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Report: Vikings 'very close' to deal that would bring Randy Moss to Vikings

You read the headline correctly.

Fox Sports' Jay Glazer reported on Tuesday night the Vikings are "very close" to completing a trade with the New England Patriots that would bring seven-time Pro Bowl receiver Randy Moss back to Minnesota.

The hang-up, per Glazer, is that a new contract must be finalized first for Moss, whose base salary this season is $6.4 million. According to Glazer, the sides are working on that new deal for the 33-year-old receiver, although ProFootballTalk.com reported they've yet to discuss terms.

It's no secret the Vikings have been looking for a big target to help Brett Favre as their downfield passing game has sputtered during a 1-2 start. They signed Javon Walker before cutting him, pursued suspended San Diego receiver Vincent Jackson last month and signed Hank Baskett.

Still, a deal to bring back Moss -- the Vikings' first-round draft pick (21st overall) in 1998 who was traded to the Oakland Raiders in 2005 -- would be nothing short of stunning, despite the apparent unraveling of his relationship with the Patriots.

Moss (6-foot-4, 210 pounds) has only nine catches for 139 yards and three touchdowns this season, and he didn't have a reception in Monday's 41-14 win at Miami. He's also made clear he wants a new deal -- telling reporters after the Patriots' opener that he preferred to stay in New England but felt unwanted, and reportedly having his agent, Joel Segal, request a trade.

He was a divisive figure during his seven seasons in Minnesota, too. Moss' trangressions on the field (squirting a water bottle at an official in 1999, leaving the field early during a 2004 game at Washington, pretending to moon fans at Green Bay in a 2005 playoff game) and off it (pushing a traffic cop with his car in 2002) at times overshadowed his remarkable production (six consecutive 1,000-yard seasons to begin his career before being slowed by a hamstring injury in 2004).

The Vikings traded Moss to Oakland on March 2, 2005, for linebacker Napoleon Harris and two draft picks, including the No. 7 overall selection they used on receiver Troy Williamson. The deal in essence was a bust for both sides, as Moss managed only 102 catches over two seasons before getting dealt to New England on draft weekend for a fourth-round pick in 2007.

That marked one of at least two occasions on which Favre, who has said this is his last season, pushed hard for the Green Bay Packers to acquire Moss. Favre was livid when the Packers balked at Moss' demand that he receive only a one-year deal, rather than a two-year deal, and the Patriots got him instead.

The Packers showed interest in Moss after the 2007 season before he re-signed with the Patriots on March 3, 2008 -- one day before Favre announced his first retirement.

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This could be an interesting development for everyone that wants us to look at Sidney Rice as a FA this offseason. If Moss is signed to a big new contract, I find it hard to believe that they would be able to resign Rice. Rice would be a huge get as a FA and would allow us to focus on other things in the draft. Would be pretty interesting to see Moss back in Minnesota though.

Interesting on two sides, anything the Pats let a FA go, mostly they dont go on to do much of anything. Also maybe it says the Pats dont think they can win it all this year.

Man, I'm very surprised by this. The Pats must be getting a pretty sweet deal.

I don't really care about his numbers up to this point, but I think this takes the Pats from Super Bowl contenders to wanna-bes.

Something must be going on in the clubhouse.

And I think this further paves the way for the JETS - who I really, really hope don't make to the big dance.

BTW, Sanchez has looked pretty good recently. We need a franchise QB. We could have had him. I think this stings a little.

I kinda am thinking that this way they think they can do it without him.

In 4 games Moss has 9 catches for 139 yards. He does have 3 TDs.

The Pats are notorious for dumping players right before they break down for all to see. Moss is 33. His production thus far is below his career average despite Tom Brady having a pretty solid start to the year. I would suspect that they see him *just* starting to slide a bit (the do get to see him day in and day out) ..... and combining that with his attitude makes it much easier to trade him.

Perhaps .... but one thing that the Patriots and Steelers have in common is this ...... very rarely do they give up on a player only to see him star elsewhere.

The closest would probably be Seymour to the Raiders .... but the Patriots play the draft so intelligently that they have a 2011 1st round pick coming from the Raiders in this trade ... and they'll probably turn it into a 2nd and a future 1st or 2nd.

