OPINION 2: Keep Moss away from these pastures
Tuesday, November 02, 2010
Bringing Randy Moss back to New England would be Bill Belichick’s worst idea since cutting the sleeves off his $70 hoodie. And this is coming from the guy who thought it was stupid to get rid of him in the first place.
Let’s just say I had an epiphany somewhere within the past four weeks. I thought the Patriots would be worse without Moss. They’re not. I also failed to realize just how big a jackass he really was.
The Patriots have dealt with incorrigible personalities before, yet no one ever pushed Belichick far enough to actually force his way out of town before the end of the season. Not even Corey Dillon, who is one of the most miserable people to ever walk the face of the earth, ruffled enough feathers to warrant a mid-season salary dump.
And that’s exactly what the Moss trade was – a salary dump. The Patriots wanted no part of Moss’ $6.4 million contract or his crappy attitude, so they dealt him to the first team dumb enough to take him (surprisingly, it wasn’t the Dallas Cowboys). They didn’t care what they got in return, either. Third-round pick, fourth-round pick, a case of Reebok gloves – it didn’t matter, just as long as Moss and the black cloud that followed him everywhere were finally out of Foxboro.
The current players have said all the right things in the aftermath of Moss’ departure. Even Tom Brady, who reportedly came to blows with Moss over an argument regarding Brady’s foppish haircut, actually said he misses his former teammate during an appearance Monday on WEEI. Vince Wilfork said Moss is “probably one of the greatest guys you’ll ever meet.”
Guess what? They’re liars. If you want the truth on Moss’ behavior in New England, you’d have to ask someone who is no longer forced to lie publicly in order to avoid Belichick’s wrath. Tedy Bruschi, who now works for ESPN, said Moss was becoming a distraction in the locker room.
I’m not sure whether that’s based on what Bruschi saw during the two seasons in which he played alongside Moss (2007 and 2008) or what he’s hearing from former teammates, but I’m siding with Bruschi on this matter because I saw nothing on the field that suggested Moss had either lost a step or wasn’t trying as hard as he did when he first arrived in 2007. The guy can still bring it, and the Patriots were fine with him (they routed the Dolphins, 41-14, without him catching a single pass), plus they were under no obligation to pay him once the season ended, so there was no reason to get rid of him unless his impending free-agent status was causing tension in the locker room.
With that said, it makes no sense for the Patriots to reacquire Moss, either, unless they’re trying to embarrass the Vikings more so than they already have. Imagine the look on owner Zygi Wilf’s face if the Patriots were to re-sign Moss for roughly half a million dollars while holding onto the third-round pick the Vikings foolishly gave them in the initial trade.
As sweet as that would be, it’s unrealistic. For one, Moss was waived, which means he can be claimed by any team in the league – starting with the winless Buffalo Bills – as long as that team is willing to pay half of Moss’ 2010 salary. If a team really wants him, but isn’t sure if Moss will clear waivers, it could either jump on him immediately and absorb the $3.9 million hit, or hope he reaches free agency and negotiate a much cheaper deal at a pro-rated cost.
While I doubt anyone is willing to pay $3.9 million for a guy who has already shot his way out of two cities in less than a month, it’s even less realistic to think the Patriots would want to go through this nonsense all over again.
Everything is fine right now. They’re 6-1 – the best record in the NFL – they’re running the ball effectively, and they’re even making some progress defensively, particularly in the red zone. Why screw it up? Once the initial euphoria of making Minnesota look like dysfunctional jackasses wears off, the Patriots will eventually realize Moss is the same unruly, selfish nitwit he was before he lost the best job he ever had.
Don’t even think about the Patriots re-signing Moss. And while you’re at it, you better hope they don’t think about it, either
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