So this morning I opened up my local paper, The Baltimore Sun, and saw they had "2007's Moments We Hope to Never Relive" in the Sports section, so I was intrigued. Then, they had the following story in it:
Incomplete pass
After seeing the impact Randy Moss has made in New England with the unbeaten Patriots, it appears Brett Favre had a right to be upset when his Green Bay Packers didn't pull the trigger on a proposed trade for Moss.
That was in the summer, when the Oakland Raiders were trying to dump Moss and found few takers. Most teams were concerned Moss would become a distraction and questioned whether he had anything left, based on how poorly he played in Oakland.
The Packers were the most prominent team to talk about a deal, and Favre campaigned publicly for it. But in the end, it was Patriots coach Bill Belichick who swooped in to acquire Moss, who has been the picture of decorum during New England's perfect season.
- Ken Murray
Now, Mr. Murray, I have plenty of flaws to point out with "Incomplete Pass." First of all, I don't really get what this has to do with Baltimore sports, as all the other stories, except for the David Beckham story, the Greg Oden-Kevin Durant story and the Josh Beckett story, pertain directly to Baltimore sports.
Second of all, and this is my real point, the Packers have done more for the future by not getting Moss. If the Packers had acquired Moss, it would have helped in the short term, 2007 and 2008, but Moss is aging, so after 2008, he could be a non-factor. By not getting Moss, the Packers have allowed Greg Jennings to emerge as a go-to receiver, instead of having him fester behind Moss for two years. It also allowed rookie James Jones to get ample playing time. Jones was emerging as a star until that fateful game in Chicago where he had two costly fumbles. Since then he has not seen as much playing time, but the activation of Koren Robinson gave the Packers another deep threat. Ruvell Martin provides a big red zone target.
Adding Moss into the mix could have upset the balance that has been created by Favre. Adding Moss would mean there would be two number one receivers in Driver and Moss that could catch a lot of balls, and Jennings would be pushed back to the third receiver position, where he would not emerge as quickly. Favre would have too many mouths to feed, as Driver and Moss both require lots of throws their way. But now, Favre has the right balance. Driver can get his requisite catches, while Jennings can get two to four catches a game for long gains. Jones is a good possession receiver while Robinson and Martin come in and stretch the field.
Also, there were millions of questions surrounding Moss in the offseason, as you mentioned. The Packers have long been a no-nonsense organization and did want to have to deal with a distraction, as Moss could have been. When the Patriots acquired him, there were whispers that he would not be able to co-exist with Belichick. Obviously, it was a high-risk, high-reward situation. The Patriots took the high-risk and are receiving the high-award. However, the Packers took the low-risk approach and are still reaping high-reward. Also, this offseason, Moss could command a contract too large for the Patriots, making him a one-year rental, while the Packers' top three receivers all have multiple years left on their contracts.
Sure, I would have loved to have seen Moss in green and gold with Favre throwing touchdowns to him, but I am happier to see a young and successful team built for the future. I see nothing that would make this be considered a "Do-over."
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