What’s next in Foxboro?

The Patriots announcing that, instead of wearing silver-and-blue next season, they’ll be donning silver-and-black? Or that their mascot, Flying Elvis, will be sporting a patch over his eye?

Suddenly, it seems, those red, white, and true-blue Patriots, pro football’s all-American boys, are turning into an East Coast version of the Oakland Raiders, the bad boys of the NFL, those rebels with a cause, but without, in recent years, an offense or defense.

On Saturday, the Patriots used their first-round draft pick to take a pistol-packin’, head-stompin’ safety from Attitude U., a.k.a. the University of Miami, whose scholar-athletes were involved in an ugly melee during their game with Florida International last fall in which Brandon Meriweather, a team captain, was clearly seen kicking several prone FIU players.

Then yesterday, the Pats made a deal with the devil, selling their football soul in hopes of getting back to the Super Bowl, making a trade with the recalcitrant Raiders for talented but troublesome wide receiver Randy Moss, who wore out his welcome in Minnesota, then made it obvious that he wanted out of Oakland.

The Raiders have always been the team of last resort for the NFL’s maladjusted malcontents, a place where oddballs, characters, and iconoclasts all could do their own thing. Which, during the team’s glory days, was winning football games.

Just win, baby.

The Raiders still preach that philosophy, although they no longer seem to be able to practice it.

Now it’s New England that’s assuming that mantle. Or, if you will, that gray hoodie.

Next thing you know, Robert Kraft will be sending all those blue shirts with white collars he wears every game to the Salvation Army and start showing up in the owner’s box wearing black leather, like Al Davis.

The Patriots, under Kraft, have stood for what’s good about the NFL. Now, it appears, they’ll stand for a lot more than they ever used to in the way of aberrant behavior.

Perhaps it was the success they had with running back Corey Dillon, whose reputation wasn’t as good as his rushing stats when he came to New England from Cincinnati prior to the 2004 season, saying all he wanted was to win a Super Bowl, and that he wouldn’t upset team chemistry.

He was as good as his word. He also was very good for the New England running game, setting a franchise record by rushing for 1,635 yards in 2004, when the Patriots won their third Super Bowl in four years. He also led the team in rushing the last two years, and scored 13 touchdowns in each of his three seasons in New England.

Dillon came from Cincinnati at the cost of a second-round draft choice. Which makes Moss an even bigger bargain, because he cost only a fourth, and is an even better receiver than Dillon is a runner.

Moss ranks fifth all-time in career receiving touchdowns, with 101. He also is the only player in NFL history to surpass the 1,000-yard mark in receiving in each of his first six seasons. At 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, with excellent hands and blazing speed, he is a tremendous talent.

Unfortunately, he does not always put that talent to use. He has admitted that he sometimes takes plays off, that he does not always give his best effort.

And trouble seems to stick with him much better than opposing defensive backs.

Coming out of high school, he signed a letter of intent to attend Notre Dame. But the Irish rescinded their scholarship offer when Moss was arrested for assaulting a high-school classmate and appeared in court — where he pleaded guilty to two counts of battery and was sentenced to 30 days in jail — wearing Notre Dame attire. Moss claimed the fight, in which the victim was hospitalized, was the result of a racial insult.

Arrangements then were made for Moss to attend Florida State, but he left there after testing positive for marijuana. That’s how he wound up at Marshall, where he played with current Jets quarterback Chad Pennington. Despite a highly-productive college career, he wasn’t drafted until the 21st pick in 1998 by Minnesota because teams had concerns about his character.

Those concerns have been proven justified, as Moss has frequently been fined by the NFL throughout his career for such things as verbal abuse of an official, squirting water at an official, making contact with an official, and pretending to “moon” fans in Green Bay as part of a touchdown celebration.

Moss was fined $15,000 by the Vikings for verbal abuse of corporate sponsors and once was kicked off a USAir flight after a confrontation with a flight attendant over a carry-on bag.

He had to perform community service and pay a $1,200 fine after he refused to stop for a Twin Cities traffic control officer who tried to prevent him from making an illegal U-turn. Moss bumped the officer with his car, pushing her down the street.

In what would be his final game for the Vikings before being dealt to Oakland, Moss walked off the field in the waning seconds as Minnesota was attempting an onside kick.

There have been other incidents, but those should be more than enough to show that Moss does not fit the Patriots profile.

He does, however, fit their offense.

Just win, baby. As the Raiders like to say.

jdonald@projo.com