By Matt Sohn
Feb. 6, 2008

After a demoralized Patriots team trudged back into their University of Phoenix locker room following their shocking Super Bowl loss to the Giants, they proceeded to shed themselves of their identities as Patriots. Off went their helmets and team-embroidered insignia and on went their street clothes.

For many of them, it will be the last time they ever take off their Patriots-issued uniforms.

Since the Bill Belichick-Scott Pioli machine started calling the shots in Foxborough, Mass., the Patriots have been thought of as an organization that’s always a step or two ahead of the curve. They always seem to be able to make smooth transitions from one season to the next.

But the way we hear it, the Pats face a stern test in keeping their club humming this offseason. Perhaps no organization has as many marquee players in the unrestricted free-agent pool as the Patriots do, and the task of re-signing all of them, while also fortifying other positions of need, is virtually impossible.

The questions begin at wide receiver, where three of the team’s four leading receivers hang in the balance. Randy Moss and Jabar Gaffney are both free agents, while the club holds an option on Donté Stallworth. Among the outstanding quartet of pass catchers, only Wes Welker is assured of being in New England in 2008.

First, the most obvious move. The Patriots will not pick up Stallworth’s option, which is reportedly valued between $6 million and $8 million. While one of the league’s more dangerous receivers after the catch, the first-year Patriot never could get on track, falling behind Welker and Gaffney in the WR pecking order.

All indications point to Moss coming back. Even though he’ll turn 31 on Feb. 13 and the Patriots are reluctant to shell out primo money to players that old, Moss’ sensational 1,493-yard, 23-TD season served as notice that he could very well remain among the top receivers in the league for at least a few more seasons. That being said, there’s a strong possibility he’ll be offered more money by more desperate teams, but that his desire to stay with the Patriots will trump the greater financial windfall he will be privy to elsewhere.

“Randy’s a lot smarter than people give him credit for,” one team insider told PFW. “He knows that his legacy and getting into the Hall of Fame will be decided based on the end of his career and whether he can add a Super Bowl title or two. He knows that his best chance comes with Tom Brady.”

A less likely option would be to franchise Moss, which would count $7.85 million against the anticipated $116 million salary cap in 2008.

Gaffney is the prototypical role receiver whom the Pats would like to have back but won’t overextend to re-sign.

Star CB Asante Samuel won’t be as accommodating as Moss. Samuel is free to test the market due to a clause in the franchise tender he signed during training camp that stated the Patriots will not franchise him a second straight season if he satisfied certain preconditions. Samuel and Oakland’s Nnamdi Asomugha are the unquestioned headliners of the free-agent CB crop, and both will demand top dollar. Multiple sources have confirmed to PFW that New England would be putting itself in a serious salary-cap bind if it coughs up the cash for Samuel, so it seems increasingly unlikely that Samuel will remain in Patriots colors next season.

The problem with Samuel walking is that the Patriots are going to be in a world of hurt in their secondary. Ellis Hobbs may very well be the most quotable Patriot in the locker room, but he falls short in his primary job description of covering receivers. Being taken to task by Giants WR Plaxico Burress on his Super Bowl game-winning TD reception epitomized Hobbs’ shortcomings.

Venerable S Rodney Harrison, 35, had a better season than most believed he could at his age and will likely honor his contract, which runs through next season, but he can’t be expected to provide superior pass coverage at his age.

Linebacker presents another set of challenges. Aging ILBs Tedy Bruschi and Junior Seau are both free agents and are unlikely to be signed to anything more than one-year contracts — if they don’t retire. ESPN’s Sean Salisbury stated that, prior to the Super Bowl, Seau told him that the game’s outcome would go a long way in determining whether he’d return, an omen that bodes well for the Patriots. But neither Bruschi nor Seau is the player he once was, and the Pats need to look to other free agents to beef up the position. The team has precious little depth, and Belichick has traditionally been reluctant to build the position through the draft.

The Super Bowl flop ensured a long offseason in New England. But at least the front office has plenty on its plate to keep it occupied.