Test patterns

FOXBOROUGH - He is already a paradox without playing a down for the New England Patriots. On one hand, Randy Moss represents tantalizing possibilities the Patriots haven't enjoyed even during their finest times, including three Super Bowl championships: a Pro Bowl receiver with height and hops (see Minnesota Vikings, circa 1998-2003) who can leap above the defense to haul in even the most errant of Tom Brady's offerings.

Yet Moss also represents the one thing New England avoided during its championship reign: a spoiled, petulant superstar who, when things aren't going his way, has proved to be a major distraction and detriment to his team (see Oakland Raiders, circa 2006).

So what should the Patriots expect from Randy Moss? Will he be "incredibly successful in New England," as his coach in Minnesota, Dennis Green, suggests, or will he be the ultimate tease, as former Raiders coach Art Shell intimated when Moss was acquired by the Patriots for a fourth-round draft pick last April?

As New England begins its assault on a fourth Super Bowl ring, Moss remains the most intriguing name on the roster. During his abbreviated preseason, before a hamstring injury sidelined him Aug. 1 and left his progress shrouded in secrecy, he exhibited flashes of brilliance. His new quarterback was unabashed in his enthusiasm. Conversely, his coach, Bill Belichick, was predictably understated during the few times he acknowledged Moss was even on his roster.

This much we do know: After missing every exhibition game, Moss practiced this week and declared himself ready to go.

"I'm dying to get out there," he said. "To have a whole month off was frustrating. I came here, got treatment, and went to the meetings. I learned what everyone else learned, but I couldn't play."

Moss submitted the worst year of his career last season, catching just 42 balls for 553 yards and three touchdowns for the hapless Raiders. He was inactive for the final three games because of problems with his legs - and clashes with his coaching staff. Moss's tenure in Oakland was so combustible, a number of his former teammates, including tackle Barry Sims, declared they were better off without him.

In a May 13 Globe article written by Ron Borges, Shell predicted, "They'll find out Randy can't run consistently anymore. He'll drive Brady and Belichick crazy . . . he's becoming an old man fast."

Former Raiders offensive coordinator Tom Walsh declared in the same piece, "Randy Moss is a player whose skills are diminishing, and he's in denial of those eroding skills."

On Monday, when Moss finally suited up in full pads, he acknowledged his prolonged absence was, in part, to err on the side of caution and protect his legs. Last season, it was difficult to discern which was more damaging to his team: his injury status or his attitude. His contrary stance with the Raiders lumped him with another troubled malcontent, Terrell Owens, the self-absorbed Dallas receiver.

"Randy Moss is not a 'me' guy," insisted Green. "The comparisons to guys like Terrell Owens are ridiculous.

"When Randy came in as a rookie, he was terrific right away, but there was absolutely nothing about him to imply that all he cared about was himself.

"The thing about Randy is he loves to compete, and he loves to win. When we drafted him, he was in his perfect element because he joined a playoff-caliber team. We were very good, but not what we became after we added Randy in 1998. He made us so much better.

"Now some guys don't play as well when winning isn't part of the equation. I think Randy falls into that category. He likes to win. He likes to be the best. He gets discouraged when he's around other guys who don't share his winning agenda."

Room to fit

The Patriots collectively opted to reserve judgment on their high-profile acquisition until they had firsthand knowledge of Moss's work ethic and attitude. He did little to endear himself during minicamp, when he appeared to go through some drills at half-speed.

That dissipated once training camp started. Moss was, according to a number of veterans, attentive and respectful.

"He worked very hard to get up to speed with what we were doing," Brady reported.

"He's been a good teammate, a hard-working guy, very enthusiastic," added tight end Kyle Brady. "I think you have to be careful not to take perceptions at face value and not rush to any judgments."

Kyle Brady said Moss's list of transgressions, among them pantomiming mooning the Lambeau Field crowd during a playoff game against Green Bay in 2005, have been, at times, blown out of proportion.

"There are some of the things he did I found to be humorous, that people overreacted to," Brady said. "I thought it was pretty funny what happened in Green Bay, to be honest.

