NFL - Are You Ready For Some Football?! - Off Season

[-Jrabbit]

They might get a WR as part of the deal (although they usually prefer to stockpile draft picks).

[Koyaanisqatsi]

No, I suspect the theory is the same as the Seymour trade: yes, he's still a good player, but he isn't so good that he's worth the money and headache of keeping him around and so you might as well send him off now. Though to be honest, I think there's at least a possibility that this was done as a favor from Belichick to Moss, who he seems to respect as a player.

But what allowed it to happen was Hernandez, Gronkowski, and Tate have all shown some talent. Particularly the TE; Belichick has wanted to build a TE-heavy offense for years, and drafted high trying to get it. But Dan Graham and Ben Watson were both disappointing. Hernandez has now given them what Bill wanted out of those two, a TE who plays like a WR, and Gronkowski is both an excellent blocker and a very good receiver. NE's base set will be 2TE, 2WR, 1RB, with Tate and Welker out most of the time. Edelman (or Price, if he turns out to be any good, but likely Edelman) will go to WR2 in the 3 wide set, pushing Welker back into the slot. The empty set that they like to use will most likely still have TE on the field, just spread out. Hopefully it gets Brady to start looking around again, instead of trying to force deep throws to Moss which haven't been successful since 2007 - though it's possible he may just get even more fixated on Welker, which would be a disaster.

I'm not a fan of this trade, particularly given the low compensation, but I can at least see the idea behind it...it's just a huge, huge risk to take based on four games worth of data.

[Tuberski]

Well, just Moss and Harvin, at least for the first few weeks.

Fun fact: If the trade happens this week (and reports say it will), Randy Moss has a chance to play 17 regular-season games this year. I doubt anyone else ever has.

Too be fair, I don't think Moss played much on Monday night, he was just on the field.

ACK!

[Imran Siddiqui]

http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/nfl/news/story?id=5653186

Moss for a 3rd round pick?! Really New England? They must really miss Pioli.

[Koyaanisqatsi]

They must really miss Pioli.

Not so much, no. Surprisingly.

[Imran Siddiqui]

I have a feeling he'd never make a stupid deal like this.

[-Jrabbit]

It's clear they wanted him gone.
[Edit: Local papers in NE are stating that Moss requested a trade after Week One.]

My guess is, this makes NE the favorites to make a move for VJax. Frankly, nothing else makes sense.

[Koyaanisqatsi]

It's kind of interesting. Guys like Troy Brown and Bruschi are now talking about how difficult Moss had become in the locker room over the last several months. (Seems to make sense given that the players didn't vote him in as a captain this year when they had in the past.) When NE first traded for Moss the thing that everybody held up as key in making it work was that the Pats had a veteran locker room that could keep him on track. That's pretty much gone now, many of those players are retired or on other teams now...and so Randy reverts, and NE just wasn't going to put up with it the way the Raiders did.

[Koyaanisqatsi]

I'm guessing no VJax. Could be wrong, but if this was done to get an increasingly flaky WR off the team I don't see the point of replacing him with a guy that's one screwup away from a year long suspension.

[Imran Siddiqui]

They may have wanted him gone, but they got a 1st rounder for Richard Seymour. Could have done better than a 3rd for Moss, IMO.

[-Jrabbit]

I doubt that. Remember, Moss is 33 and on the last year of his contract.
Would you really pay a 1st or 2nd rounder for a rental player???

Good point re the downside on VJax, Koy. Still, they took Moss when he was being a problem child...

[Al B. Sure!]

Oh about the 17 games thing... a number of guys have done that.

What is interesting is he'll be playing in back-to-back Monday night games, only the second time that's been done:

When Randy Moss suits up for the Vikings for his second Monday night game in as many weeks, he'll be only the second player to play back-to-back Monday nights for different teams. Keith Browner did it in 1987, with the 49ers on Oct. 5 and with the Raiders on Oct. 12.

And I doubt Randy Moss will sign an extension with the Vikings. Favre won't play past this year and Moss probably doesn't want to play for a rebuilding team with Tarvaris Jackson.



Maybe Moss will sign with the Bengals next year! Then we'll go from Batman & Robin to the Three Amigos!

Please, Ochocinco, TO, and Moss together on the Bengals. That would be the greatest and most hilarious thing ever.

[-Jrabbit]

Especially if they signed a QB.

[Al B. Sure!]

Especially if they signed a QB.

Oh I didn't mean it would be hilarious for what they would do on the field

Hell, dump Benson next year and get Clinton Portis. The Bengals will instantly become my favorite team and the rightful America's Team

These two:



Plus:


And throw in this for good measure since it's probably his last year as a Redskins anyway:


=

The NFL really being the greatest reality show ever. I demand that and in-season Hardknocks coverage of my dream team Bengals

[Ben Kenobi]

But NO ONE would ever say Vick is a better QB than Brady. Actually, maybe someone would... I do recall a certain someone claiming Doug Flutie was better than John Elway and Jim Kelly.

That's because I saw Flutie in his prime. Why on earth would I claim Vick is better than Brady? You're the one who has a hardon for Vick.