There's something contradictory about the whole article, though.
Is leadership an inherent quality unique to specific individuals, or is it a byproduct of making the plays when they need to be made?
Rodney Harrison was a vocal player on and off the field, but he also had an amazing gift for making the big plays.
Moss has made monster plays time and time again for the Patriots, but is not considered a vocal leader. If anything he's still trying to shake a primadonna reputation (I don't agree with that rep).
Compare them both to Junior Seau today -- Junior is a vocal player, but he's not making many plays on the field as a reserve LB.
In light of the article, is Junior a leader on the Patriots? Obviously respected due to his HOF accomplishments, but can he be a leader if he's not making plays? If the seemingly quiet Mayo starts making higher-impace plays, does that automatically make him a leader? Or is there really an intangible about specific guys -- i.e. Bryan Cox -- that just makes them better leaders? If so, how do you go about drafting/acquiring that kind of player?