ESPN NFL

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady spent time with teammate Wes Welker last weekend at the Kentucky Derby. Between the schmoozing and excitement of horse racing, Brady should have given his top receiver a subtle message and said, "Buddy, it's time to get back to work."

There is one thing for certain about the Patriots: You do not fight the machine.

Welker is facing an uphill battle he cannot win. Many have tried before him and failed. Welker is not the exception.

Welker has yet to sign his franchise tender and hasn't decided how long he's going to protest New England's one-year, $9.5 million offer. The potential distraction has been held to a minimum thus far, but it would only grow stronger if Welker continued to skip New England's offseason program.

The Patriots' mandatory minicamp is scheduled for June 12. The best advice is for Welker to have his mind made up by that time. Missing New England's current voluntary program is not a big thing. But if Welker also chooses to skip the Patriots' three-day veteran minicamp, that is when he's hurting the team in the eyes of the coaching staff.

At that point the gloves may come off -- and Welker doesn't want that.

New England is emotionless and shrewd in negotiations. Just ask three-time Super Bowl winner Willie McGinest, who apparently still carries some level of bitterness about how he was handled by the Patriots at the end of his career. McGinest recently got into a Twitter spat with Welker about his contract situation and delivered this stern message.

"We're all expendable at Patriot Place," McGinest tweeted to Welker.

McGinest is right. NFL players in general are expendable, but even more so in New England.

Welker needs to be more mindful of how the Patriots often treat players like replaceable and interchangeable parts. It happened to McGinest, who spent the final three years of his career with the struggling Cleveland Browns. It happened to Richard Seymour, who was great for eight seasons with the Patriots and suddenly shipped to the Oakland Raiders for a first-round draft pick. The Patriots also traded future Hall of Fame receiver Randy Moss to the Minnesota Vikings when Moss grew unhappy about his contract.

Welker should know better. No one player is above the team in New England. That is the Patriot Way.

This is not to say Welker hasn't worked hard and doesn't have a point about long-term security. This is more about wisely navigating the cruel business side of the NFL. It's all about leverage. Welker has little. New England has plenty. Sometimes it's best to accept your fate and move forward.

Welker remains steadfast in shedding the franchise tag for a long-term contract.

"Through my body of work, through the past five years, I think what I've done I've earned a long-term deal,” Welker recently told ESPN Boston Radio. "It's what I am looking for and what I want. Hopefully that's the case and hopefully we come to something where we can make that happen."

Do not think for one second that New England is not prepared for the worst. All the Patriots have done this offseason is sign wide receivers.

New England signed receivers Brandon Lloyd, Jabar Gaffney, Anthony Gonzalez and Donte’ Stallworth in free agency. All are productive veterans who have a chance to add something to the offense. The Patriots also re-signed veteran Deion Branch, backup Matthew Slater, and drafted rookie receiver Jeremy Ebert. Chad Ochocinco and Julian Edelman also remain on the roster.

New England will have an elite passing game next season with or without Welker.

If Welker decides to stage a lengthy holdout, Lloyd and Gaffney would be the starters, while Branch, Gonzalez, Stallworth and Ochocinco compete in training camp for backup roles. New England also runs a lot of two tight-end sets with Pro Bowler Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. This is still a very deep and talented group of targets for Brady, who also has a knack for making everyone around him a couple of notches better.

Despite 122 receptions and 1,569 yards last year, the Patriots have found a way to make Welker replaceable. But that's only if Welker chooses to be and doesn't sign his franchise tender.

The next move should be the best move by Welker. He should sign the franchise tag, take the $9.5 million and see if anything changes over the next several months at Patriot Place.

Because there's always a chance the Patriots could have a change of heart between now and August. New England has the salary-cap room to extend the 31-year-old Welker and give him the long-term security he's seeking. But it's going to be on the Patriots' terms, not Welker's.

Future Hall of Fame receiver Randy Moss will make his return to Gillette Stadium in 2012, but not as a member of the New England Patriots.

