Feeling Randy?

So, late Tuesday night the Patriots decided to trade Randy Moss back to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for just one third round draft pick. While it doesn't seem like a lot for a guy who is a arguably a top-5 all-time receiver, it's still a better return than the fourth rounder they sent to Oakland to get him. Now, Moss was in the last year of his contract and had made no secret that he wanted a new deal, he didn't expect the Patriots to give it to him and thus expected this to be his last year with the team. He didn't come across as complaining (at least not to me), but instead like a professional athlete who has seen it all during his rather lengthy career and knows that it would simply be a business decision. Turns out he was right, although he probably expected to finish the season here. Now, for as professionally he was handling his situation in public, Moss had a reputation of being a bit of a complainer if he didn't get his way, so he may have been a pain behind the scenes about his lack of a new deal. The Patriots could have simply decided that this was the best they were going to get and it was better to trade him now than watch him walk this offseason and receive nothing in return (like they did with Richard Seymour just last year). However, I don't think a lack of progress on a new deal is the only reason Randy is heading back to Minnesota.

There are a couple things that I feel have become clear in the aftermath of the trade, the first of which is that there was not a lot of back-and-forth negotiating between the two front offices. Rumors that they were talking about a swap didn't leak until Tuesday night and the trade was official by Wednesday afternoon. For a sport that doesn't feature a lot of blockbuster trades during the season, that is lightning fast. Also, the Patriots only got one pick back (no addition late selections, which they love) and that makes me think that they wanted to get this done quickly and never really haggled. That quick trigger leads me to believe that something of consequence happened during that Monday Night Football game in which Moss didn't have a single catch. There are reports that Moss and quarterbacks coach Bill O'Brien got into a heat discussion about the lack of passes directed at Moss during halftime, but what I meant by 'something of consequence' is that it must have been more than just a discussion about the game plan. I hardly doubt that Monday was the first time Randy complained about the offense, so either this had been festering for a while or it was one hell of a major blow-out argument to be the straw that broke the camel's back. And while football coaches may not like to be questioned about how they run the team, a guy with Moss's talent has earned the right to complain about how he is being used without being unceremoniously dumped immediately after.

Now, while I do think that the Patriots took a major step back in talent at the wide receiver position, I do not think that this signals any kind of waving of the white flag on the 2010 Patriot season. You have to think that Coach Belichick feels secure with the personnel he has remaining on offense or he wouldn't have traded Moss and risked pissing off the best quarterback the franchise has ever known. Besides, the offense was never going to be the issue hanging over this team anyway. Whether they had kept Randy or not, it is going to be the defense that dictates how far they go this year, which makes the fact that Monday was probably their best defensive effort kind of ironic. Also, you have to keep this in mind: the Patriots won all their Super Bowls without a big-name receiver. The great thing about quarterbacks like Brady and Manning is that they manage to bring out the absolute best their guys have to offer. (There is a reason no one ever manages to get their money's worth when they sign these guys away.) The Patriots will be still be able to put up points with Welker, Price, Hernandez and Edelman. Therefore, the plan going forward today is the same as it was before Moss was traded. What they need to do is hope that they can hang on, scratch their way into the playoffs, and that the young secondary they have will be able to round into form when the time comes. If that happens it won't matter that Moss is no longer a Patriot.