Anyway ... Seymour has been solid for the Raiders ..... with 47 tackles and 4 sacks last year..... but really not the game changer that the Raiders expected. Was he worth a future 1st round pick? I don't known that he was.



Also, with the Vikings, there has already been the "inmate running the asylum" bit with the annual Favre drama ..... add in Moss and it might be Big Top time in Minnesota. If I'm Brad Childress, I would be both excited and extremely worried about adding Moss to the group they have right now .. because this could the a recipe for success .... or disaster ..... and if disaster strikes ... the HC is usually the one swept out of town.

That might be more than Robiskie, maybe MoMass too. I think he is pretty much used up, but wish him luck.

AJ Green to the Patriots it is...

I mean seriously.. they have TWO first round picks next year.. they can easily get some GREAT YOUNG talent in there to replace him. Well no one can replace a Randy Moss, but you can get a good WR though.

Report: Pats will get a third-round pick for Randy Moss

Posted by Mike Florio on October 6, 2010 7:02 AM ET

Last night, our pall Todd Wright of Sporting News Radio asked me to peg the compensation that the Vikings would send to the Patriots for receiver Randy Moss.

I flat-out guessed that the Vikings wouldn't be giving up much more than a third- or fourth-round pick.

As it turns out, this blind squirrel is having his eggs with a side of grilled acorn this morning. Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that, when a trade happens, the Patriots will get a third-round pick from the Vikings.

When the Vikings traded Moss to the Raiders in 2005, they received linebacker Napoleon Harris (a failed former first-round pick), a first-round pick (which became failed receiver Troy Williamson), and a seventh-rounder. Two years later, the Raiders sent Moss to New England for a fourth-round selection.

Following a record-setting 2007 season, Moss actually became an unrestricted free agent. After a couple of days on the market, the Eagles made a run at Moss. He reportedly took less money to re-sign with the Patriots for $27 million over three years.

So Moss gets a third-round pick for the Patriots, and the Chargers wanted two second-round picks for Vincent Jackson? A hundred times out of a hundred, Moss is the better choice.

Great deal for both teams.

We got Peyton Hillis for Brady Quinn. I can't imagine getting much better value than that in a trade.

The reason the Pats do it is because they were willing to take on a risk for a player that has personality issues because they have a strong locker room. Do you think Moss would have been satisfied going from one basement dweller in the Raiders to another basement dweller in Cleveland? He was highly motivated because he saw an opportunity for a title, had we made the deal for him he would have been terrible.

If we become a contender year in and year out you will see our FO make moves like these because at that point we will be one piece away and players will be energized by going to a contender.

so whats the chances that they go after Dwayne Jarret....or package some of their many picks and try to get Vincent Jackson?

We need to keep getting better at this too, because when we do make the playoffs, you can bet New England will be in that mix still.

A part of there ability to get picks is that they are a solid team so they can give up a late-mid first for future draft picks later because they are so deep. We can't afford to give up our first rounder this year because we need impact players, they have impact players.

If we ever become one of the NFL Elite, you will see more moves like this from our FO. Right now it's about building a foundation, we will worry about maintaining excellence after we first achieve excellence.

if they want the best team of route runners in the league, they could draft Michael Floyd to go in with that mix. Welker, Edelman and Floyd all have similar skillsets, so Jones and Green make more sense though.

I"m a little surprised by this, but then I think of how Belichick does things and realize, he's got a habit of dumping older players just in the nick of time before thier production falls off..

Looking at it that way, it kinda makes sense..

So the Pats now have 2 firsts, 2 thirds, and a second in 2011?

I'm pretty sure they have 2 2nd's and 4th's as well.

I have nothing new or original to add to the trade talk.

But wondering if anyone can tell me how O.U. receiver Taylor Price has looked? Is he getting on the field for any regular season play w/ the Pats?

That's just wrong.

So a high 1st (Ingram?), a low 1st (Rolle?), a high 2nd (DE/LB) a low 2nd (DB?)....man oh man.

the schaudenfreud in me wants to see no juniors come out this year because there will be no CBA and a potential lockout (so no $$$ for them at all despite the fact there will be a draft regardless).