The dynamic receiver is back in the NFL after signing with the San Francisco 49ers late Monday. Moss, 35, will try to add much-needed speed and depth to San Francisco's receiving corps. Here is NFC West blogger Mike Sando's analysis on the signing.

But in terms of the AFC East, the reigning AFC champion Patriots will host Moss and the 49ers next season. We propose that this game should be put in prime time when the NFL announces its 2012 schedule this spring.

There are several good storylines worth mentioning. The first tie is Moss, who spent three-plus seasons in New England. Moss nearly won a Super Bowl after the 2007 season, but New England's undefeated run was stopped by the New York Giants in the Super Bowl.

It also doesn't hurt that New England and San Francisco were two of the NFL's best teams last season. San Francisco lost in overtime to the New York Giants in the NFC title game, and New England lost to New York in the Super Bowl. Both teams are projected as contenders once again.

Finally, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady grew up in California as a big 49ers and Joe Montana fan. Brady, 34, only gets to play his childhood team once every four years. This might be Brady’s last meeting against the 49ers.

Add it all up and there's no reason for this game not to be on Sunday or Monday night.

The New England Patriots are in the market for a big-play wide receiver to bring the deep ball back to their offense. The reigning AFC champions have several options in free agency.

In our latest edition of "Poll Friday," we want to know which receiver the Patriots should chase in free agency to pair with Wes Welker and tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez.

Should the Patriots sign Brandon Lloyd? There is certainly a connection, as Lloyd thrived in Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels' offense while together in Denver. Lloyd said he owes his career success to McDaniels and the pair could reunite in New England.

What about Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Mike Wallace? His situation is tricky as a restricted free agent. Pittsburgh is expected to place a first-round tender on Wallace. That would require the Patriots to give up one of their two first-round picks and sign Wallace to an expensive contract Pittsburgh couldn't match. Is it worth it for the 2011 Pro Bowler?

There is also the wild card of Randy Moss. He was once a great deep threat for the Patriots and wants to return to football at the age of 35. Moss' agent, Drew Rosenhaus, says there are teams interested. Should New England consider it? Finding a receiver in the draft also is an option.

Using our SportsNation poll, vote on which receiver New England should pursue in free agency. You can also share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Future Hall of Fame receiver Randy Moss says he wants to return to football in 2012. Moss is one of the most dynamic receivers of all time, and if he’s in shape, someone will give him a shot.

Would he be a fit in the AFC East? Let's examine.

Buffalo Bills

Skinny: The Bills could have a need at receiver, especially if pending free agent Steve Johnson is too expensive to re-sign. The Bills have been unafraid to take chances with controversial receivers in the past. Buffalo signed Terrell Owens for one year when Owens was released by the Dallas Cowboys. Could Moss be next?

Chances: Mild

Miami Dolphins

Skinny: Miami is undergoing a lot of changes with a new head coach in Joe Philbin, a new West Coast offense, and most likely a new quarterback. Bringing in a player like Moss could be too much of a distraction for a rookie coach trying to establish a new program.

Chances: None

New England Patriots

Skinny: The Patriots tried the Moss experiment before, and it was mostly successful. New England will be searching for a deep threat this offseason. The Patriots would love to have the 2007 version of Moss. That same level of interest in the 2012 version isn't as high, but you can't completely rule it out.

Chances: Medium

New York Jets

Skinny: The Jets need a replacement for pending free-agent receiver Plaxico Burress, but Moss isn't the answer. New York has enough chemistry issues in its locker room as it is, especially on offense. The structure isn't in place for the Jets to take on an extra personality like Moss.

Chances: Low

INDIANAPOLIS -- As displayed in his video documentary "A Football Life," New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick enjoys fishing in his free time. It's fitting, because in football Belichick is not afraid to cut bait.

Many players have come and gone in New England. Some have worked out better than others. But the culture of winning remains the same.

