Surely, the Patriots hope Moss won't be sidelined for long, as he had become, as expected, a central figure in the receiving corps.
Moss has been superb, taking repetitions with the top unit from the get-go. His emergence has headlined a clear pattern. It's been Moss, Wes Welker, and Jabar Gaffney leading the way, with Reche Caldwell and Kelley Washington next in line.
While some of the precamp chatter focused on how Moss might fit into the Patriots' way of doing things -- he did once say, "I play when I want to play" -- not to be overlooked is what his presence could mean to the offense. His size (6 feet 4 inches, 210 pounds) and effortless strides have not been matched by another Patriot since Bill Belichick was hired as coach in 2000, which will give them a potentially lethal vertical element through the air.
While he isn't always leading the charge in sprints and laps, Moss has practiced hard. Yesterday, he and Brady were sizzling, with one of Moss's best catches coming on a route over the middle, on a tight throw with Randall Gay in coverage.
Moss signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract after his trade this offseason -- the deal can be worth more with incentives -- and one line of thinking was that the Patriots could simply cut him if he became a distraction. That doesn't even appear to be on the radar.
Meanwhile, Welker has quickly emerged as the top player in the slot. He figures to benefit from the attention paid to Moss outside, which should open space on underneath routes, something that has been in evidence on the practice fields. The 5-9, 185-pound Welker isn't as smooth a route runner as Deion Branch, but like Branch, he has a knack for getting open in tight spaces.
Perhaps the most pleasant surprise has been Gaffney. If there is one player who has taken advantage of free agent signee Donte' Stallworth opening camp on the physically unable to perform list, it's Gaffney.
"He had a great offseason, and he's having a real good camp," Belichick acknowledged. "He's showed up and made plays out there every day."
