Since the day he came to New England, Randy Moss by and large was scrutinized by the media in this town. The star wide receiver, who set an NFL single-season record with 23 touchdowns in 2007 and helped the Patriots notch the only 16-game perfect regular season, simply couldn’t do enough to appease the idiot writers (one of whom works for this publication), who only wanted to tear him down.
Not long after the trade was announced during the 2007 NFL draft, which sent Moss to the Patriots from Oakland for a fourth-round pick, Daily News sportswriter Josh Krueger wrote a column about the deal.
“Sorry to rain on the New England Patriots’ Randy Moss parade — truthfully, I’m not at all sorry — but if I were a Patriots fan, I wouldn’t get too excited about the acquisition of the lazy wide receiver just yet,” Krueger wrote.
How did that work out? Moss, while he had his moments as a Patriot, was hardly the trouble-making player many figured he’d be. His production certainly outweighed any waves he may have made. In his three-plus seasons in New England (51 games) he caught 259 passes for 3,904 yards and 50 touchdowns.
The media had nothing to do with Moss getting traded — that was the stingy Patriots, who didn’t want to offer a multiyear deal to a 33-year-old wide receiver with a potential lockout approaching. But the bozo columnists who cover the Pats, one of whom resides upstate, always had it out for him. I really don’t know what else he could have done. Yet if a game went by where he didn’t score, or wasn’t the focal part of the offense, he was accused of “dogging it.”
Reche Caldwell, Deion Branch, Troy Brown or David Givens — the team’s leading receivers from 2001-06 — were never accused of dogging it despite putting up some paltry numbers in big games. Wes Welker has had his share of clunkers in this three seasons, yet nobody caught nearly as much flack as Moss.
Fans, from what I could tell, liked Moss. They certainly liked him when he beat double coverage down the field to haul in a touchdown pass. But now that he’s gone, the Patriots will struggle to find that speedster who can stretch the field vertically.
Brandon Tate? As much as the special teams guru has put his stamp on games, he’s not capable of bringing the same skills to the table as Moss. But the Patriots have enough weapons, some will say.
Oh yeah? The reason Wes Welker has caught 100 passes every year, the reason the new tight ends, Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski, have became major targets for Tom Brady is because of Moss. He attracts so much attention all over the field that it frees up other players.
Moss is headed back to Minnesota, where he was loved from Day 1. No, he’s no longer the burner he once was, but he’s still a very talented — and smarter — wide receiver who will be an enormous target for Brett Favre and give Adrian Peterson plenty of room to run.
Unless the third-round pick the Pats got in return for Moss turns out to be a future Hall of Famer, this was a raw deal. I would rather have him finish the season as a Patriot and take a run for a championship. Instead, this offense is cooked.
PS: October 31 - Minnesota at New England.
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4 comments:
The Vikings decided before the season that it was Super Bowl or bust, and they have gone to great lengths to trade for a top 5 receiver. They agreed to a deal with Vincent Jackson, but couldnt get the Chargers to lower their ridiculous trade requirements. If Moss and Favre cant get on the same page, this could turn back into one of the elite teams in the NFL.
While my prediction that Randy Moss would wear out his welcome in New England was a few years off, I contend that's a big part of Moss's departure.
Why else would a team with a chance to reach the Super Bowl (albeit a slim one) trade it's second-best offensive player after four games? It's not like the Patriots can count on the defense and/or special teams to win more games. The Patriots' strength lied in their offense, and now, I'm not sure they really have a strength.
Granted, Moss's exodus had much more to do with money than his attitude, unlike his previous two trades from Minnesota and Oakland. But attitude factored into the equation. He was on his way to becoming a full-fledged malcontent.
No Patriots fan can seriously believe that Moss went all-out on every play, meaning he, occasionally, dogged it. There were times when he didn't finish routes when he knew the ball wasn't coming his way or feigned blocking somebody.
Sure, Welker has sub-par games from time to time, but show me one play in any of those games where Welker didn't give 100 percent. You won't find one.
Most of the "flack" heaped on Moss he brought upon himself. Some of it had to do with his past, and while he's not the spoiled child he once was, he, as of yet, has failed to outgrow that reputation.
Randy Moss will be missed by Patriot fans every Sunday! His presence made the offense dangerous. I don't think he is underappreciated, especially by the fans. the press has marked him forever but i'll bet they are the first ones looking for an interview when he is a first time vote into the Hall. C'mon, why can't players speak their minds? Why does the media think players owe loyalty to a team? The owners don't show loyalty towards players! i think the loyalty thing goes should go both ways. Randy Moss is a 33 year old professional and if speaking his mind about whatever he feels is necessary to whomever he wants is a problem, then so be it. That's he problem with folks today. If your boss didn't treat you right would you keep quiet like a good little employee or would you let it be known? I know, you would want to keep your job, well, it must not be that important to Randy. It's principle. You have to speak up for yourself whether folks like it or not.
Well said, Clifton.
I think the bottom line is that Randy saw the writing on the wall. He realized a long-term contract was not in the works, and he wanted out. Who can blame him? His production deserved a contract that rivaled that of Tom Brady, and with a lockout a possibility, the Pats didn't want to commit.
So he asked for a trade to a team that would want to sign him after the 2011 season. Despite the reports about Moss getting into it with coaches on the staff, I really believe this whole thing came down to a contract.
The Pats wanted to get him out of town while he still had some value. He'll play 13 games with the Vikings and give them the deep threat they've been missing with Sidney Rice out.
The sad part is that it proves the Pats have clearly given up on the 2010 season. They'll take their eight draft picks next seasons and try to build a winner for the final three years of Tom Brady's contract.
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