Locker Room Reaction To Moss Trade (Crumpler, Welker & Wilfork)

[PaulThePat]

Just watched the Locker Room segment on the Pats official site this morning. Three players were spoken to, Alge Crumpler, Wes Welker and Vince Wilfork. Each took a different approach to answering but each was well worth listening to.

Firstly Agle Crumpler. Plenty of Kool-Aid as you would expect from a new player in the camp. Usual stuff about being a great player, loved by the team etc. Alge actually came across as a really classy guy and the sort of locker room presence who could help the team move on from this situation.

Next was Wes Welker. This was really fascinating. Wes was clearly pissed and wasn't afraid to show it. Not at the coach. Not at the Pats. He was pissed at Randy Moss. Said he felt disappointed by Randy. Seems that Moss was acting all the team player before games while in the background knowing he wanted to be somewhere else and had asked for a trade. You may say this was professional of Moss to keep the trade news away from his team mates and not let it be an issue. However, Wes was clearly ticked off and it was good to see a player on the Pats not just rolling out the usual party line. Good on you Wes !

Last but not least was big Vince Wilfork. Have to say I found him quite hard to read. Football is a business etc repeated over and over. Also said we'd see against the Ravens how we get on without Moss. To me it sounded as if we was unhappy that Moss had left but knows he has to shut his yap. Haven't heard Wilfork speak too many times before and I didn't really warm to him it has to be said. Looked like he'd rather be anywhere than speaking to reporters in the locker room.

Cheers,

PaulC.

 

[RayClay]

However, Wes was clearly ticked off and it was good to see a player on the Pats not just rolling out the usual party line. Good on you Wes !

Yes, dissension is great. Makes you and the writers happy.

 

[flycessna]

Just watched the Locker Room segment on the Pats official site this morning. Three players were spoken to, Alge Crumpler, Wes Welker and Vince Wilfork. Each took a different approach to answering but each was well worth listening to.

Firstly Agle Crumpler. Plenty of Kool-Aid as you would expect from a new player in the camp. Usual stuff about being a great player, loved by the team etc. Alge actually came across as a really classy guy and the sort of locker room presence who could help the team move on from this situation.

Next was Wes Welker. This was really fascinating. Wes was clearly pissed and wasn't afraid to show it. Not at the coach. Not at the Pats. He was pissed at Randy Moss. Said he felt disappointed by Randy. Seems that Moss was acting all the team player before games while in the background knowing he wanted to be somewhere else and had asked for a trade. You may say this was professional of Moss to keep the trade news away from his team mates and not let it be an issue. However, Wes was clearly ticked off and it was good to see a player on the Pats not just rolling out the usual party line. Good on you Wes !

Last but not least was big Vince Wilfork. Have to say I found him quite hard to read. Football is a business etc repeated over and over. Also said we'd see against the Ravens how we get on without Moss. To me it sounded as if we was unhappy that Moss had left but knows he has to shut his yap. Haven't heard Wilfork speak too many times before and I didn't really warm to him it has to be said. Looked like he'd rather be anywhere than speaking to reporters in the locker room.
Cheers,

PaulC.

I read somewhere that Moss and Vince are tight! Could explain his indifference.

I like what Wes had to say though... A guy like Wes who has been an over acheiver his whole career has to sit and watch a guy like Moss piss his talent into the wind over emotional self centered BS.. "sometimes I take plays off" Randy Moss....

And this is what I will NEVER understandOk so the pats were not going to Pay him... well.. how much would have they? are we talking 20 million dollar difference or 5 million dollar difference.. Doesnt he realize that even in the interest of self sevice Moss could have been better served doing it the right way!!

A guy like Moss had he been able to keep his emotions in check had an opportunitiy to be a PART of something special instead of chasing just being special... And in the end he probably actually would have served himself better.. had he and brady pulled off a SB win and couple of more years of breaking records he could have had his name tied to one of the classiest Qb's in the history of football.. for eternity when ever brady's name was mentioned his would have followed and vice versa, He could have had the undying love of a fan base that would have immortalized him with one of the classiest football teams, And because of all of this he probably would have pocketed just as much money overall as he is going to get with the vikings.. Commercial deals, radio, football analysis, or even reality tv.. think it would have put him in a much better light..