There are only seven players remaining from the Patriots' last Super Bowl team in 2007. In four years, nearly the entire roster has been remade into a championship contender.

Big-name players like Randy Moss, Richard Seymour, Mike Vrabel, Tedy Bruschi and Rodney Harrison all left New England for various reasons. Some were released, retired, or traded and wound up on television.

You also have recent malcontent situations this past season such as former Pro Bowl safety Brandon Meriweather and former Pro Bowl defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth. Meriweather had off-the-field issues last season and surprisingly didn't make the 53-man roster. He landed with the Chicago Bears. Haynesworth was acquired in a big trade this summer and released about midway through the season.

Football is a cruel business. But it's particularly cruel in New England if you're underperforming and not buying into the program. You can multiply that by 10 if you're a malcontent.

"Most head coaches and GMs, they're never really willing to swallow their pride and admit that they made a mistake," former Patriots fullback and NFL Network analyst Heath Evans explained. "Bill just says 'Well, I thought we could fix [Haynesworth]. We couldn't. So bye-bye.' Most guys will sit there and hurt their team by allowing a cancer to infiltrate the system, the mindset, how you get something done. But Bill never hesitated.

"He saw enough. He gave [Haynesworth] enough chances and, boom, he's gone. That's an aspect of the structure and discipline. Bill doesn't care how it makes him look or what he's doing. He's going to do what's best for the team."

Haynesworth and Meriweather were cut because they no longer fit. Moss, Seymour and Vrabel were traded while the value was still high enough to get something for them. Belichick is always thinking about the next move.

Patriots starting receiver Deion Branch was fortunate.

The former Super Bowl MVP held out for more money during New England's training camp and the preseason in 2006, and was eventually traded to the Seattle Seahawks for a first-round pick. Branch got the money he wanted. Seattle signed him to a $39 million extension. But Branch never had the same success in Seattle and was traded back to New England for a fourth-round pick in 2010.

Branch was a good teammate, but the holdout with New England left a bad stench. The Patriots showed they were willing to forgive, and now Branch is one of the veteran leaders of this year's team.

"I was very honored," Branch said. "Not many have the opportunity to come back to the same team that drafted you. Guys don't get the opportunity to go through that phase. I was just very thankful."

New England receiver Chad Ochocinco is an interesting case. He's caused issues in the past with the Cincinnati Bengals. But he's quickly -- and wisely -- bought into the "Patriot way."

Ochocinco only has 15 receptions, but fellow Patriots have described him as the model teammate. He accepted his role in New England, no matter how small it is, for the greater goal of trying to win a championship. Moss also caused problems elsewhere and quickly changed his stripes when coming to New England. The talkative Ochocinco received advice from Moss this season on how to handle the transition.

"I learned to shut the [expletive] up," Ochocinco said this week.

Why doesn't this work everywhere? Why isn't every NFL team selfless and without internal issues?

"I think it doesn't work everywhere, because everyone has to buy in. I mean coaches, players, front office and owner," said former NFL executive Michael Lombardi, who once worked with Belichick. "With the Patriots, everybody buys in from the top all the way through. It's a way of life in New England. It's not just a daily job."

According to veteran guard Brian Waters, star quarterback Tom Brady plays a major role with team chemistry. Brady is an extension of Belichick in the locker room. No one is more competitive and works harder than the team's highest-paid player.

"Everybody's got egos, everybody's got their own way of doing things or what they think is the best way of doing things," Waters said. "But to have a coach set the tone and a player follow the tone as good as Tom, it's hard for any player on your team to even think about having a different thought process. If the best player on your football team is buying in 100 percent, then who are you to be any different? That’s something you have an appreciation for."

Evans, who played with the Patriots from 2005-08, went on to tell a great story involving future Hall of Famer Junior Seau. He was a 12-time Pro Bowl linebacker who joined the Patriots late in his career in 2006.