NE wouldn't be able to trade those picks and would have a much more shallow pool to choose from.

Quote:

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I'm pretty sure they have 2 2nd's and 4th's as well.

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It is my understanding that with this trade the Pats now have 2-1sts, 2-2nds, 2-3rds, & 2-4ths in next year's draft! Wow!!!!! JMHO Go Brownies!!!!

j/c

Good trade for the vikes. Let me tell you, the excitement in MN today was huge. I did not hear one negative thing about this trade. Most people seem to understand its all or nothing this year. Now as long as the traffic cop stays out of the road, things should be ok.

The viking offense has been stagnant. Favre has nobody to throw too. Harvin is getting smotherd and Berrian is a FA bust (i expect him to be cut in the offseason- and no, the browns do not need him). The loss of Rice really hurt this team. Now there is hope. Randy runs deep and takes a corner and safety with him. Harvin can come in underneath in a Welker type of role and pick up yards after the catch. Once the safeties are out of the box, hit them with AP. Just a matter of how long it takes Moss to get into the offense.

Don't forget the ham sandwich fellas ...

Figured I could add this here .... as the Pats trade Moss ... then trade for Branch.

Solid deal for the Patriots IMHO.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/14115039/seahawks-wr-deion-branch-traded-to-new-england

Seahawks ship Branch to Patriots for fourth-rounder

RENTON, Wash. -- Deion Branch is headed back to New England and a reunion with Tom Brady.

Branch, the former Super Bowl MVP wide receiver with the Patriots, was traded Monday night from the Seattle Seahawks to New England. The Seahawks confirmed the trade late Monday night.

ESPN.com first reported the deal.

Seattle said it will get a fourth-round pick in exchange for Branch getting a reunion with the team that drafted him in 2002.

"[He's] excited as can be," Branch's agent, Jason Chayut said Monday night.

The trade ended a day of speculation after Branch was absent from Seahawks practice.

Seattle coach Pete Carroll was nearly silent on Branch's status, other than saying he gave Branch an excused "personal day" on Monday as the Seahawks returned from their bye.

Carroll added he expected Branch to be with the team at its next practice on Wednesday.

"At this point I do, yes," Carroll said of Branch being around later in the week.

Obviously, that was not the case. Reports first surfaced last week of talks between the Seahawks and Patriots following the trade of Randy Moss from New England to Minnesota.

The normally talkative Carroll said just 28 words in response to any questions about Branch.

Branch joins a young New England receiving group, sans veteran Wes Welker. Aside from Welker, second-year receiver Brandon Tate is the only other Patriots receiver with more than 10 catches.

Branch is signed through next season. He is schedule to make $5.45 million in base salary this year and $5.95 million in 2011.

Before coming to Seattle, Branch was a rising star with the Patriots. He caught a career-best 78 passes for nearly 1,000 yards and five touchdowns in 2005 and that followed up his Super Bowl MVP performance a year earlier. Branch had 11 catches for 133 yards in the Super Bowl against Philadelphia.

Branch arrived in Seattle in 2006, acquired from the Patriots for a first-round draft pick, but that first season in Seattle was the only time Branch was able to stay healthy. His career in Seattle was mostly defined by injuries, missing parts of the previous three seasons with some sort of ailment.

Most of Branch's ailments revolved around his left knee he first injured in a snowy playoff game against Green Bay in January 2008. He also missed time with hamstring and foot injuries.

So far this season, Branch has remained healthy. He's caught 13 passes for 112 yards and a touchdown, but had just one catch in Seattle's 20-3 loss to St. Louis.

His future with Seattle was brought into question when the Seahawks signed Brandon Stokley. Just a few days after being signed, Stokley led the team in catches and targets in their 20-3 loss.

Branch was in Louisville, Ky., over the weekend where his number was honored at the University of Louisville. He told the Louisville Courier-Journal he was trying not to focus on the rumors.

"I'm going to leave that to the people that handle that," Branch told the paper. "Right now I'm still a Seattle Seahawk, and whatever happens, happens."