Moss' value isn't what you've been led to believe it is.
More importantly, winning at a high level in the NFL isn't about collecting individual talent. It's about building a team. Somewhere in the middle of the Moss era you all forgot that. Thankfully, Belichick remembered just in the nick of time.
Sure, Moss runs off safeties. Sure, he comes up with some jaw-dropping catches. But if that skill set can only get you 18 points against an unproven defense in a game you need to win to basically save your season . . . then maybe that skill set isn't as important as you think it is.
And in the meantime Moss' mere presence simply corrodes your foundation. It's hard to describe, but if you want to have a tough, clutch, resilient football team, then you're best not having Moss on it. He's just not tough, clutch or resilient. He doesn't play that way and he doesn't approach his job that way. And too many young players look up to him. Whether he's a captain (as he was in New England) or not, he's always going to be a prominent presence in any locker room he's in. And if things aren't going well (as is often the case in the NFL), he's not going to pull your team in the right direction.
When the going gets tough, Moss simply gets going. On Sunday he officially became the first Minnesota player to bail off the Vikings' sinking ship. And there are still nine games to go. Good luck the rest of the way, Brad.
That's what happens when you bring in Randy Moss. You sell your soul in exchange for a safety lined up 10 yards deeper than normal.
Thankfully, the Patriots made the right choice: A tighter safety in exchange for a stronger team.
Don't you understand yet?