Izzo Staying With Pats; Moss Creeps Toward FA

Well, it's probably not the highest priority news for Patriots fans on the eve of free agency but special teams ace Larry Izzo isn't going anywhere.

Izzo, who'll be 34 in September, has agreed in principle to a deal to stay with the Patriots. The 5-10, 228-pounder is almost exclusively a special teams player although he has appeared in some goal line defenses for New England.

Izzo's entering his 13th year in the league which is fairly amazing since he went undrafted coming out of Rice in 1996.

The Patriots are also close to getting a deal done to keep another special teams specialist, Kelley Washington, in Foxboro.

Washington is a receiver by trade. Although he didn't have a catch for the Patriots in 2007, the 6-foot-3, 215-pounder could be moving up the New England depth chart by osmosis.

The Patriots have already taken a pass on Donte Stallworth and receivers Jabar Gaffney and Randy Moss become free agents at 12:01 Friday morinng. That leaves Washington (when he signs), Chad Jackson and Wes Welker  as the Pats receiver corps.

I didn't figure it would take this long to get Moss locked up given both sides desire for him to be in New England for the foreseeable.

But Moss is a mercurial guy and, while talks continue the closer he gets to having the opportunity to hear other offers, the more hands will sweat in New England.