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Draft Judgements index
Next page: 1st and 10; 5 biggest winners
Page 3: 5 biggest losers; 5 good second-day picks;
5 games to see; 5 biggest gambles
What in the world is going on in New England?
First, the Patriots break from character by taking on the high-priced free agents they avoided in the past. Then they roll the dice by spending a first-round draft choice on pistol-packing safety Brandon Meriweather. Now, they've added Randy Moss, a guy who's fallen so far the Raiders couldn't wait to be rid of him.
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| Bill Belichick and the Patriots suddenly are taking a character detour. (AP) |
Remember, they're the team that prided itself on outwitting the competition by signing low-profile free agents to low-budget contracts, then plugging them in the next Super Bowl winner. They're also the team that cut Christian Peter after making him a fifth-round draft pick in the 1996 draft.
So what are they doing breaking the bank? And what are they doing with Meriweather and Moss?
The about-face on free-agency I can understand. The formula that worked once for the Pats hasn't worked lately, and you have to make changes. Plus, they had the cap room to do it. So when Adalius Thomas becomes available you grab him. Same goes for Donte Stallworth.
OK, I get that.
But what about Meriweather and Moss? I know Meriweather is a solid player at a position of need. But he's also a character risk, with a couple incidents that need explaining -- including one that involves a handgun.
Don't look for an explanation soon. When reporters this weekend asked Meriweather about the gun he bristled.
"Next question," he said.
Atta boy, Brandon. How to start your pro career.
Then there's Moss. Once he was a solid player, too. Heck, he was a Hall of Famer waiting to happen. But his play lately has been as rotten as his personality, with the Raiders so worn out they dumped him for a fourth-rounder.
Now, tell me: What does it mean when Oakland can't wait to get rid of you? It means you hit rock bottom. That, of course, is where New England steps in -- largely because the Pats keep running videotape of Moss with Minnesota and wondering how much better he could make them.