Randy Moss could singlehandedly shift the balance of power next year, if he signs with a playoff contender other than the Patriots. Drew Hallowell/Getty Images

Showing they have learned something from last year's spending spree, most of the rest of the 49ers' moves have been small-scale by comparison. They locked up aging receiver Isaac Bruce at two years for $6 million, believing he'll enjoy a renaissance of sorts in new offensive coordinator Mike Martz's system, in which he thrived in St. Louis.

They added ex-Carolina running back DeShaun Foster (two years, $1.8 million) as Frank Gore's backup, gave a modest two-year deal to ex-Vikings inside linebacker Dontarrious Thomas, and acquired veteran return man Allen Rossum (one year at $870,000) and ex-Lions backup quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan (one year at $645,000). Earlier in the week, the 49ers re-signed two of their own potential free agents, keeping solid defensive tackle Jesse Sopoaga and linebacker Roderick Green at home.

With all that, I'm assuming the 49ers won't be a major player in the Lance Briggs sweepstakes (Editor's Note: Briggs agreed to terms with the Bears on March 1), as I had expected them to be. But even without that push, San Francisco has again made a significant splash in the free-agent pool. All the activity begs a familiar question, given their recent history: Will the 49ers once again come up dry?

• Can't say that if I were a Patriots fan, I'd find comfort in the relative silence that surrounds Randy Moss's free agency, but here are the three best reasons I keep believing Moss isn't going anywhere but back to Foxboro: Tom Brady, Tom Brady and Tom Brady.

With that season-long love-fest that No. 12 and No. 81 engaged in, there's no way in heck that I see New England risking the wrath of its franchise quarterback by allowing Moss to slip away. Brady made it infinitely clear at the Super Bowl that he considers himself and Moss a package deal at this point, and with the Patriots content to let receiver Donte' Stallworth (who has signed with the Browns) shop his services elsewhere in free agency, losing Moss might just send the signal to Brady that New England's receiving corps will return to those desultory 2006 standards.

Rest assured that's not going to make Tom Terrific too happy, even while he's holed up this winter with Gisele at her compound on some Costa Rican beach. If there's one player that Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli take pains to listen to, no matter how soft-spoken the words, it's Brady. And there's no doubt that Brady wants Moss back.

That's why I still think Randy returns to New England. But if you're a Patriots fan, I'm starting to understand the anxiety.

• How much fun could the Boston Globe have had on Sunday if it would have screamed the following from its lead headline atop the sports section: Patriots release Brady....(Kyle Brady, that is).

Tell me someone on the sports desk at least thought about it.

• The Raiders signed away Giants safety Gibril Wilson, and I guess we should have seen this one coming. Oakland loves to land a player that still has some of that Super Bowl magic fairy dust sprinkled on him.

Wilson's a good young player, but then again, it didn't work out so well for Oakland with Larry Brown, Russell Maryland, Desmond Howard or Dominic Rhodes, did it?

• Weird turn of events with the Lions' trade of defensive tackle Shaun Rogers, who crossed the state of Ohio from Cincinnati to Cleveland late Friday without moving so much as a muscle.

All things considered, I like the Browns' rebuilt defensive tackle tandem of ex-Packer Corey Williams and Rogers as much as any personnel improvement any team has made thus far this offseason. As I wrote on Friday, Rogers has been inconsistent and comes with the label of playing hard only when it suits him. But he and Williams give the Browns a very solid foundation in the middle of their D-line.

The Browns, by the way, now have first, second or third round picks in this year's draft, thanks to the deals that landed them Brady Quinn last year, and Williams and Rogers this year.

• The Rams would be better this year if their only move came in signing kicker Josh Brown away from Seattle. St. Louis fans have to love that move. It's probably not accurate, but in my mind it seems like Brown beats the Rams twice every year with a last-second field goal.

• Two final thoughts on the 49ers: Thank God it's Monster Park no more. Now that sanity has returned, can we just call San Francisco's stadium Candlestick Park in perpetuity?

And happy retirement, Trent Dilfer. The 49ers' signing of J.T. O'Sullivan closes the door for Dilfer in San Francisco, and that's not a bad thing. Dilfer, whom I covered as a Bucs beat writer starting with his rookie season of 1994, is expected to call it a career. I say who needs the concussion worries? I don't know if you've seen him on The NFL Network, but Dilfer, one of the league's best guys, is an absolute natural on the small screen.