Rumors ran rampant last week, given extra fuel Friday by tuffonline reports, that All-Tuff wide receiver Hugh Suen is being shopped around by Moose management.

These rumors aren't going away, folks, even ones as farfetched as both Suen and defensive back Dedrick Blades being dealt to a divisional opponent. Such is the state of the Moose, who have been rendered a mediocre franchise this season by virtue of a poorly engineered offseason business plan, followed by a slew of questionable free agent signings.

''Obviously," GM Lamar Gordon has said numerous times, ''our plan was flawed."

Is Gordon’s job in jeopardy? Absolutely. The only reason he was sparred in the offseason is because the Moose won the championship. If his team doesn't start playing better, he will be sent packing in the summer.

The Moose are 5-2, with both losses coming to divisional opponents; a no-no for any team contending for a divisional crown. What’s worse is they could very well be 4-3, if not for an overtime victory over Nashville.

So, what’s wrong?

Where is the drive? The pride? The killer instinct?

Fact is, management failed to bring in key players for Ditka to run his 4-3 defense. What you have now is players playing in different positions and clearly not adapting well enough.

Defensive ends Willie Damato, Justin Howse and Del Amoriello have all tried playing the tackle position and neither has been successful. DT-Jeff Olquin was signed last week, but he’s definitely not the long term solution either.

And then there are the defensive backs … apparently after losing CB-Barry Kelleher and S-Anthony Washburn to free agency, the Moose were content with having CB-Ty Law and CB-Hanford Dixon penciled in as the starters no matter what. Problem is, Law and Dixon are not as dominant as they once were when SSM won their first championship. Time and again they have been exploited by opponents.

So, where are all the savvy trades Gordon is known for? When can we expect this team to get the right personnel?

Well, if you believe the rumors, I doubt it will be soon. Trading Suen and Blades is obviously not going to help this team.

You can’t just replace a player like Suen. Wide Receiver, Marvin Harper is not ready to be a number two receiver just yet and WR-Clarence Holloway is not an every day player. So, if you trade Suen for defensive help, you’re just poking a hole in the offense. Dilemma, dilemma.

Realistically, management should have been busier in the offseason, but owner Arthur Lachowicz decided an extended vacation was more important.

So, this is your team; 5-2 and no longer a threat to win the division. It is a sad day for Moose fans everywhere.

QB Controversy?

Last year Bernie Dropo took the starting job away from Fred Kelly and never looked back. But, when Dropo retired this offseason, Kelly expected to take over as the starter for S009. Well, that was until the team signed Adrian Fritz.

We all know this organizations love affair with Fritz. Drafted 11th overall in the S006 draft, Fritz led SSM to their first TUFF Bowl victory. And now, it looks like the Moose are doing everything they can to develop Fritz into their starting quarterback again.

So, is a quarterback controversy brewing? I would think so. The problem is, neither of these guys is ready to take over for the rest of the season. Fritz is susceptible to injury and who knows how much stamina he has after not playing for a year. And although Kelly looks great in practice, he often collapses under pressure during the game.

It’s almost a wonder why the Moose let Bernie retire without even talking to him.

Other Moose News

> WR-Mark Duper had a career high last week in receiving yards in a loss against the Pittsburgh Bulls. Duper caught 11 passes for 225 yards and one score.

> WR-Marvin Harper had a career high as well, catching 9 balls for 183 yards and 2 scores. Both receivers had over a 20 yard per catch average.

> Paging Hugh Suen. Where the hell where you when the team needed you most against Pittsburgh. You sure as hell started, but I don’t see any catches. Hmm. Maybe there is something behind those trade rumors.

> Adrian Fritz is ranked second in league passing only behind rookie sensation Kenneth Esposito. Fritz’s quarterback rating sits at 126.1. If he can keep those numbers up, he will surely make a good case for comeback player of the year.

> In recent practices, Mike Ditka has been trying out CB-Hanford Dixon at safety. Time will tell if this will move will be implemented in real games.