No Place Like Home

Randy Moss made headlines Wednesday when he told a radio station in Minneapolis that his heart is still with the Patriots. 

Throughout the prolific and dominating career of Randy Moss, the immensely talented wide receiver has been plagued by questions about his work ethic, dedication to the game and commitment to his teammates. If you remember, concerns about Moss' character were the main reason he slipped from a top ten pick to 21st overall in the 1998 Draft. At the time, every NFL scout knew Moss was as fast, smart and sure-handed as they come, but they also knew that talent meant nothing without a good attitude and positive mindset.

Sure, Moss lit up the scoreboard for two seasons at Marshall, but his track record was awful. In high school, Moss plead guilty to two counts of misdemeanor battery and served nearly 30 days in prison. Then, in his freshman year at Florida State, Moss violated his probation by testing positive for marijuana. He was promptly dismissed from the school and sent back to jail.

All in all, you can't blame NFL executives for passing on Moss. Taking on a perpetually troubled player can be a huge risk, especially in a league where missing on a top pick can haunt your franchise for years. However, after the Vikings finally snatched up Moss, the charismatic wide-out vowed to take it out on every team that passed him up, especially the Cowboys. Moss famously stated after the Vikings chose him that "teams that pass up on me will regret it once they see what kind of a player I am and what kind of guy I really am."

Ever since, Moss has played with a chip on his shoulder. After leading Minnesota to several record-setting offensive seasons (Moss made the Pro-Bowl in five of his seven seasons as a Viking), Moss spent several injury riddled seasons in Oakland. Playing on a lowly team, Moss' numbers dropped and he gained a reputation of a prima-donna, complaining about not getting the ball enough and playing when he wanted to.

Then something glorious happened. Prior to the 2007 season, Moss was traded to the Patriots. Suddenly, a rejuvenated Moss and Tom Brady teamed up to break all the records. Of course, the Pats failed to go undefeated, but Moss still set the all-time record with 23 TD catches.

After several spectacular seasons as a Patriot, Randy outstayed his welcome early in the 2010 season. After watching Brady sign a mega-extension, a disgruntled Moss became a distraction. During halftime in a game against the Dolphins, Moss got into a verbal confrontation with playcaller Bill O' Brien and Bill Belichick quickly dealt him to the Vikings after just four games. From there, Moss fell off the face of the Earth. After being cut by Minnesota, Moss was claimed by the Tennessee and spent the rest of the season in Titans purgatory.

However, Moss made headlines on Wednesday when he professed his love for the Patriots in a radio interview with KFAN-1130 in Minneapolis: "If you're asking me where my heart and where I'm happy is, I love playing with Tom Brady. I love being coached by Bill Belichick." He went on to say: "I think that just the success as a wide receiver and everything that the New England Patriots stand for, you know, I'm a big fan of Bill Belichick's. I really am, and not just on the field. I'm a fan of his off the field because, you know, the little grouchy man that you see on camera is not what you see off camera."

It seems Randy has finally seen the light. After being traded from a great situation out of the blue, maybe Moss reflected hard about his career and realized how good he had it in New England. Maybe he realized that with all the money he has made in his career, signing one last gargantuan contract isn't as important as winning.

So, any chance Belichick will bring the 34-year-old Moss back?

Probably not, but it won't be because Moss didn't want to return.