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Thomas joins an unspectacular list

Adalius Thomas, who was released by the New England Patriots, joined a group of ex-Raven defensive players who failed to live up to expectations after leaving the team.

Thomas certainly helped the Patriots in his first season, when the Patriots went 18-1. But the pairing that everyone lauded at the time – Thomas’ versatility in Bill Belichick’s creative system – soon became a mismatch in personalities. Ultimately, the Patriots would only get three seasons out of Thomas and his franchise-record free-agent deal.

This isn’t the first time that a Ravens’ homegrown defensive starter has disappointed another team. It seems like only linebacker Bart Scott has lived up to the hype, and that’s because he reunited with former Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan.

Here’s a list of those players who flopped for other teams after making names for themselves with the Ravens:

Jamie Sharper (1997 second-round pick): After being chosen by Houston in the 2002 expansion draft, he led the NFL in tackles in a two-year period (2003-04) but he never elevated that defense as expected. Sharper signed with Seattle in 2005 and retired after one season because of a knee injury.

Duane Starks (1998 first-round pick): Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome has always regretted not being able to keep Starks, who signed a big-money deal with Arizona in the Ravens’ cap-strapped 2002 offseason. But he never became an impact player, making five interceptions in three seasons. Starks bounced around from New England (2005) to Oakland (2006-07) before retiring.

Gary Baxter (2001 second-round pick): He left the Ravens to sign a six-year, $30 million contract with the Cleveland Browns, which included a $10.5 million signing bonus. Injuries (a torn pectoral muscle and torn patella tendons in both knees) limited him to eight games with the Browns and ultimately forced him to retire.

Ed Hartwell (2001 fourth-round pick) : Frustrated by being overshadowed by Ray Lewis, Hartwell signed a six-year $26.25 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons. He spent two injury-filled seasons there, playing a total of 13 games and making 63 tackles. He then failed to make the cut with Cincinnati (2007) and Oakland (2008). Now, he is known for his wife, Lisa Wu-Hartwell, who stars on “The Real Housewives of Atlanta.”

Tony Weaver (2002 second-round pick): The four-year starter for the Ravens left to sign a five-year, $26.5 million contract with Houston. The Texans wanted to upgrade their pass rush, and Weaver only produced two sacks during his time there. According to Weaver's Twitter account, he is now a graduate assistant at the University of Florida.

Will Demps (2002 undrafted): He started all 16 games for the Giants after leaving the Ravens, but he lasted only one season. He played two seasons for Houston (2007-08) and was out of football last season.

Maake Kemoeatu (2002, undrafted): Considered a free-agent priority in the 2006 offseason, he agreed to a five-year, $27.5 million deal (which includes a $6 million signing bonus) with the Carolina Panthers. Kemoeatu never turned into the building block of that defensive front that the Panthers had originally envisioned, and the Ravens drafted future Pro Bowl defensive tackle Haloti Ngata in the first round that year. This past offseason, Kemoeatu signed a two-year, $7 million contract with the Washington Redskins.

For the latest Ravens news, follow Jamison Hensley on Twitter. Also, become a fan of Baltimore Sun Sports on Facebook.

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