One year deal with provisions and a Paycut is a no brainer. Moss himself is the issue. Moss himself has said he just wasn't trying. This has happened in Minnesota as well. I don't normally agree with Ravens fans/staff, but upinthemguts is right when he called Moss high risk/high reward. Can he make a differnce, definitively YES. Will he? That is the main concern. If the ship sails smoothly, he will contribute to another stacked year for the Pats. If not, he could become a serious distraction on a team that isn't used to distractions. Their first round pick is another questionable call by the Pats, a team usually concerned about character. Merriweather was involved in that nasty fracas with FIU, and an off the field shooting incident. Two telltale signs of this guy's thugish past. I hope NE isn't becoming the Bungholes, we have seen what the win at all costs has done to that franchise.
This is what I do not like about the media. Meriweather DOES NOT have any kind of gun charge. Meriweather was a criminology major at Miami. He was studying to be a police officer. He has a registered handgun. Someone broke into his apt and shot his roommate. Meriweather returned fire as the perp fled the scene. He was trying to protect his roommate, and his own life.
The Miami dade police made it clear several times that Meriweather was acting in self defense, and did not do anything illegal. It has gotten to the point where if a person owns a legal hand gun, and uses it to protect themselves from a person who is trying to MURDER there roommate they are a thug? I love the media.
The fight incident was wrong, and a mistake. This kid has NO history of trouble with the law. The kid took full responsibility for kicking that player during that team wide brawl. Apologized and made it known he understood his actions and how stupid they where. That is a long way off from being a "thug". Richard Seymour stomped on some guys chest 2 years ago. Where is the outrage over that? Kicking someone during a team wide brawl during the heat of the moment is stupid, not a character issue. I love how the media considers a person who owns a legal gun to have character issues.Looks like half of America has character issues, including the cops! Imagine if Joe Thomas/Brady Quinn used there legal hand gun to protect a roommate after a criminal shot them? They would be a HERO'S. The media is leaving out the details of this story to push a agenda and it is unfair. Belicheck and his staff spent ALOT of time with this kid.They put a lot of effort into screening players. Bill was on the radio today and when asked about Meriweather he said that he was 100 percent confident he was going to be a great addition to the team and no problem. He has earned the right to be taken at his word imo. All this crap is WAY over hyped. Case and point his "gun issue" Aka protecting his life with his legal handgun after someone SHOT his roommate for no reason lol.
As for Moss, it would never get to the point of a distraction. He is on a short leash. This team has had plenty of distractions. Terry Glenn taking the team hostage in 01, threatening not to play during there super bowl season. Branch telling the pats he wanted a new contract (while under contract) and refusing to play right before the season last year. Ty getting arrested on south beach. Ty Law in general. Ted Washington and his poor attitude. Corey Dillon having problems this year and becoming frustrated with his lack of carries. Brian Cox in general. Todd Sourbrauhn ( punter) getting bagged for drugs/steroids. QB controversy when Bledsoe got injured. Corey Dillon before he got here (people said all the same stuff) There have been plenty bad character guys who played for the pats, you never hear about it because they get cut.
Belichick has a very good track record of being able to evaluate guys character. The locker room structure has proven to be able to handle guys other team cannot. For the cost nad low risk of getting Moss you have to try it out. If moss screws up he gets cut . They do not need him. He wanted to play for NE. The dude signed a one year deal and taking a 6 million dollar pay cut. The deal is structured to make it possible to cut Moss at any point. He is not even guaranteed a dime of his 3 million until after the first official game. I would be against this deal if the pats did not have the ability to cut him at no loss at any point. Then again I was against the Dillon deal also.
I know, I know MELTDOWN.........