MORE THOUGHTS ON MOSS

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RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE!!!

After Week 1 of the season, Randy Moss asked the Patriots for a trade. He got his wish. Why? Why now and not in Week 1? Why did the Patriots grant him this, but not a similar request made by Logan Mankins?

Why trade him now and not in Week 1?

The Patriots know that Wes Welker is healthy. They know that Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski will contribute on offense. But what I think is that a guy like Randy Moss might ask for a trade, then a week later ask not to be traded. You don't just trade Moss on a whim. You wait, see if he feels the same tomorrow. There's also a possibility that the situation in the locker room had started to deteriorate. Do you think his teammates were big Randy Moss fans after his post-win tirade in Week 1?

There's already a story about Moss arguing with QB Coach Tom O'Brien during halftime of Monday's game. That seems like a small thing, but is more serious stuff unbelievable? Is it hard to believe that his teammates would get into arguments about Randy Moss, some supporting him, some annoyed by him? Is it hard to believe that the Patriots wanted to end the division before it became a problem? This is all theorizing, but is it an unrealistic theory?

But it would be stupid for Moss to pull any crap in a contract year.

Very true. Although, as great as Moss is, he has a history of pulling stupid crap.



But that's ancient history. So let's try some recent stupid crap-pulling...



But why grant Moss's wish and not Mankins?

Logan Mankins isn't anywhere near the team. He's perhaps not as much of a divisive force as Moss is.

Couldn't the Pats have waited until Moss became a bigger problem?

Perhaps. But the deadline is October 19th.

I don't like this trade. I don't like that it happened. I'm actually upset, and a bit worried that without the defense paying Moss so much attention, guys like Welker and Hernandez might suffer. But I also don't know what's going on day-to-day inside Gillette Stadium's locker rooms.

And guess what, neither do you.

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.