Randy Moss being dealt to the New England Patriots literally made me cry, I’m dead serious, there were actually tears. When I was sitting in front of the plasma and the ESPN draft day crew announced the Randy Moss was heading to the East Coast to play on Tom Brady’s offense I was so ecstatic. I probably called about ten people just to yell on the phone to all my buddies about the transaction. I swear, I think I’m on about 5 or 6 call blocks from my boys. All kidding aside though, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing and seeing on Sunday when I heard the news. Moss is now on the fast track to the Hall.
On the 2nd day of the NFL Draft Randy Moss was traded for a 4th round pick to the New England Patriots. I wrote in another post that I believed that Cleveland had stolen the 2007 draft. The Browns did in terms of actually drafting 2 top 5 prospects in the 1rst round. But New England literally ripped off Randy Moss from Oakland. Yes, I know Randy Moss had become even a bigger malcontent in Oakland than he was in Minnesota, but let’s take a look at what Oakland has to work with without Moss.
Oakland’s first problem going into the 2008 season all starts up front. As much as I love Zach Miller, the TE from Arizona State, he’s a TIGHT END not an offensive lineman. Passing on Ryan Kalil, Tony Ugoh, Aaron Sears, and Justin Blalock in my opinion was their biggest mistake of the draft. They did draft Mario Henderson, the offensive tackle out of Florida State, but the 6’6 305 lbs. tackle isn’t exactly a huge addition to the fledgling o-line. For a team the suffered one of the most embarrassing seasons at the expense of the offensive lineman, you’d think that the o-line corps would be addressed with several draft picks. But typical Al Davis, who chooses sexy over practical, took Johnnie Lee Higgins (99th overall) who was one of the fastest wide receivers in the 2007 draft. Davis also drafted Michael Bush (100th overall), running back out of Louisville, who was coming into the draft with one of the biggest question marks because of his gigantic leg injury. Michael Bush dropped further than anybody even with his potential because of the major concerns over his broken leg. This injury wasn’t the same kind of injury Willis McGhee suffered and came off of, but worse because rods and screws are involved. Bush may never play football again yet Davis used the 1rst pick of day 2 on him.
The draft picks made by the Oakland Raiders didn’t improve the overall talent of the offense. And the offense is where the talent needed the most improving. Using draft picks on a tight end, 2 wide receivers, a running back, a full back and just one OT is just unacceptable. And with 4 other draft picks the Raiders took 2 defensive ends, a corner back and a safety to go along with one of the best pass defenses going into the 2008 season. Why? That part of their defense is solid, if the Raiders were going to go defense, they should have picked up a run stuffer like Tank Tyler, not an underachieving pass rusher like Quenten Moses. But that wasn’t the biggest duh moment of the draft. That came with this blunder, the trade of Randy Moss to the Patriots for a nothing 4th round pick. Already suffering a total lack of playmakers the Raiders sold their only playmaking receiver for tidally winks.
My main point was that I don’t care what happens with the Oakland Raiders, even though I do root for them, I only care about what’s in store for the future of one of the greatest talents at WR this game has ever seen. I believe that it’s pretty easy to answer. Hall of Fame. Randy Moss is now, finally after being subjected to that purgatory in Oakland, on the fast track to greatness. Randy Moss will finally be playing with a competent quarterback, which he has never had. Even with a young Dante Culpepper, Moss never had that total trust in his quarterback like he’ll now have with Tom Brady. Culpepper doesn’t demand the same kind of respect that Tom Brady does. Culpepper doesn’t have the same kind of winner’s swagger that Tom Brady has. And Dante Culpepper doesn’t have the same kind of ability that Tom Brady has. All of these things are what Randy Moss has been craving for since he’s entered the league. There is one thing you have to respect about Randy Moss, even if you don’t like him, you still have to respect him for being all about the “W”. Randy Moss wants to win more than improving his stats, Moss wants to win more than being liked by his teammates, he wants to win more than being liked by the fans, and he wants to win more than being liked by his coaches and front office. If there was ever a person who fully understood the notion that winning cures everything it was Randy.
In all honestly I don’t have to explain the ways in which the Patriots are better than the Raiders. I don’t have to sit here and explain to you how the running game, offensive line, wide receivers, defense, and coaching staff are head and shoulders above the Oakland Raiders. But what I will say is that as happy as Randy Moss is going to play for a perennial powerhouse such as the New England Patriots, Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are just as excited. Congratulations Patriots fans you guys are in for a very wild ride that will probably end with Moss hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.
