David Moore

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SAN ANTONIO – What follows is a look at Zach Thomas' value to this defense.

Ignore the fact Thomas no longer plays for the Cowboys. Plug Keith Brooking into his spot at inside linebacker and proceed.

While not athletic doppelgangers, Brooking and Thomas are similar. Both have been to the Pro Bowl. Both have excelled into their 30s because of their football IQ and passion for the sport.

The parallels are significant enough that the coaching staff is optimistic the loss of Thomas won't be a loss on the field. And Brooking is energized after spending the first 11 years of his career with the Falcons.

"I feel refreshed," Brooking said. "There's no doubt about it.

"I mean, I think new beginnings are exciting. I don't want to say I got caught in a rut in Atlanta. I spent a lot of great years there, but it was a very good time for me to change and move on.

"It worked out perfectly for me."

Brooking has broken down tape of what Thomas did last season when he was second on the Cowboys with 94 total tackles.

His appreciation for this scheme goes back to his days in Atlanta when he played for a defensive coordinator named Wade Phillips.

"It allows me to set up to be a run-and-hit linebacker," said Brooking, who enjoyed the two most productive seasons of his career under Phillips. "I think that's my strength.

"I'm not really a stuff-and-shed kind of player. You want to be free, able to run sideline to sideline. I love that more than anything."

Brooking and Thomas are both consistent and have tremendous work habits. But there are some differences: Brooking is three inches taller, two years younger and has played in the 3-4 scheme his entire career.

Thomas came from a 4-3 scheme and had to make the adjustment last season.

"He's very comfortable in our package," linebacker coach Reggie Herring said of Brooking. "He knows what to do. He understands our prime sets. Therefore, we're a little bit further along.

"The two guys are very similar. They have great instincts. They are hard workers and great competitors. We're just tickled to have one or the other here."

Brooking is the oldest starter on the defensive side of the ball. He turns 34 in October. But Thomas was older than that last season and remained a solid contributor.

"Does my body feel the same way it felt six years ago? Can I do the same things?" Brooking asked. "No. But I can come pretty close.

"I've pretty much seen everything. Things come a little easier for me as far as dissecting plays and seeing things."

Something else Brooking sees is a talented player next to him in Bradie James, who hasn't received the recognition he deserves.

"They are the glue, the foundation of our defense," Herring said of Brooking and James. "They understand concepts in coverage. They know how to come to work every day. They compete. They are everything you can ask in a football player as far as concentration, focus and commitment.

"Those two guys together are a great compliment."

In some ways, it's as if Zach Thomas never left.

KEITH BROOKING

Position: Linebacker

Age: 33

Ht./Wt.: 6-2/241

College: Georgia Tech

Experience: 12th season (First 11 in Atlanta)

Notable: Five-time Pro Bowl selection with the Falcons. ... Started all 16 games and recorded more than 100 tackles each season from 2001-08. ... Had 200-plus tackle seasons in 2002 (212) and 2003 (207). ... Will be playing for a team outside of his home state of Georgia for the first time.