackle Jon Stinchcomb; Baltimore re-signed linebacker Jarret Johnson to a three-year, $13 million deal, securing a replacement for Thomas; and Arizona agreed to terms on three-year contracts for running back Marcel Shipp and safety Hanik Milligan.

In other deals today:

-- New England signed 35-year-old tight end Kyle Brady, who played for Jacksonville the last eight seasons, and veteran backup running back Sammy Morris.

Morris could replace Corey Dillon, who was released Friday.

--Tennessee released running back Travis Henry, who led the team with 1,211 yards rushing last season. He was flying to Denver to talk with the Broncos, but the Titans remained hopeful that they can lure him back after he checks out the market.

''We have not closed the door on Travis and we are continuing to talk, but today was a trigger date for a roster bonus that we were unwilling to pay and they knew that,'' Titans general manager Mike Reinfeldt said in a statement.

-- San Francisco signed defensive tackle Aubrayo Franklin, a former Raven. He joins Clements and safety Michael Lewis, who signed an eight year-$80 million deal Friday as additions to a defense that was last in the NFL in yards allowed last season. The 49ers also re-signed wide receiver Bryan Gilmore.

-- Denver obtained veteran defensive tackle Dan Wilkinson from Miami for a sixth-round draft pick.

-- St. Louis signed wide receiver Drew Bennett, who led Tennessee last season with 46 catches for 737 yards.

-- Minnesota added linebacker Vinny Ciurciu, primarily a special teams player with Carolina and tight end Visanthe Shiancoe, a backup with the New York Giants.