Back in 2005 when former NFL wideout Derrick Mason entered free agency for the first time in his career after playing with the Tennessee Titans, he had a decision to make; what team would he play for next?
Even though he ended up playing the next six seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, looking back, Mason still wonders what it would have been like to play for another team he had taken an interview with during his free agency window – the Patriots.
Mason sat down with NBC Sports Boston’s Tom E. Curran and detailed his situation regarding New England during the free agency window that offseason.
“I came for a visit, sat down and talked with Bill (Belichick),” Mason said. “I talked with the receivers coach at the time, talked with the GM. I think it was (Scott Pioli). Believe me: I loved my time in Baltimore. That’s like my second home. But I think back to, what if I had made that decision to go to New England and play with arguably the greatest quarterback to play the game?
“My time in Baltimore was special. I played with one of the best quarterbacks, my favorite in Steve McNair, (then) Joe Flacco (in Baltimore). But not many times you get to play with a great like Tom Brady. But a lot of other factors came into it. Family and everything else. But I do from time to time think about, man, what it would have been like going to New England?”
During his stint with the Ravens, Mason accumulated 471 receptions for 5,777 yards and 79 touchdowns.
During the 2005 season, New England had a receiving corps that included Deion Branch, Troy Brown, David Givens, Bethel Johnson, and Tim Dwight.
It’s tough to say contractually how signing Mason would have impacted the acquisitions of Randy Moss and Wes Welker, who both joined the Patriots in 2007 and had Hall-of-Fame numbers during their time in New England.
Either way, Mason was a great player and one can daydream about that scenario.
