A no-brainer.

A fourth-round pick for Randy Moss.

The Raiders are brilliant.

Surprised you there, didn’t I?

Yes, I truly believe that John Bowie, a cornerback from the University of Cincinnati, was more than enough in return for Mr. Moss.

You see, I spent 2006 in the Bay Area. And Randy Moss may be the most overrated player I have ever seen.

It seems as though most media outlets are applauding the Patriots for acquiring Moss after also signing receivers Wes Welker, Donte’ Stallworth and Kelley Washington. Many think that these are the weapons that quarterback Tom Brady needs.

Wrong.

Moss plays when he wants to play. He has a big mouth. He has character problems. He has never met a joint that he didn’t take a hit off of.

The Patriots are taking after their sport brethren across town (the Red Sox) . . . spending money in hopes of buying a championship.

And let me put it plainly: Moss will not put the Patriots over the top. If anything, he may cause the team to take a step backward.

There are numerous reasons that come to mind, but here are three most prominent ones in my mind:

1. The Patriots are built on character. If you can fool yourself into thinking that Brady or Bill Bellichick can “change” Moss and turn him back into the player he was in Minnesota, you are taking a hit off the same joint Moss is. The man has admitted to playing when he wants to play. I thought the “New England way” was to work hard, and when that fails, work even harder. Moss doesn’t fit that bill, and we all know it. Instead of motivating his teammates, he will infuriate them and cause clubhouse problems. Mark my words, this is a disaster waiting to happen.

2. Just look at the stats. In 2004, his last season with the Vikings, he caught 49 balls for 767 yards. But, the most important stat was his 13 touchdowns. In 2005, his first year with Oakland, he had a ton of yards (1,005), but a mere eight touchdowns. And, last season, he had 42 catches, 553 yards and three touchdowns. He also had only one catch over 40 yards (he had 14 in his rookie season in 1998), and six over 20 yards (he had 15 of those in 2005). Numbers don’t lie. They are the truth that sports are built on.

3. He isn’t getting any younger. If Moss was still 25 and had a couple of bad seasons, I could see holding out hope that it was just a slump. But, the Marshall grad is 30, his durability is an issue (started 13 games in two of the past three seasons) and his speed is nowhere near where it was only two years ago. Many times, these unfortunate truths can be masked by hard work and attention to detail, two attributes that Moss has publicly admitted that he doesn’t have. He is lazy, he is selfish and he doesn’t fit the Patriots scheme.

So, Patriots fans, you can foolishly start buying your Super Bowl tickets now.

Just remember to grab an eBay account, because you’ll need to sell them come February if New England’s championship hopes rest on Moss’ shoulders.

Copy the Story Link