Truth is somewhere in the middle. Of course in a vacuum you're better with a HOF receiver than without him. But not the Pats in this particular circumstance. And no, I do not believe the season's over b/c Moss is gone. Moss was that last piece in the puzzle in 07... now, if the Pats go all the way or even deep in the playoffs, it would be more like 01-04 -- everybody playing their roles and executing, not getting 80% from a ton of fantasy football picks, getting 100% from a talent level that's sustainable. The Moss/NE relationship shows that 1) the huge talent level is not a guarantee of success and that 2) sometimes you can give up on the talent, when it is clear that you will not benefit from that talent. Moss isn't bigger than the team; I respect that.
But uh, yeah, Moss with a good attitude (not, one should note, an option) would be much better than no Moss. Moss getting progressively more problematic, as the team itself is actually moving toward a good post-season run? Now that would give me heartburn.
Here's a question for the CBA/capologists: what does the ongoing concern about contract price say about the likelihood that the NFL goes uncapped in the future?
If I'm the Pats, don't I just finish out this year with a big, fat, one-year extension, with the promise of a big deal when the cap comes off (after the lockout is somehow resolved?)
Doesn't this basically point toward a belief on the Pats' part that we really are looking at a cap beyond '10?
Or am I just ign'ant?