RANDY MOSS TO VIKINGS

DO NOT PANIC! Everybody in this town needs to calm themselves. Randy Moss was traded to the Vikings for a 3rd round pick. That sounds awful. And a complete surprise. Why?

That's the big question: why? And without knowing the why, it's impossible to properly assess this deal. I'll concede that on the surface, it's unnecessary, and it makes the team worse. And I have no idea why the Patriots have done it. That's precisely why I won't criticize or praise them for doing it.

"In Bill We Trust."

It's not just trust in Belichick and the Pats. It's a simple fact: The Patriots know more about what's going on with the Patriots than I do. The Patriots know when a player wants to be traded. They know when a player demands to be traded. They know when a player, who has a history of quitting on plays, demands to be traded.

Let's also not deify Moss. He was and is a great receiver. He's the best deep ball receiver in the NFL today and possibly ever, due to his long stride, height, and strength. Even when not targeted, he absorbed attention from the defense, clearing up the underneath stuff for guys like Welker and Tate.

But he was not an inside receiver, or an underneath receiver. He couldn't block. He hardly ever accumulated yards after the catch. I'm not trying to be the Red Sox here, and demean a departing player. But I haven't been much of a Randy Moss fan lately, and found him to be two dimensional at best.

The Patriots know what they're doing. They wouldn't just dump a talent like Moss on a whim. The trade might be good or bad, but until we know the reasoning behind it, we cannot truly know or opine with any merit.

What I do know is that on October 31st, the Vikings come to Gillette Stadium. That should be more than a little interesting.