Last modified: Friday, November 6, 2009 11:39 AM EST Adalius Thomas was adamant Thursday about shooting down rumors of a possible players' strike. (Staff file photo by Keith Nordstrom) NOTEBOOK: Thomas says no to strike BY MARK FARINELLA SUN CHRONICLE STAFF FOXBORO - Adalius Thomas was adamant Thursday about shooting down rumors of a possible players' strike. "Why would someone strike during the playoffs? It's dumbfounding to me," the Patriots' player representative said when asked if rampant rumors of a work stoppage might come true. The Web site ProFootballTalk.com reported Tuesday that it had learned that frustration with the course of negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement might prompt members of the NFL Players Association to stage a walkout prior to the start of the postseason playoffs. The post offered no specific origin for the walkout rumor except to say it was floated "not necessarily by union leadership." Thomas, who had already responded to the rumored walkout in similar terms on a Yahoo! Sports blog, said any rumored stoppage was "stupid." "You've worked all this time to get somewhere, and you're not going to play? It's totally absurd," the veteran linebacker said. "I don't know who put it out there, but it was a lie. Our focus right now is on Miami, and we'll let that take care of itself in due time." Thomas succeeded former teammate Mike Vrabel as the Patriots' player rep this year. Participation report Ty Warren, who did not practice Wednesday because of a sore ankle, rejoined practice on a limited basis Thursday. That was the only change on the participation report, with six players (Julian Edelman, Matt Light, Fred Taylor, Sammy Morris, Jarvis Green and Jonathan Wilhite) held out, two (Randy Moss, Tom Brady) participating fully despite sore shoulders, and one other than Warren (Benjamin Watson, back) in the "limited" category. Pearls before swine flu Wilhite was out because of "illness," presumably flu-like symptoms, although there has been no statement specifying exactly what Wilhite has. Coach Bill Belichick was asked Thursday what steps the Patriots might be taking to protect themselves from an assault by the H1N1 virus, otherwise known as "swine flu." "There's nothing more important than the health of your team," Belichick said during his midday press conference. "This is the time of year when - whether it's that particular one or the colds that go around every year that get picked up - it can spread pretty quickly. A team that eats together and showers together and is in the locker room together, definitely those are important issues for us, all year round, every season. This year, yeah." The question took on added significance in the wake of an announcement earlier in the day by the Boston Bruins that center David Krejci had been diagnosed with the H1N1 virus. A press release from the B's at this morning's practice in Wilmington said that Krejci will be isolated form the team until he is symptom-free for 24 hours.