"Junior Seau, when he first got there, I don't think Junior had ever been yelled at a day in his life, or maybe even coached," Evans recalled. "Junior was over the center, trying to time the snap count, and he must have jumped offsides three times in our first practice. So Bill had it all teed up -- 'the lowlight film' is what he called it. Everyday we had a lowlight reel, and you do not want to be on that lowlight reel, because 52 other players are watching your bad mistake.

"So Junior is there jumping offsides and Bill just goes into his rant. Junior is like, 'Is he really doing this to me?' It was to the point where Junior stood up and said 'Buddy' ... He couldn't believe Bill was giving him the business like that."

No one player is bigger than the team in New England. The Patriots have done a great job of consistently sending that message and getting rid of players who don't understand. It's resulted in another Super Bowl appearance Sunday against the New York Giants.

The 2011-12 Patriots are particularly close-knit. Owner Robert Kraft says it's arguably his favorite group since owning the team, and they are one game away from capping a special season.

"One thing I've learned is that many games are lost and won in the locker room before the game starts," Kraft said this week. "Now, they have to go out and execute [against New York]."

Former Pro Bowl receiver Chad Ochocinco is off to the worst start of his career in his first season with the New England Patriots. He only has nine catches for 136 yards.

New England hopes the bye will help Ochocinco play better the rest of the season. But will it happen?

We check in with our resident scout -- Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. -- to get his take on Ochocinco's potential with the Patriots.

"I never liked the move, because he's not a disciplined enough player for New England's passing scheme. [Quarterback Tom] Brady has such a comfort level with his guys, because he always knows where they're going to be. The receivers may not be the most talented guys in the world. But a Deion Branch, Wes Welker and those type of guys are always where they need to be, and Ochocinco never is. He's like the opposite. So I never understood that, except New England got him for nothing. So it was worth the risk. Many thought when the deal was made that he was going to be New England's Randy Moss -- Ochocinco was going to blow the top off the coverage, be their fast guy and throw a couple bombs to him every week to open up the field. But he's not that guy anymore. They don't throw bombs to Ochocinco. He isn't a burner. That's not who he is, and he's not really good after the catch, either. And it's not like you can get the ball to him quick, like Welker, and he will make a guy miss. No. 85 doesn't like contact and he's not going to run anybody over. So I just don't know how he fits. He's still a good player. But he's so far down the pecking order that people would have to get hurt for him to step up."

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said he spoke with Randy Moss just before the start of training camp this season and asked about a report that the wide receiver would be interested in coming out of retirement to play for New England again.

While Moss was not definitive in wanting to return, Brady was open to the idea of a reunion.

"Would it surprise me? You never know in the NFL," Brady told Boston sports radio WEEI during his weekly call-in Tuesday. "I talked to Randy just before the start of training camp. I love Randy. He's one of the greatest wide receivers in the history of the game, one of the greater players I've ever had the chance to play with.

Read the rest of Chris Forsberg's story here.

All five panelists asked to pick the AFC East had the Patriots finishing first. Here's my intelligence report on New England:

Five things you need to know about the Patriots:

1. Defense changing its style: The Patriots have primarily utilized a two-gapping 3-4 defense in Bill Belichick's tenure as coach, which was often described as a read-and-react style of play. But things have looked significantly different this preseason, with the defense adopting more of a 4-3 look and attacking at the snap. It's a change that players are embracing. The Patriots ranked 32nd in the NFL on third down last season, but there have been early signs of improvement this year, sparked by the new emphasis on getting up the field. Belichick has already said the team is likely to keep more defensive linemen this year.

2. No surprise, Brady looks like the 2010 MVP: In the second preseason game against the Buccaneers, Tom Brady looked to be in midseason form, getting the offense in and out of the huddle at such a quick pace that Tampa defensive lineman Gerald McCoy said after the game, "Um, Mr. Brady, can we line up?" Brady has been sharp, showing no signs of trouble from the right foot surgery he had in January. A big part of his training camp has been devoted to spending time with receiver Chad Ochocinco as the two work to develop a rapport. Brady still looks like he has top arm strength.