So yea he might get his contract NOW and get paid NOW... but realistically what is the real chances are they are going to WIN a SB this year?? Season has "just" begun and after this year Farve is gone?? then what??

I guess he could sign on a team and the team could be a one hit wonder and maybe he wins the SB.. but at the end of day I just cant see the advantage of forsaking team and the high road for personal accolades and money!...or really in this case... just money!

 

[PaulThePat]

Yes, dissension is great. Makes you and the writers happy.

What utter nonsense. Wes was showing REAL emotions. You should be proud to have a player who wears his heart on his sleeve. It's not dissension. It's called having an opinion on a big issue and not being afraid to say you feel let down. Clearly a crime for you...not for me.

 

[RayClay]

What utter nonsense. Wes was showing REAL emotions. You should be proud to have a player who wears his heart on his sleeve. It's not dissension. It's called having an opinion on a big issue and not being afraid to say you feel let down. Clearly a crime for you...not for me.

Wes knows he's just gone from superstar to jag without Moss drawing all that coverage.

 

[BSR]

Wes knows he's just gone from superstar to jag without Moss drawing all that coverage.

I hope that one was tongue in cheek. Wes is nowhere near a JAG.

 

[D-cleater]

I read the reactions totally different.

Crumpler - accurately praised Moss for the leader he was and a HOF talent, and acknowledged how much he learned from Moss in the short time they played together. Then switched to what they need to do as a team moving forward. Spot on. No Kool-aid, as you refer to it, just honesty. Refreshing.

Welker - I don't get any anger whatsoever from his interview. He also praised Moss, and then said he was disappointed to learn that Moss was seeking a trade while all along being a positive force in the locker room, as well as on the field. What I got from this was that, excluding his week 1 press conference, Moss kept business out of the locker room and off the field, exactly how it should be done. Welker is being a professional and concentrating on his job, not Moss's business. Again, I just read honesty from Welker, but no anger towards Moss. He just realizes that the offense just lost a key weapon, a leader, and now the burden is on him as the most veteran presence of all the receivers. How else is he supposed to appear?

Wilfork - Wilfork's reaction was easy to read, and told me all I needed to know about Moss. As the #2 leader on this team, I think he speaks for the locker room and he was clear about the value Moss brought to a young team, and the fact that he will be missed. Moss was a key player to the team, but the Patriots were never going to resign him for the money he wants.

Belichick may make the most of decisions, and does so in the "best interest of the team", but at the end of the day, the Krafts own the organization, and to them its a business. If they know that the popularity of the Patriots will never suffer as long as they have Brady and Belichick, then all they have to do is make some concessions once in a while to Belichick (Wilfork, Bodden), and he'll choose his battles and let HOF players like Moss go for a 3rd round draft pick.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Belichick may make the most of decisions, and does so in the "best interest of the team", but at the end of the day, the Krafts own the organization, and to them its a business. If they know that the popularity of the Patriots will never suffer as long as they have Brady and Belichick, then all they have to do is make some concessions once in a while to Belichick (Wilfork, Bodden), and he'll choose his battles and let HOF players like Moss go for a 3rd round draft pick.

Ummm . . . Kraft himself has said that by and large he stays out of personnel decisions, although he does obviously retain veto power.

From a purely business standpoint, trading Moss away for a 2011 3rd just to save some salary money makes little sense when you already have seven picks in the first four rounds.

 

[D-cleater]

Ummm . . . Kraft himself has said that by and large he stays out of personnel decisions, although he does obviously retain veto power.

From a purely business standpoint, trading Moss away for a 2011 3rd just to save some salary money makes little sense when you already have seven picks in the first four rounds.

Agreed, but I don't think they were si concerned with saving salary money this year as much as signing moss to a multi-year deal. I'm not one to argue with the results that BB and the Krafts have produced and the way they run their business, but I've often wondered why they so often let contract negotiations with their best players go into the last year, when the player commands the highest premium. Like I said, Kraft and BB are a lot smarter than I am, so I'm sure there is a good reason, I just don't really understand it

 

[SuperPatsFan]

Wes knows he's just gone from superstar to jag without Moss drawing all that coverage.

Strong words, indeed.

 

[Nikolai]

Strong words, indeed.

Stupid words, really.

