Moss Back to Minny

So I'm watching the ESPN "30 for 30" special on the 2004 Red Sox last night, when, about half way through, I get a text message saying "they better not trade Moss....". What the hell? There's no way this can be true. This text came from the same person who told me the Pats acquired Shawne Merriman last fall. I proceeded told about a million people between Rhode Island and Hingham about this Merriman deal, and we know how that turned out.  Anyways, I start scouring through the usual sources. ESPN, SI, WEEI, etc. The reports are all based off of a Fox Sports reporter, Jay Glazer. While this is not a personal shot at Glazer, the company he works for, um, isn't exactly noted for its journalistic integrity. But as the night rolls on, more and more outlets are starting to publish stories about it, and it's just making less and less sense for me. How can the Patriots be shortsighted enough to trade Randy freakin' Moss, one of the top 5 or so receivers of ALL-TIME? I go to bed, hoping cooler heads will prevail.....

.....And wake up to the worst possible scenario. It was like finding out a nightmare you just had was in fact reality.  Randy Moss had indeed been dealt to the Minnesota Vikings, his original team, for a 3rd round pick in 2011.

How exactly did we get to this point? Moss has been doing his best Rodney Dangerfield since February, basically claiming he's getting no respect from the Patriots. He's been extremely vocal about his desire for a new contract, and how he felt as though the Patriots were already planning on moving on without him. It came out last night  that Moss requested a trade following the Week 1 win over the Bengals. I have a hard time believing that one, because if he's saying all these things throughout the off-season, why not make the demands then?

And assuming the Patriots were really going to move on from Moss in the off-season, in some ways it does make sense to trade him now.  It works A. If you're getting sufficient value for him or B. If you can find a capable replacement for him or C. If he's going to become such a distraction to the team it's addition by subtraction.  All three of those things can be written off immediately, particularly the first two.  You're not getting sufficient value for Moss in the form of a draft pick, unless it's a first rounder and that team is destined for a top-10 selection. Minnesota doesn't fit that criteria. You're certainly not going to get a capable replacement for Moss, because, frankly, they don't exist, unless Houston suddenly decides to move Andre Johnson, or Indy parts ways with Reggie Wayne.

The argument can be made that Moss would have had a detrimental attitude towards the team, but the fact remains he's in a contract year, playing for what's likely to be his last mega-payday in the NFL. Is he that stubborn to flick on the "I play when I want to play" switch? Moss may be be a headcase, but that's not to say his head isn't functioning properly. He knows what's at stake here.

Moss knows a thing or two about splitting through NFC North defenses.

One could also point out that the Patriots have won without elite wideouts before, and that actually their receiving corps is even better now than the 01-04 stretch thanks to the additions of Welker and the tight ends.  I agree, the Patriots got it done with the likes of Troy Brown and David Patten before. Want to know what the difference was? They actually had a running game in those days.  It's easy to forget, but Antowain Smith was actually a very solid running back in 2001, gaining 1,157 yards to go along with 12 TD's. He wasn't as much of a factor in 2003 during the second run, no, but when the Pats won it all in 2004 they featured Corey Dillon in the backfield, who, much like Moss once upon a time, was coming from a bad situation (Cincinnati, in this case) to a good one in New England and got hooked up the rejuvenation machine. Dillon had the best season of his career, rushing for 1,635 yards with 12 scores.

And taking the Glory Days example a step further, let's not forget that the Patriots in those days were a defense-centric football team. Playmakers lined the field, from the line to the linebackers to the secondary. Are we supposed to believe in this group of defenders currently based in New England?

Trying to draw a conclusion justifying the trade of Randy Moss is just part of the Bill Belichick experience. BB has made bold moves involving star players before; Lawyer Milloy, Deion Branch, Richard Seymour, just to name a few. But Moss unquestionably transcends what any of them could do on the football field for the Patriots.  The mere presence of Moss was a bonus for the Patriots offense.  Defensive coordinators would gameplan specifically for him, enabling the successes of other receivers.  I have no idea what Belichick's thought process was on making this deal, and I don't think anyone else does either. Maybe stories will emerge within the next few days and weeks that the Patriots simply could not have carried on with Moss.  As I wrote about a few days ago, something had to have been going on when Moss ended the Dolphins game with a goose-egg in the receptions column for the first time in his Patriots career.

It's also ironic that Randy Moss will finally be catching balls from Brett Favre, who has long coveted Moss as a teammate. Green Bay fans just might be as upset about this deal as New Englanders. Pats fans will get a look first hand at the Favre-Moss combo on Halloween (could there have been a better date for this game?), when the Vikings come to Foxboro.

It definitely appears that we're back to the days of Tom Brady's favorite target being "the open receiver".  He's just going to have to look a little harder now, because half the defense won't be focused in on no. 81 anymore.  There's simply no way you improve as a team by trading away Randy Moss.