Randy Moss traded to New England

[MontrealCity's Most]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/draft07/news/story?id=2853116


wow i new he was unhappy but still

[jeromechickenbone]

Raiders trade Moss to Patriots for 4th round pickBy Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com


Convinced in discussions with Randy Moss that he believes his NFL legacy is tied to winning a Super Bowl and not to individual accomplishments, the New England Patriots on Sunday acquired the electrifying but enigmatic wide receiver from the Oakland Raiders in exchange for a fourth-round draft choice.


Randy Moss
Wide Receiver
Oakland Raiders

Profile
2006 SEASON STATISTICS
Rec Yds TD Avg Long YAC
42 553 3 13.2 51 127
 

The deal, which sent the Raiders the 110th selection overall in the weekend draft, was completed when Moss passed the Patriots-administered physical examination after arriving in the Boston area on Sunday morning. With the draft choice acquired in the deal, Oakland chose University of Cincinnati cornerback John Bowie.

Oakland and New England officials conducted on-and-off negotiations for the last several days. At several points Saturday, the trade talks collapsed, only to be resuscitated every time. The Raiders, who acquired Moss from Minnesota in a 2005 trade, have been shopping the wide receiver much of the offseason.

As a condition of the trade, Moss agreed to restructure and perhaps even extend his current contract for both cash-flow and salary cap reasons. His contract calls for base salaries of $9.75 million in 2007 and $11.25 million in 2008.

Far more important to coach Bill Belichick than any financial concessions by Moss, though, are the promises by the nine-year veteran receiver that he will fit into the Patriots' culture, an atmosphere in which players are expected to subjugate personal performance for team goals. Moss has long been one of Belichick's favorite players, in part because of his competitive nature and desire to step to the forefront at critical junctures of games, but the Pats' coach would not have made the deal without being comfortable that it is a good fit for everyone.

Sources said that Belichick has discussed the acquisition of Moss with several key leaders and that the veterans to whom he spoke were on board with the deal. The feeling is that the New England locker room includes enough acknowledged leaders and high-character guys that Moss will not pose a threat.

That said, adding Moss, who will be playing for his third different team in four seasons and who now has been traded twice in three years, clearly involves some risk. Belichick and New England officials apparently have been candid in apprising Moss that there will be a zero-tolerance approach, and that the kind of behavior he has manifested at times in the past will not be acceptable.

Moss, 30, had not participated in any of the offseason conditioning sessions conducted by first-year Oakland head coach Lane Kiffin and the suspicion was that he would not show up for the start of training camp. Hoping to keep any distractions for his young head coach to a minimum, Raiders' owner Al Davis decided that Moss had to go.

Late last week, Kiffin himself initiated phone calls to teams around the league, attempting to drum up interest in Moss. The Green Bay Packers are believed to have shown interest, but the two sides could never get together on a deal. So intent was Oakland on dealing Moss that the Raiders actually contacted officials from division-foe Denver to gauge interest. The two teams, and specifically Davis and Broncos coach Mike Shanahan, are bitter rivals.

To pave the way for the Moss deal, the Raiders late Saturday night acquired wide receiver Mike Williams in a trade with Detroit, a deal that also sent quarterback Josh McCown to Oakland. The Lions' first-round pick in 2005, Williams played at Southern Cal, where he was coached by Kiffin.

Acquiring Moss, who has been explosive on the field and combustible off it at times, might perhaps represent the defining moment of an offseason in which Belichick and vice present of player personnel Scott Pioli have worked to dramatically upgrade the team's dubious wide receiver corps.

New England added former Miami wideout Wes Welker in a trade and signed unrestricted free agents Donte Stallworth (Philadelphia) and Kelley Washington (Cincinnati). In 2006, the Patriots had only two wide receivers, Reche Caldwell (61 catches) and Troy Brown (43), with more than 25 receptions. The New England passing game statistically ranked No. 12 in the league, but lacked a big-play component that Belichick now hopes Moss can provide.

In nine seasons, and 138 games, Moss has 676 receptions for 10,700 yards and 101 touchdowns. The five-time Pro Bowl performer and former Marshall star, who was drafted by Minnesota in the first round in 1998, is the only player in league history to register 1,000 or more receiving yards in each of his first six seasons in the league.

Moss had 100-plus catches in both the 2002 and 2003 campaigns and has six seasons in which he rang up 10 or more touchdown catches. He is, however, coming off a 2006 season in which he was often injured and had 42 receptions for 553 yards and three touchdowns, career lows in all those categories.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com.

 

[eS El Duque]

lol...I think my Packers thought A) He's not worth a fourth rounder or B) The WR core we have right now is good enough PLUS James Jones from this year.

[Primo]

I love it, the pats wr corps are getting rediculous. If we dont win the superbowl next year i will be very suprized.

[Primo]

ps. I bet you Moss will be the Moss of old. Sometimes it takes a move to kick u back into gear. IE Corey Dillions first year here when he rushed or over 1600 yds.

[Lunatic]

^^I doubt that. Moss will never be the same. Never the less, still a good pickup for a 4th rounder

[GangstaBoogy]

Tom Brady & Randy Moss? Oooh!

[Primo]

ESPN just said Moss ran a 4.22 in the 40 a week ago just for people that question his speed

[MontrealCity's Most]

Tom Brady & Randy Moss? Oooh!

yep,
New england will make him employee of the month

[jeromechickenbone]

Yeah I don't think Moss has fallen off as much as everybody thinks.  He just hasn't been happy and he doesn't try.  If he keeps his shit together the Pats are gonna be scary.  And I think if he fucks up Bellichek will boot his ass.  Should be interesting.

[Dubz]

made my weekend

[d-nice]

I am a big Moss fan and being a Raiders fan I thought it would be a good fit, but Oakland was a team trying to rebuild when he got there. We did not have a O-Line to protect the QB or a QB that could consistently get him the touches he needs or wants. He is kind of like T.O. in that sense, just not as explosive temper wise. If you can't stay motivated and be a team player on New England than there is something wrong with you.

[Teddy Roosevelt]

That's a fuckin' steal for the Pats. Moss is going to be hungery to prove that his stint with the Raiders wasn't his true self. He is definatly still a 1,000 yard reciver. All that for a 4th round pick?!?! I hate the Patriots.

[east bay funk]

fuck randy moss... it's all about mike williams baby

[Fuck Your Existence]

4th rd. pick?? moss was on clearence..homie just gave up in oakland,which imo is bitch-made. if im an nfl owner i cant fuck with players with no heart. could turn out well for NE though if they meet all mossīdemands .