3. Ochocinco easing into mix: Learning a new offense, and seeing the game through Brady's eyes so the two can communicate on the field without talking, has challenged Ochocinco. He is basically playing Randy Moss' old role and projects to be part of every receiver package. In the second preseason game, Ochocinco and Belichick had an animated discussion on the sideline, with Belichick pulling Ochocinco out of the game for two plays, seemingly because he wasn't pleased with his blocking down the field. For his part, Ochocinco said he has appreciated the hard coaching.

4. Big plans for Haynesworth: Despite rumors that the Patriots might cut Albert Haynesworth before the season, it was never a serious consideration. The team has big plans for him as a defensive tackle in its new-look defense, and believes that pairing him inside with Pro Bowler Vince Wilfork could be a lethal combination. Owner Robert Kraft signed off on the Haynesworth trade despite Haynesworth's off-field issues, noting that he didn't come for the money ($1.5 million base salary) and that he "found him to be genuine and sincere." Belichick said Haynesworth has done more than has been asked of him.

5. Meriweather in the doghouse: Brandon Meriweather -- the safety who was selected in the first round of the 2007 draft and has made the Pro Bowl twice -- could be on the outs. When the coaching staff rested all Pro Bowl players in the preseason opener, Meriweather played the entire first half. Then in the second preseason game, coaches adopted a three-man rotation at safety, with Meriweather coming off the field on the third series of the game. Clearly, coaches are trying to light a fire under him. If it doesn't ignite, that will be a key situation to monitor when rosters are trimmed to 53.

Buffalo Bills

Wide receiver Marcus Easley has been sidelined by a knee injury.

Stevie Johnson has high expectations coming off a breakout 2010 season. "Just try to be like Lee [Evans]," Johnson said. "Lee's one of the elite receivers. He's had 1,000-yard seasons, multiple 1,000-yard seasons. That's what I want to do. I want to be one of those receivers you hear about. Steve Smiths and all that. [Larry] Fitzgeralds. I want to be like those guys. I want to have consistent, 1,000-yard seasons and multiple touchdowns. I don't want to get it twisted and sound like an arrogant guy or anything. But that's the next step for me. I feel like I want to be in that category with those receivers, like Lee is."

Miami Dolphins

Jason Taylor was surprised to get the call asking if he wanted to return to the Dolphins.

Greg Cote of The Miami Herald: "Nothing the Dolphins have done so far, post-lockout, would scream win-now and command the rest of the league’s attention as much as the acquisition -- still -- of quarterback Kyle Orton."

New England Patriots

Chad Ochocinco has vowed to blend in with his new teammates in New England.

Chad Finn of The Boston Globe says Randy Moss' final pattern wasn't a predictable one.

New York Jets

Mark Sanchez says it's time for him to step up his game.

Sporting a new tattoo, Rex Ryan was in midseason form on Monday when he met with the media.

Randy Moss has announced his retirement. An all-time great and a sure Hall of Famer, Moss’ greatness cannot be denied.

He is one of the best big-play offensive players of all time and the elite threat of our generation. Moss’ physical abilities were off the charts.

But this seems like a good time for him to retire. Last season, when Moss played for three different teams, was an embarrassing showing for Moss. For all of Moss’ greatness, the majority of his brilliance was based off those off-the-charts physical abilities that he was born with. And some of those talents have eroded -- as they do to all players with age.

Again, if I had a Hall of Fame vote, I would vote Moss in as soon as he was eligible. But the majority of his extreme effectiveness was based on his ability to really get deep. Some technician wide receivers like Derrick Mason and Hines Ward can age more gracefully. Moss horrified opposing defenses because of his great speed, explosion, coordination, height and ridiculous ball skills.

