Both Tom Brady and Randy Moss have contracts that expire after the 2010 season. While it seems highly unlikely that New England’s franchise quarterback is going anywhere, Moss presents quite a conundrum to Belichick and company, writes The Boston Globe’s Christopher Gasper.
Should Moss stay or should he go?
Moss is two years removed from his record-setting 23-touchdown season but is still a dominant force — at least when he wants to be. The enigmatic receiver has faced criticism over his effort or perceived lack thereof from those who cover him. Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis called Moss a “slouch”, and Panthers cornerback Chris Gamble accused the Pats’ receiver of giving up during their matchup.
“We knew he was going to shut it down,” Gamble told the Boston Globe after holding Moss to one catch (which he then fumbled) for 16 yards in Week 14. “That’s what we wanted him to do … he’d just give up a lot — slow down, he’s not going deep, not trying to run a route. You can tell [by his] body language.”
There is no denying Moss’ talent. Even at age 33, the former Viking and Raider put up 1,264 yards and tied for the league lead with 13 touchdown receptions this past season. With injuries to Wes Welker, the big-play threat of Moss was needed to keep the offense in sync.
With Julian Edelman and Sam Aiken behind him in the depth chart and a big question mark still hanging over Welker’s knee, the need for a presence like Moss is obvious. Even into his 30s, Moss still has the ability to stretch the defense, notching 18 catches of more than 20 yards this season and seven longer than 40 yards.
The only other player on the Pats’ roster who could even pretend to burn opposing secondaries like that is rookie speedster Brandon Tate, but he’s coming off of back-to-back season-ending knee injuries and is far from polished as a receiver.
If it came down to pure talent, it is almost unquestionable that Moss would be a Patriot in 2011. But as with everything else in the sports world, it’s all about the Benjamins.
The 2010 season looks almost certain to be uncapped, meaning the amount players are making only has a real effect on the owners’ wallets and the players themselves, rendering cap numbers as useless statistics. The 2011 season will be capped again if the NFL and the players’ association can work out the CBA. If they cannot, there will probably be a lockout and cap numbers will matter even less.
For arguments sake, according to patscap.com, Moss’ 2010 “cap hit” would be just a shade above $11.25 million. By comparison, the rest of the Patriots’ receiving core would account for just over $8.1 million in cap hits, most of that coming in the $4.23 million the Pats are shelling out for Welker.
Now if Edelman, Tate or somebody else can increase their production to even somewhere close to a Moss-like level, they can expect a substantial pay raise and the 2010 numbers will be meaningless, but with Brady requiring a new, almost certainly lucrative deal and Moss perhaps being unwilling to cut back his own salary for the good of the team after doing it once in 2007, the receiver could be looking for a new club come this time next year.
Moss will be 34 when — or more accurately if — the 2011 NFL season kicks off and it could be tough to justify upward of $10 million a year for the former Pro-Bowler. As Gasper points out, it might come down to Brady wanting to play with talented receivers.
Brady already had to endure a season with a pu-pu platter of mediocre targets in 2006 — when the likes of Reche Caldwell, Doug Gabriel and the immortal Bam Childress were running routes — and the signal-caller put the team on his back en route to a 12-4 regular season and berth in the AFC Championship Game. Brady has experienced what can happen playing with great receivers, and he probably won’t want to go the Costco route again. While the trio of Tate, Aiken and Isaiah Stanback sounds nice to the accountants, the Pats’ star quarterback would likely disagree.
There remains two full offseasons to find a potential replacement for Moss. He’s getting up there in years and is coming off an injury of his own, having played most of the season with a separated shoulder. It’s clear that he still has value to the Patriots. How much that value is worth remains to be seen.