"All I can tell you is he's got a great sense of humor, a big personality. He likes clowning around, calling guys out in the locker room. I think he's going to be OK here. I think Junior [Seau] said it best - every team has its own culture. Here, it's a culture of responsibility and accountability.

"That's the culture the coaches want, but sometimes when it's only coming from above, it can develop into an Us-vs.-Them mentality. Here, that culture is part of the fabric. You get the sense right away it means a lot to the players in this locker room."

Green said Moss was a positive influence with the Vikings, and was particularly respectful of the veterans.

"On really good teams, players dictate the philosophy," Green said. "I see that in New England. I saw it with those great 49er teams. I saw it with the Vikings. In those situations, you have guys who will do what it takes to win, and if you don't, you won't be around very long.

"Randy was a great teammate in Minnesota. He showed a lot of personal pride. Our players liked him a lot."

Tom Brady was giddy during the first couple of weeks he played catch with the receiver of his dreams, but even he conceded it will be difficult for Moss to make a huge impact until he's put in more time on the field and learns the nuances of the system.

"Randy, as a veteran, seems to pick up things pretty well," Brady noted. "I'm sure there's going to be mistakes that he won't make twice."

Green said Moss is a quick study whose football intelligence is underrated.

"In the kind of offense we ran," Green explained, "Randy's responsibilities were very detail-oriented. He had to remember a lot of audibles, a lot of different plays. He had to be ready to go deep at any moment. And he was fine with that. He reacts very well to structure."

An incomplete attempt

Moss was "disappointed" that he missed most of New England's preseason, but is convinced he can catch up quickly with the rest of the receiving corps, which also includes newcomers Kyle Brady, Donte' Stallworth, Kelley Washington, and Wes Welker. All of them have acknowledged an adjustment period to their quarterback, a perfectionist who oversees a complex offensive scheme with painstaking care.

"It would be harder for rookies coming into this system," Welker said. "A lot of NFL offenses are pretty similar, so in that regard it's not like you are starting from scratch.

"But there's no question it's important to spend time out there with your quarterback. The more reps you have, the more comfortable you become, because things come up.

"There have been a lot of situations where I'll run a route my way, and Tom will come back and say, 'I'd rather you do this.' So next time that route comes up, I know what he'll be looking for."

Although he said he talks to Brady each day, while his quarterback was on the practice field, Moss was on the sideline trying to calm his hamstring.

Second-year receiver Chad Jackson has spent most of the preseason alongside Moss while rehabbing his surgically repaired knee. That experience, he said, has been priceless.

"It's not like we're sitting around trying to heal," Jackson said. "We've been working hard, running, lifting, and just trying to get better.

"Randy is totally different from what I expected. You hear about all the stuff in the past, and you expect a guy who is maybe not the happiest person in the room. But he is hilarious. I've learned a lot from him, but I've had a lot of fun with him, too.

"We get going sometimes. Of course, we've always got Troy [Brown] to keep us in line."

Since the price of the Moss experiment was only a fourth-round pick, the Patriots have little to lose and much to gain if Moss can regain some of the swagger that earned him five trips to the Pro Bowl.

Nobody in the Patriots front office is expecting Moss to replicate his best years in Minnesota, but they are expecting him to avoid replicating his embarrassing tenure in Oakland.

So how much does Randy Moss have left? Even he seems unsure.

"We'll have to wait and see," he answered.

"Randy Moss is not the same guy," offered Hall of Fame receiver Michael Irvin. "When he entered the league he had the speed to run by anyone. He's lost some of that ability to take that little hitch route and take it the distance. New England is hoping he'll find it again."

"Randy can still run," Green maintained. "Whether he can run as fast as he could when he was 21 years old is another thing. But he can change direction. He still has gears."

The gears were stuck all preseason. The real games start now, and all of New England will be watching.

Including a persnickety quarterback who has no time for histrionics, only results.

Jackie MacMullan can be reached at macmullan@globe.com.