Pats Should Bring Back Moss

When the NFL lockout finally comes to an end (probably sometime next week) and the 2011 season starts, the Patriots will be one of the main contenders to win the Super Bowl.

The Bill Belichick-Tom Brady partnership makes the Pats one of the toughest teams in the league and with a solid corps of veterans and emerging stars on both sides of the ball, there is no reason to doubt that they can build on last year's 14-2 season - which ended in a disappointing loss to the New York Jets in the Divisional Playoffs - and make a run at the franchise's fourth Lombardi Trophy.

One area of weakness that does stand out on paper is at receiver. Brady has All-Pro Wes Welker and trusted companion Deion Branch but after that there is not much to get excited about. Sure, Julian Edelman, Brandon Tate, and Taylor Price have potential and, in the case of Edelman and Tate, there have been flashes of production on the field but for a Super Bowl contender with a quarterback like Brady, receiver should be a position of strength.

That brings me to my point. Bringing back Randy Moss is the best thing for the 2011 Patriots.

There are many reasons why Moss should not be brought back. He has a history of being selfish and not playing hard all of the time. Those traits led Belichick to trade Moss to the Vikings last season because he believed, correctly, that Moss had become too much of a distraction.

However, there is one reason why bringing back Moss makes a lot of sense. In his past Moss has shown that when people doubt him and he is motivated, he can be one of the most deadly weapons in the NFL.

Diagree with me?

After falling to the 21st pick and the Vikings in the 1998 NFL Draft because of concerns about his character, Moss went out and won the Offensive Rookie of the Year, was named All-Pro, and started the Pro Bowl after catching 69 passes for 1,313 yards and 17 for touchdowns.

Still need convincing?

Following two poor seasons as an Oakland Raider and hearing rumors he was washed up, Moss came to the Patriots and caught 98 passes for 1,493 yards and an NFL record 23 touchdowns. In the process he was named All-Pro, earned a Pro Bowl nod, and won the NFL Comeback Player of the Year.

After getting dealt by the Patriots to the Vikings and then getting released by Minnesota and being picked up by the Titans, Moss had one of the most disappointing years of his career in 2010.  He had just 28 catches for 393 yards and five touchdowns.

Once again people are doubting Randy Moss. From what his agent says, the 34-year-old is in great shape and is motivated to prove all of his doubters wrong.  He will probably have several suitors - including the Jets - looking to add a potentially dynamic weapon to their offense which will give him one last opportunity to show he can still be a force in the NFL.

Let's hope he does so as a Patriot.