It's not 100% official but it seems only Randy Moss' contract extension is holding up the deal. I don't really understand this move for the New England Patriots unless he was that big of a distraction in the locker room. We obviously knew he wasn't happy with his contract after his outburst after the Cincinnati win but also the Pats could have been planning this all year also.
Adam Scheffler tweeted that a 3rd round pick would be involved from the Vikings. I don't know if that only means a 3rd round pick or a pick added to their first. I just know it's kind of a dumb trade for the Vikings also who are preparing for life after Favre after this year. I don't see how an explosive, yet aging receiver will help out the Vikings after this year.
Part of me believes the Patriots have a master plan of trading Moss to the Vikings, getting their third round pick, and then swapping Logan Mankins for Vincent Jackson from the Chargers. However, I'm not sure the Chargers would trade Jackson to the Patriots because they play the patriots week 7, and that's when Jackson is coming back from his suspension. But if that were to happen, you can't be that mad at the Patriots can you?
Also, this may be beneficial to the Patriots who haven't won it since Moss joined the team. Yes the flash and 50 TDs a year from Tom Brady was cool and all, but he has nothing to show from it except a 16-0 banner. Maybe the Pats are going to dink and dunk it offense with BenJarvis Green-Ellis as the featured back... I don't see that.
More to come.
BMack's Take:
I think I'm still in a state of shock. There is not much about this I like. There will be rumors that Moss was throwing a fit and so on, but if they were going to move him they should've done it in the offseason. Now they have a receiving core that will have Brandon Tate as the #1 (Welker plays slot). As much as I love Tate (one of my favorite players) that's asking a lot. I wasn't very excited about this team going into the season, and now I'm somewhat disgusted.
After dragging along Brady to almost breaking point, Mankins holdout, everything that went on with Seymour/Wilfork, you just have to wonder if anyone is ever going to want to play here. We can use the excuse that they "winning tradition", but they haven't won it since 2004 and there a lot of other teams that win year in and year out too (Steelers, Colts, ect).
So, what are the Patriots thinking?
Here is my best guess. The Patriots are trying to completely rebuild this team. Their defense is extremely young, and they have had a lot of draft picks over the past 2-3 years. Now with Moss traded to the Vikings for a 3rd round pick the Patriots have 2 picks in each of the first 4 rounds of the 2011 draft.
1st Round: Raiders pick/Patriots pick
2nd Round: Panthers pick/Patriots pick
3rd Round: Vikings pick/Patriots pick
4th Round: Broncos pick/Patriots pick
That is all well and good and I can see that strategy working out, but there is one flaw. The Patriots really don't draft all that well. There is no guarantee that all these picks are going to work out.
2006:
1st - Laurence Maroney (bust)
2nd - Chad Jackson (bust)
3rd - David Thomas (bust)
2007:
1st: Brandon Meriweather (OK)
2nd: none
3rd: none
2008:
1st: Jerod Mayo (good)
2nd: Terrence Wheatley (bust)
3rd: Shawn Crable (bust)
3rd: Kevin O'Connell (bust)
2009:
1st: Patrick Chung (too early to tell)
2nd: Ron Brace (playing this year, but nothing special)
2nd: Darius Butler (looking like a bust)
2nd: Sebastian Vollmer (solid)
3rd: Brandon Tate (guess we are going to find out)
3rd: Tyrone McKenzie (too early to tell, but I'm not all that excited)
Another theory is what DP was taking about. The Patriots won championships when they spread the ball around on short yardage plays. They used to win with guys like Givens, Branch, Patton, ect so maybe they are on to something by taking away a guy who demands the ball every game. Do I completely buy it? No, and my big fear is no free agents will ever want to come here, since they will be seen as "cheap" and their "winning ways" are in the past and will only get them so far.
And for all the Patriots fans out there that refuse to ever say anything bad about them just remember if they let Moss walk at the end of the year they would've got a 3rd round compensation pick anyways.
Let's all hope they draft well.
No comments:
Post a Comment