During that magical (with the exception of one quarter of one game) 2007 season in New England, safety Rodney Harrison played with receiver Randy Moss.
So who better to react to the decision of the Patriots to trade Moss out of town than Harrison?
Rodney visited on Monday with Waddle & Silvy of ESPN 1000 in Chicago.
“I think [coach Bill] Belichick felt like Randy was becoming a distraction,” Harrison said, adding he was “a little shock[ed]” by the move. “You have a lot of players, young players in that locker room and Belichick didn’t want that negativity to feed over to those young players and impact them in a negative way, so Belichick made this move because Randy Moss was not happy, came out and spoke out against the organization. He felt like this was a move that had to be made to move forward.
“You have to understand, too, Belichick didn’t win any Super Bowls with Moss. They set a bunch of records offensively, but Belichick realized the locker room is more important than one individual. Randy Moss did a lot, he was a great leader in the locker room but at the end of the day the Patriots gave him an opportunity that he didn’t have when he came to the Oakland Raiders. So he can’t say that he wasn’t appreciated, he was appreciated in New England. They gave him a $27 million contract, when everyone else thought he was a bad apple in the NFL, they gave him an opportunity.”
Harrison also said that, while the move doesn’t make the Pats a better team right now, it improves their chances for the future. “Look at the draft choices coming up next year,” Harrison said. “Two first-rounders, two second-rounders, two third-rounders. I mean, the guy knows exactly what he’s doing. So I wouldn’t question what he’s doing.”
Harrison pointed out that 60 percent of the offensive plays now involve two tight ends. “This kid Aaron Hernandez has really come into his own,” Harrison said, mentioning also the improving performance of the defense.
“I know the Jets are very happy right now, but in that locker room Belichick knows a lot more than we know,” Harrison said.
Rodney’s right. Belichick has a plan, and he’s executing it. The team is buying in to the coaching, and Moss was viewed as a guy who was going to get in the way of that process.
