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FOXBORO - When Donté Stallworth was signed to bolster an underproductive Patriots' wide receiving corps in the offseason, there was a lot of buzz in New England over it.

Then came Wes Welker, and Randy Moss - and suddenly, the excitement over the addition of Stallworth, the former Saint and Eagle, was tempered considerably.

That's pretty much how things have gone for the affable wide receiver from Tennessee, who went from being the potential focus of the Patriots' passing attack to a bit player as the statistics for Moss and Welker went through the roof. But as the Patriots prepared to head to Arizona to continue their preparation for Super Bowl XLII against the New York Giants, Stallworth said he's fine with his situation.

"Whatever role it was that I was going to have to play here, I was fine with that," he said last week at Gillette Stadium. "I knew that the main objective was I was tired of being home for New Year's and being home for the holidays. I've been playing pretty much up to this point, as far as through the holidays and things. Now I'm in the big show, so everything that's gone on, I've had a good time.

"Now is the ultimate payoff, so you just continue to work hard and try to study your opponent as well as you can and try to leave Arizona with a good feeling," he said. It's not certain if Stallworth, whose salary cap number inflates considerably next year, will return for a second season as a Patriot. His six-year, $33.1 million contract (with $12 million in guaranteed money) was written so that the Patriots could choose not to pick up his options and prevent his salary to inflating to over $11 million in 2008.

Stallworth caught 46 passes for 697 yards in the Patriots' record-setting offense this year - not world-beating numbers that would rate a huge salary when Moss, working off a one-year pact far below his market value, will expect a big payday next year.

There are two deadlines that will indicate what path this situation will follow. Stallworth is due a $6 million option bonus on Feb. 25, a little more than three weeks after Super Bowl XLII. Then on March 1, he would be due another $2 million for a roster bonus.

None of those topics were raised before the Patriots' departure for Arizona, as Stallworth was focused solely upon his first opportunity to play in the NFL's championship game.

"This is the biggest game of the best sport in the world," he said, "and this is what you fantasize about growing up as a little kid, playing in your backyard and things like that. This is it. We'll try to get a good week of preparation this week and go down to Arizona with a plan and be all about business once we get down there."

With Jabar Gaffney seemingly having taken away some of Stallworth's opportunity with his improved play in recent weeks, Stallworth has tried to remain true to a long-established Patriot philosophy - that Tom Brady's favorite receiver is the one who's open.

"You just have to step up," Stallworth said. "You know that Tom's going to find the open guy every time, so you just have to know that whatever situation it may be, if it's first down, first series, or it could be late in the game on third down, Tom's going to find the open guy. Every play, you just have to do your job and try to get open."

Stallworth also isn't kidding himself about what his role on this team should be. He looks around, sees a great deal of talent and is happy to be a part of it.

"Obviously, when you have a guy like Randy, and Wes is being able to work the slot really well, and Jabar, it's not only the receivers," he said. "It's the whole team. We wouldn't be able to do what we're doing if the guys up front weren't giving Tom a whole lot of time, and obviously Tom getting us the ball, so it's not only receivers. But talent-wise, we're pretty deep in talent."

Stallworth refused to be drawn into a war of words with the Giants' Plaxico Burress, who claimed last week that his team's receiving corps was the equal to the Patriots. "Plaxico is a really good receiver," Stallworth said. "I know him personally. He's a competitor. He's a great player, and he's out there to make plays for his team, just like we're trying to do for our team.

"We're not playing against those guys," he added. "I'm not going to be covering Plaxico or anything like that any time soon, so comparisons don't mean anything right now."

MARK FARINELLA may be reached at 508-236-0315 or via e-mail at mfarinel@thesunchronicle.com