NFL Rumors: Patriots Wrong Not to Act on Reggie Wayne or Randy Moss Interest

Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots haven't had a legitimate vertical threat since the departure of Randy Moss.

Although the Pats lost a Super Bowl with Moss and one without him in the past five years, there is no denying how much more dangerous they are with some form of a vertical weapon.

Quarterback Tom Brady has put up great numbers since his 50-touchdown explosion in Moss' first season in New England, 2007. There is no denying that he's been a different quarterback, statistically speaking, since hooking up with Moss.

He's developed great relationships with Wes Welker—who needs to be paid—and his two new weapons Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski.

But while he's got himself a great playmaking receiver who can do things underneath and with the football in his hands, and two tight ends who create matchup nightmares, he still doesn't have a receiver he can trust with a deep ball.

Two players in particular, one he knows well and one he's seen on the sideline for a number of years, are interested in teaming up with the Patriots quarterback.

Moss wants to come back out of retirement, according to a Ustream interview he posted, and obviously, we know the Patriots could not legitimately rule out the the option of bringing him back.

Reggie Wayne, meanwhile, is set to become a free agent, the Colts haven't decided what to do and Wayne made a comment in passing to former Patriots linebacker Willie McGinest, according to the Boston Herald.

“It came up in the conversation would he ever want to play for the Patriots,” McGinest said. “He smiled and said, ‘Who wouldn’t want to play there?’ "

While that is far from an overwhelming endorsement, it does bring up an interesting option for both player and team.

The Patriots have not gotten comfortable with any vertical receiving threats since Moss' departure. Chad Ochocinco, Belichick's latest project, was of little use this season and the young players they've attempted to develop—outside of Gronk and Hernandez—haven't.

This team is set up to win right now. It'll always have a chance to win games with Tom Brady under center, but it needs to find a weapon that can stretch the field.

Moss and Wayne are two players who can do exactly that.

Neither is as young or fast as he once was, but both veterans would be a weapon the Patriots simply do not have right now.

Rather than using one of their two first round picks on a wide receiver, they can make the rest of the team better by using them elsewhere while signing a veteran playmaker out wide.