Patriots Gather Moss
I’ve been lauding the offseason moves of the New England Patriots for several months now, already crowning them as my early Super Bowl favorite in a number of posts.
Patriots Sign Adalius Thomas
Patriots Add Donte Stallworth
Patriots Continue WR Overhaul
Today, they just cemented themselves in that top slot as far as I’m concerned with the addition of WR Randy Moss. The details of the transaction are surprisingly simple. The Patriots gave up their fourth round pick in exchange for one of the best receivers in the game. And I thought the Vikings got ripped off when they let Moss go a couple years ago for the meager sum of a first round pick, a late round pick, and a promising linebacker. Sure, the Raiders also lose the burden of Randy’s big salary (they’ll need that money to pay top Draft pick JaMarcus Russell), but I think they could have gotten more.
As it stands, Moss brings his baggage (literally and figuratively) and a restructured contract to New England to the tune of $9.75 million this upcoming season, but the light is yellow and it will turn red (as Bill Parcells used to say) if Randy falls out of line even once. That means he’ll need to be on his best behavior or he’ll be shown the door in no uncertain terms. The Patriots will simply release him. I don’t think that will happen. Here’s why Randy Moss in New England will work.
One thing I know about Randy after watching him in Minnesota for seven years is that he just wants to win a Super Bowl. He was spoiled from the start playing with a great Vikings team that was loaded with talent. He had a mentor in Cris Carter. He wasn’t going to get double-teamed because he had Carter, Jake Reed, Matthew Hatchette, a great offensive line, a good running game and tight ends flanking him on the best offense in the history of the game. He pretty much just ran up and down the field and caught everything that was thrown his way. That game plan has slowly deteriorated over the years as Moss’ supporting cast became less noteworthy and more responsibility was put on Randy’s shoulders. As a “team leader” in Oakland, Moss practically disappeared. And it was sad to witness because he was one of the most exciting players in the league and it was almost as if he had retired early.
Randy Moss needs to be surrounded by guys who are not only talented but also used to winning. He’ll have that in New England. And he won’t need to be a leader. He’ll just need to do his job and be a piece of the puzzle. That being said, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Moss return to the form of his early seasons in Minnesota. He might not match those numbers, but I expect to see a definitive spring in his step. He knows he could not be in a better situation and as his surroundings go, so goes Randy Moss. I commented before that I’m not sure if Randy has lost a step from his early days. This weekend I heard Keyshawn Johnson say that Moss was recently clocked at a sub-4.3-40 time. I don’t know how accurate that is, but if it’s true, he’s just as fast as he used to be.
So, when you recap the impressive additions the Patriots have managed since barely losing the AFC Championship game (Pro Bowler Adalius Thomas, Tory James, Wes Welker, Donte Stallworth, Kelley Washington, Sammy Morris) and throw in the Draft picks, there is no reason the Patriots shouldn’t be everyone’s Super Bowl favorite.
Tags: New England Patriots, NFL, NFL Draft 2007, randy-mossRelated Stories
POSTED IN: New England Patriots
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