Fencer

Moss has a famously erratic motor.
Kareem Brown got dinged badly for not trying consistently.

But then -- Ty Warren came out of college with a bit of a rep for taking plays off, IIRC. And in his case this has turned out to be a complete non-issue in New England.

I get the impression the team is simply willing to take calculated risks on guys with that knock, for the right price.

BelichickFan

I think it's a combination of value (when does the talent have enough value to take a chance on the questionable motor) and also sifting through what's real and what's not.

With Brown, I'm sure they talked to lots of people including Wilfork who Brown has said he talks with whenever Vince is in Miami.

I don't think Moss is a big deal, his true dogging comes when his team sucks which won't happen here. His "taking plays off" is just part of who he is but most WR do that sometimes, they just don't have cameras on them every play. Not excusing it, though.