Belichick Rolls the Bones

Left to right: Patriots WR Randy Moss, coach Bill Belichick, and top pick Brandon Meriweather.

I'm not sure which is more shocking: that the Patriots traded for Randy Moss or that the Raiders were so eager to get rid of him that they only asked for a 4th-round pick.

I kind of thought the Pats were more of a class and character organization than this. I know they had excellent success rehabilitating chronic complainer Corey Dillon, but Dillon was gaining 1800 yards a year while he was agitating in Cincinnati. Moss's dissatisfaction in Oakland resulted in two sulky seasons of his worst production as a pro. It's hard to imagine Pats fans rooting for Randy Moss.

And Moss isn't even the first or biggest questionable character choice the Patriots made this weekend. Gun-toting Miami safety Brandon Meriweather was probably the sketchiest pick of the whole draft. One wonders what it's going to look like in practice when bad-boy Meriweather hits bad-boy Moss a little too hard for Randy's comfort. I echo the sentiments of CBS Sportsline's Clark Judge, who wonders "What in the world is going on in New England?" ESPN's hilarious Bill Simmons compares the Moss deal to a mid-life crisis, with Belichick saying, "I've always wanted to drive one of these..."