Tory party

The Patriots signed veteran wide receiver Tory Holt today as the possible answer as to who will be the wideout opposite Randy Moss. Get ready for the comparisons with Joey Galloway. Comparisons that should not be made.

Galloway was a solid NFL wide receiver for many years and many teams. He is five years older than Holt. When one player is nearing 40 and the other is nearing 35 that's a key five years. Galloway could have been a productive WR for the Pats. Unfortunately he decided he was ready to retire from the NFL. The problem was he didn't tell the team that. His play in the first few weeks of the season told them. He was done. A lot of comments have been made that Belichick blew it signing Galloway. How was he supposed to know the guy had lost the desire to play? It was just one of those moves that didn't work out. Happens all the time.

So now comes Tory Holt. Another veteran. But a totally different story. Holt, who will turn 35 in June, caught 51 passes for nearly 800 yards last year for a passing-challenged Jacksonville team. That should improve with Brady. Holt has also been very durable. In his 10-year career with the St. Louis Rams he started 147 out of 158 games. He's a worker. He has great hands. He's clutch. Joey Galloway was never all of those things.

The most important thing Holt brings to the team is being a winner. And, from watching interviews and highlights of his time with the Rams, he is a positive guy in the clubhouse. And he has a Super Bowl ring. The more guys like Tory Holt in the Pats locker the better.