Man, I miss them guys, man. I miss the team. It was hard for me to come here and play... I kind of know what kind of feeling they have in their locker room, man, and I just want to be able to tell the guys that I miss the hell out of them. Every last helmet in that locker room.
He also called Bill Belichick the "best coach in football history," and implied the Vikings coaching staff ignored some of his input about the Pats' play-calling tendencies to the team's detriment. While it's impossible to know the extent to which those remarks caused his release, I can imagine the stark contrast Moss observed after seeing how things are done on a Bill Belichick team vs. a Brad Childress one. Moss should have been more professional and kept those observations to himself, but that he's not able to turn his loyalties on and off so easily indicates he really did buy into the Pats' organization while he was there.
If Moss is actually released (it wasn't official as of Monday), he should find no shortage of suitors. The Seahawks and Dolphins have already contacted Moss, and ESPN has reported interest from the Rams, Jets, Redskins, Bears and Patriots. Personally, I'd love to see him in San Diego or even Detroit - you remember last year when Calvin Johnson was triple-teamed because the Lions didn't have enough weapons?
As for whether Moss has anything left in the tank, here's what his former teammate (and practice opponent) Brandon Merriweather had to say:
As in judging the ball, it's only one person out there like it, and that's Larry Fitzgerald. As in hands, it's only one person out there like it, and that's Larry Fitzgerald. As in speed, when he runs, there's nobody like it. And his size is what makes it worse. When you put those things together, you've got a great receiver... Moss is in a class of his own. I think if you asked any of [the league's other elite receivers], they will tell you Moss is in a class of his own. He's Moss. He's like no other. They would tell you that
Asked about criticism of Moss for his declining production, Meriweather said: "The thing with Moss is, the reason you see that is because he has two or three people on him every play. We were in Cover 3, and I still shaded to him, knowing that the corner is going bail and be over the top and play the 9 route, that I don't have to be over there, I still lean toward him. No matter what coverage you're in, you have to give him his respect. And that's what people don't understand."
I realize Merriweather, who sees Moss as a "big brother" could easily be biased or simply wanting to boost his now unemployed friend's stock, but Merriweather was playing 20 yards off the line of scrimmage Sunday - so much that Troy Aikman remarked that he had never seen a safety play that deep. Apparently, the Pats defensive scheme, rightly or wrongly, reflected Merriweather's assessment.
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