The Pats shored up their defense by signing free-agent linebacker Adalius Thomas, working out at mini-camp last month.

AP / Stephan Savoia Stephan Savoia

I am worried about the Patriots.

I’m worried about them because they open training camp tomorrow without one of their primary weapons.

No, I’m not talking about Asante Samuel. He’ll be in eventually — and probably closer to the season-opener Sept. 9 than his threatened arrival date just prior to Game 10.

I’m talking about the fact that the Pats head into the summer sessions of 2007 as the consensus favorites to be the AFC representative in the Super Bowl on Feb. 3 at Cardinals Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., on the outskirts of sun-drenched Phoenix.

I can almost guarantee that veteran safety Rodney Harrison is much more upset about that than he is the absence of a starting cornerback who intercepted 12 passes last season, including two in the playoffs that were returned for touchdowns.

Harrison, you may recall, is the ultimate player of the “no respect” card. He has been known to say “Nobody thought we could win,” even in games, such as Super Bowls XXXVIII (versus Carolina) and XXIX (versus Philadelphia), in which the Patriots actually were favored.

He and most of his talented teammates love to see themselves as underdogs, whether real or imagined. It has served as a valuable motivational tool for them, time after time — even at times when it was blatantly untrue.

This year, however, Harrison and the Pats will have to be either incredibly imaginative, or totally delusional, to perceive themselves as anything but the Chosen Ones in the AFC.

As well they should be. The Chosen Ones, that is. After the offseason the Patriots have had, only die-hard fans of the Colts and Chargers would argue that New England is not the team to beat in the AFC this year. And, lest we forget, the Patriots beat the Chargers in San Diego in the conference semifinal game last season and should have beaten the Colts in Indianapolis, where they blew a 20-3 first-half lead in a conference championship game that, on second thought, is better off forgotten.

But the Patriots now are a better team at the end of July than they were at the end of January.

Much better.

They are the best team, arguably, in the entire NFL.

Their defense riddled by Peyton Manning in Indy’s second-half comeback that sent the Colts to the Super Bowl, the Patriots took a major step toward shoring up that side of the ball by signing large and versatile linebacker Adalius Thomas in the opening days of free agency, luring the 6-foot-2, 270-pounder away from the Ravens.

The possibilities of how a defensive mastermind such as Pats coach Bill Belichick will use Thomas are, if not literally endless, then, certainly mind-boggling – at least to opposing offensive coordinators, who will have to wrack their brains to figure out ways to cope with Thomas and Mike Vrabel, who both are capable of dropping in pass coverage or rushing the passer, as well as being powerful run-stuffers.

Combine those two with the pass-rushing of speedy Rosevelt Colvin and a powerful defensive line that features three former first-round draft choices — Ty Warren, Vince Wilfork and perennial Pro Bowl selection Richard Seymour — and even potent offenses such as those of the Colts and Chargers have to figure they’re going to be in for a long day when they play the Patriots.

Especially because it’s likely going to take a large number of points to beat the Pats this season.

Despite the lack of a deep threat, the Patriots averaged 24 points per game last year — third in the AFC, behind San Diego, which led the league, and Indianapolis. That weakness is long gone now, thanks to the addition of not just one, but two wideouts who are threats to go all the way on every play — Donte Stallworth, signed as a free agent from the Eagles, and Randy Moss, obtained in a draft-day trade with the Raiders.

If Moss can get his act together and cause more problems for opposing DBs than he does for his own team, he could be the most explosive threat the Pats have had at wide receiver since Stanley Morgan. Of course, it’s also possible that what seems like a good trade will blow up in the Pats’ face.

Stallworth also has big-play capability, and it will help that teams won’t be able to double-cover both him and Moss. Not unless they want to create openings for talented tight end Ben Watson and newly acquired (in a trade with Miami) Wes Welker, a quick, chain-moving little receiver. And then there’s Kevin Faulk coming out of the backfield.

Speaking of the backfield, there is some justifiable concern about the condition of Laurence Maroney’s shoulder, what with him coming off surgery and having to carry the brunt of the load following the departure of Corey Dillon. Fortunately, the Pats have added capable veteran Sammy Morris, signed as a free agent from the Dolphins, as an insurance policy.

With that wealth of weapons at the disposal of the best quarterback in the league, Tom Brady, — sorry, Peyton — is it any wonder that New England is the consensus pick to win the AFC?

Still, I’m worried. But only because the Patriots prefer to be the underdog, not the top dog.

jdonalds@projo.com