 

[blackglass3]

Ridiculous words, indeed.

Fixed your post

 

[Kontradiction]

Wes knows he's just gone from superstar to jag without Moss drawing all that coverage.

I'm honestly speechless on this one. I think Welker's production will take a hit. But JAG? Wow. I guess I'll just stop trying to figure that one out and just go with posting a random GIF...

 

[MoLewisrocks]

This was the way Vince Wilfork saw things on the heels of signing his big extension and on the heels of a 2009 season in which some players were said to not all be pulling on the same oar...

“As players, everybody has to be accountable. If you are on the field, you have to give me 100 percent,” Wilfork said Wednesday morning, taking perhaps the first steps toward a larger leadership role.

“You have to weed out the bad seeds, point blank. If you can’t give me what I’m giving you on the field, I don’t need you on the field with me. That’s point blank. That’s how you win. You have to build trust. Show me that I can count on you.

“If a guy is not giving me that, I have no problem telling that guy that I don’t need him on the field, and I have no problem going to tell Bill that I don’t want him on the field. That’s point blank. That’s how it’s going to have to work.”

“We need to build that bond. And with that bond, you have to have some accountability. We need to trust one another when we’re on the field. There is no question that we have that, but we have to pull it out of the guys,” he said. “I think this year is going to be a huge change."

He hasn't gotten his extension yet but what Welker said in under reported followup to his comments on the Moss trade seems to be the same thing in a nutshell...

"We have a sign that says if you don't want to be here, you don't have to be here. It's the way things worked out. We wish Randy the best, but we have a great group of guys that love to battle, love to compete and play hard. I'm looking forward to working with these guys."

And FWIW Bill traded for Welker before he had any idea he'd be trading for Moss... And he did that based on what Welker was able to accomplish playing in a craptastic offense in Miami... Moss is not the only receiver in the league to ever draw double coverage, the most successful of which I might add manage to beat it fairly consistently.

Moss' ultimate downfall here was fueled by his own hypocricy. He can talk the talk, what he can't do is walk the walk. His ego and his psyche will never allow him to. Great talent, great teamate to hang with and talk with and practice with and play with when things are going his way. When they aren't by his own admission he starts to unravel and lose focus on what his team needs on the field. Like another sign Big Vince himself pointed to early this week before the trade was announced. He was asked (based on his picked up comment to a teamate at the end of the Buffalo game that he couldn't believe he only had a half a tackle...) if it bothers him when he doesn't produce stats. He said while he's competitive and he'd like to he always remembers another sign in the locker room that says...

"Mental toughness is doing what is right for the team even when everything isn't going right for you."

 

[Synovia]

I hope that one was tongue in cheek. Wes is nowhere near a JAG.

We'll see.

He's clearly not a JAG, but hes nowhere near as good as his stats have been the last 2 years.

 

[TB=TD]

Wes knows he's just gone from superstar to jag without Moss drawing all that coverage.

So when he was catching 70 balls in Miami with a garbage QB and no offensive weapons was Wes a JAG then? Pathetic.......

 

[InRodWeRust]

I hope that one was tongue in cheek. Wes is nowhere near a JAG.

The only time that Wes was a JAG was when he had his knee operated on. Then after that he stepped on the field and became a superstar again.

 

[eagle eye]

The amount of morons on this site is incredible.

Most of the players said they were surprised about this, everyone of the players said he was a great leader. But you have guys on here trashing Randy Moss after listening to all that was said by people inside including a very respectful Moss in his Vikings presser.

Welker said he was disappointed that Randy looked for a trade, that is all he said but people are trying to make out that he had a deep routed hate for him which is just ridiculous.

 

[cmasspatsfan]

Most of the players said they were surprised about this, everyone of the players said he was a great leader. But you have guys on here trashing Randy Moss after listening to all that was said by people inside including a very respectful Moss in his Vikings presser.

I think the animosity towards Moss is because they feel if Moss played the good soldier and played hard instead of worrying about his contract, he'd still be here and the team is better with him here.

 

[strngplyr]

I think Wes hinted that he though Moss was being selfish, from when he said "But he did what's best for himself". As much as it is a buisiness it's still a team sport and 52 other guys in the locker room treated it as that. That is why I think Wes was bugged/annoyed/whatever feeling you want to insert there.