At only 32-years of age, Moss currently ranks 10th in receptions (935), 5th in receiving yards (14,604), 2nd in touchdown receptions (151)—trailing the great Jerry Rice by only 46—, and 4th in receiving yards per game (77.3).
In short...he's a beast.
So, why on earth would the New England Patriots trade a guy who can do nothing but be an asset to their team? It seems bizarre and idiotic on the part of coach Bill Belichik to do something so mind-numbingly stupid.
Well, you can accuse Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots of many things, but stupidity isn't one of them. Trust in this much, Randy Moss would not have been traded if he was really thought to be a worthwhile asset to the team. The Patriots are 3-1 on this young season, and the presence of Randy Moss has little to do with that fact.
Moss has only caught for 139 yards so far this year, and the Patriots quarterback, Tom Brady, has looked quite comfortable throwing passes to his other receiving options. Both Wes Welker and, rookie tight end, Aaron Hernandez, have outpaced Moss in yards this season—having already surpassed the 200 yard mark.
Whether it was by design, or by circumstance, Moss was no longer trotted out as the focal point of the Patriots offense. By stark contrast, he was just another player on the field who, if he got open, Brady gave a look.
How did Moss become so unimportant to the Patriots organization? For one, the running game looks more promising this season than in year's past. BenJarvus Green-Ellis, the third year running back out of Mississippi, has averaged better than 4.5 yards per carry, and established a solid rushing attack for the Pats.
That's an important factor to consider when you recall the lack of luck Belichick has experienced with the position during his tenure in New England. In the previous 10 seasons, he saw two 1,000 yard seasons from the tailback spot—2002 with Antowain Smith and 2004 with Corey Dillon. Laurence Maroney was supposed to solve those issues, but he ended up spending more time on the injured list than on the playing field.
So, seeing a legitimate hope for success with the hard-running of Green-Ellis has to have Belichick smiling—on the inside of course.
Secondly, the 2008, season-ending, injury to Tom Brady had to put a scare into the powers that be in Boston. Brady is clearly the franchise player and the most important thing to have for Brady to succeed, at this point in his career, is a balanced offense.
Brady doesn't need to chuck the ball 45-55 times a game. That will only expose him to more sacks and increase the odds of his getting injured again and that would be a much tougher road for the Patriots to hoe—seriously doubt there's another Matt Cassell lurking on the bench.
Lastly, who wants the kind of distraction that Moss was bringing into the locker room? It was becoming clear to everyone that he wasn't feeling the love in New England anymore, and his attitude off the field reflected that mood:
The Patriots have never been ones to bend for those who suddenly feel they are bigger than the team. Just ask Deion Branch how his self-importance played out? Last check, he hasn't had a legitimate season in the NFL since his MVP winning one, with the Patriots, in 2005—point for Belichick.
Will the loss of Moss be hurtful to the Patriots? Yes, in the short-term, they will miss what he brings to the field as far as his ability to open up the offense and pose match-up problems in the secondary. However, his presence was becoming a distraction to the team and, no matter how good he is, he's not worth that much.
But, this much has to be said about Randy...it was a good run while it lasted:
No comments:
Post a Comment