He was never a precise route runner or a guy who made his living between the numbers. So, when his speed and explosion deteriorated, Moss’ effectiveness did as well. Now, I believe Moss could still go up and get the football in the end zone -- he has simply been an elite touchdown producer over his career and thrived in the red zone. But without the ability to simply run by most corners, Moss just isn’t the same.

I was asked repeatedly over the lockout, “What does Moss have left?” My answer was always, “I don’t really know since 2010 was such a strange season for him. It all comes down to if he can still really run. If he can’t, he isn’t Randy Moss. If he can, he still has a major role on a downfield passing team.”

Apparently, Moss realized he wasn’t quite the same in this capacity and wisely decided to get out instead of suffering through a season like he did in 2010.

All of that being said, I will very much miss watching what Moss could do on the football field. There really has not been another player quite like him.

Scouts Inc. watches games, breaks down film and studies football from all angles for ESPN.com. Follow Matt Williamson on Twitter @WilliamsonNFL.

ESPN NFL analyst Chris Carter and close friend of Randy Moss called in to SportsCenter to give his take on Moss’ decision to retire. Interestingly, Carter indicated that it just might have been the moves the Patriots and Jets made at the receiver position that pushed Moss to make the decision to hang ‘em up.

"What I think forced (his retirement) was No. 1, New England trading for (Chad) Ochocinco,” Carter explained. “That's the No. 1 place he wanted to go to. His biggest problem with New England was he didn’t want a one-year deal. New England wanted to sign him to a one-year deal. As you can see, New England gave Chad that three-year deal.

“The next team he wanted to go to was the New York Jets. Now they had someone, a big receiver, who decided to take the one-year deal: Plaxico Burress.

“So Randy Moss, he'll tell you, he has all the awards, the accolades, everything but a Super Bowl. And people never want to give Randy credit that he wants to win. Randy is a winner and he wants to win and he wants to win a Super Bowl.

“What I'm seeing is, when those two teams were removed from him and his ability to go play with them, I think that Randy reacted a lot like the Randy that came into the league, like the Randy we've seen and he said 'You know something, I'm not just going to play for anyone,' like last year when he played for the Titans. That was truly embarrassing, It didn’t even look like Randy Moss.

“Randy’s mind has to be in the right state. His body I'm sure is in a great state, even better than it was last year. Randy Moss, he's not playing football today because he couldn’t find a suitor.

“Now, as far his agent saying he was in the best shape of his life this offseason, he really was and was really making an attempt to come back and make that splash in the NFL that we were used to.”

With news that Randy Moss has decided to retire, a few things come to mind.

You knew it was going to be special in New England from that first '07 training camp practice when Tom Brady and Moss decided to put on a show. It was a clinic, Brady pumping the ball to Moss repeatedly, the atmosphere electric with thousands of fans "oohing" and "aahing" with each connection.

I had never seen a training camp practice like that before, and haven't seen one since.

One aspect that was unforgettable was simply watching Moss run. It was so effortless, looked so smooth, that it didn't seem he was going as fast as he was. Then, the next thing you know, he was 5 yards behind the cornerback, reaching his hands out at the last moment to snare the ball effortlessly.

Moss ended up tweaking his hamstring and didn't participate in the rest of camp, but anyone who was there that day knew the possibilities for something special were there. You couldn't dream up some of the catches he made.

Randy Moss has decided to retire rather than continue playing.

He was instrumental in the Patriots' 2007 record-breaking season in which they won 16 straight games before losing to the Giants in the Super Bowl.

What will you remember most about Moss' time in New England?

Looking for a No. 2 receiver to start opposite Santonio Holmes, the Jets are giving strong consideration to Plaxico Burress, a league source confirmed according to ESPNNewYork.com's Rich Cimini. A visit to their facility could happen within 24 hours, the source said.

The Jets are considering a variety of free agent options, including James Jones (Green Bay Packers) and Randy Moss (Tennessee Titans).

ESPN NFL analyst Keyshawn Johnson says Randy Moss should return to the Patriots.