Michael Lombardi asks Bill Belichick about comments that the trade of Randy Moss means he's giving up on the season.
You kidding me? [laughs] No. We're here to win.
Peter King isn't buying the Bill Belichick-Randy Moss public love-a-thon, but also doesn't buy the Casserly report of a Brady-Moss altercation either.
Spare me, please, all the wonderful words about what a great locker-room presence, unselfish warrior and all-around statesman Randy Moss was in New England. The way the Patriots were talking about him last week, I kept thinking he was a Mother Teresa-JFK combo platter.
Bill Belichick would have you believe there was no good reason to deal Moss other than for the best-interests-of-the-team. No good reason, of course, other than the wideout spouting off selfishly in a 17-minute screed after a big opening-day win, and a reported halftime dispute with offensive playcaller Bill O'Brien Monday night in Miami, and whatever other disruptive thing that might have been kept in-house.
Here's what I find interesting: Think of all the teams with employees who have close ties to the Patriots and needs at receiver. None of them wanted Moss.
At the end of the day, Belichick, feeling he had to get rid of Moss, was lucky the Vikings were so desperate. If Minnesota hadn't been so needy, the Patriots would have been faced with this question: Is Moss such a distraction that we should cut him and pay the rest of his prorated $6.4 million 2010 salary?
So while I think there was enough mayhem surrounding Moss to prompt a trade, I don't think he went at it with Brady.
TEAM TALK
- Erik Scalavino offers us his notes from Friday's practice at Gillette. Players get back to the field on Tuesday.
- John Cockrell Friday Out-takes: Football Fan-dango.
- Patriots All Access - 10/08/10 Edition. Steve Burton, ESPNBoston's Mike Reiss and PFW's Paul Perillo re-cap a wild week for the Patriots, including Tom Brady's thoughts on the Patriots offense minus Moss. (40.26 min. video)
- Patriots Today - Faulk off the field. (3.37 min. video)
LOCAL LINKS
- Ian Rapoport takes a superlative-style look back at what transpired in the first quarter of the season.
- Mike Reiss reports Bill Belichick has given the players five of the last seven days off, banking on them returning well-rested and re-energized on Tuesday.
- Robert Lee looks at how the Patriots are making good use of the bye week.
- Tom E. Curran reports Bill Belichick feels the Patriots offense is still strong without Moss.
- Robert Lee thinks the offense will become more diverse with Randy Moss gone.
- Mike Reiss offers his weekend quick-hit thoughts from the Patriots and around the league.
- Dan Duggan expects that without Moss the Pats will become even more diverse in their formations to utilize the skill sets of their remaining receivers.
- Shalise Manza Young recaps the buildup to the breaking point of the Randy Moss trade.
- Tom E. Curran doesn't think the Globe report of Randy Moss turning down an offer to start up contract talks adds up to reality.
- Karen Guregian talks with Tom Martinez, Brady's personal coach, to get his opinion of how the loss of Randy Moss will affect the Pats QB.
- Christopher Price reports Terrell Owens thinks it's disappointing for the Patriots to have traded Randy Moss.
- Mike Reiss notes Shawn Crable is one of three players who has earned the "Practice Player of the Week" honors twice, joining Rich Ohrnberger and Dane Fletcher.
- Tony Massarotti saw the trade coming and says it's proof that Belichick is sacrificing this season in a rebuilding effort.
- Michael Vega says the Bye week won't afford much rest for the Patriots.
- Mike Reiss details the football journey of Danny Woodhead.
- Steve Buckley hears from Brandon Tate's former high school and college coaches after Tate's kickoff return for a TD last Monday.
- Ian Rapoport reports the agent for disgruntled G Logan Mankins said his client is happy about his team’s 3-1 start, but wouldn’t say if Mankins would be joining his teammates any time soon.
- Gary Tanguay spoke to a source who doesn't think the Patriots will let Logan Mankins 'shoot his way out of town.'
- Tom E. Curran reports the discussions for Vincent Jackson never got off the ground, mainly because of Jackson's rap sheet.
- Nick Carfardo sees Randy Moss feeling the love from the fans back in Minnesota.
- Ian Rapoport reports a confidant of Randy Moss refuted a Charley Casserly television report he engaged in an argument with Tom Brady.
- Christopher Price notes Rodney Harrison and Peter King both refute the report of a fight between Brady and Moss.
- Tom E. Curran says the reported Brady-Moss altercation isn't true.
- Bob Ryan plugs Ron Jaworski's football manifesto, his new book , "The Games That Changed The Game."
- WEEI highlights Boomer Esiason's call in to the Dennis & Callahan show this morning.
- WEEI highlights Matt Light on the Big Show Friday afternoon.
NATIONAL NEWS
- Michael Lombardi (NFLN) Sunday Sitdown: Bill Belichick discusses the reasons for the Randy Moss trade and how the Patriots will progress through the rest of the season. (4.05 min. video)
- Eric Edholm (Pro Football Weekly) Moss deal has long-term effect on Vikings.
- Kevin FIshbain (Pro Football Weekly) Ninkovich the Patriots' unexpected playmaker.
- Peter King (SI) MMQB: Very little feels normal as an action-packed Week 5 nears an end.
- Tim Graham (ESPN) Report: Brady, Moss fought over hair. Puh-leeze.
- Sporting News Tom Brady-Randy Moss tussle debunked.
- Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Casserly's report:Someone is lying to CBS.
- Don Banks (SI) Inside the NFL: Week 5. Giants-Texans featured teams in different directions and more from Sunday.
- Dan Pompei (Nat'l Football Post) Sunday Blitz: Week 5.
- Mike Tanier (NY Times) Monday matchup: Vikings at Jets.
- Dan Wetzel (Yahoo! Sports) Favre, Moss, Brady turn NFL into three-ring circus.
- Clay Travis (NFL FanHouse) Brett Favre's explicit photos unleash legal storm.
- Sean Leahy (USA Today) Brett Favre says he's willing to meet with Roger Goodell in Jenn Sterger probe.
- Dave Goldberg (NFL Fanhouse) Saints, Cowboys, Chargers and Bengals all stumble on upset Sunday.