Randy Moss
It’s official now. Wide receiver Randy Moss is, once again, a Minnesota Viking.
As expected, the Patriots and Vikings completed a deal this morning that sends Moss to Minny for a third-round draft pick, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Surprisingly, Moss was dealt without having agreed to a contract extension first. He’s currently in the last year of the three-year, $27 million deal he signed in 2007 when New England acquired him.
Moss will add a new dynamic to the offense, giving Brett Favre the deep threat he’s pined over his whole career. It remains to be seen how much tread are left on Moss’ tires, but watching two sure-fire Hall of Fame players, with a possible third in running back Adrian Peterson, on the same team should make for must-see TV. When/if receiver Sidney Rice gets back to 100%, three WR sets with himself, Moss, and Harvin could be lethal for opposing defenses.
The Patriots will now see their whole offensive philosophy change dramatically. Aside from Moss’ ability to go deep, he opens up the field for Wes Welker by drawing the double team, allowing Welker to kill teams underneath. With a (below) average running game, the pressure will be on quarterback Tom Brady to make due with his other weapons; Brandon Tate, Julian Edelman, Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez, etc. Don’t forget, Brady won three rings with a less-than-stellar receiving corps, so being “undermanned” at the position isn’t exactly foreign to him.
It seems as if when a player makes a stink in New England, coach Bill Belichick and the team’s staff will do whatever they can do get them shipped out, regardless of the player’s status or past accomplishments. Moss felt like the organization slapped him in the face and reportedly asked for a trade earlier this season. That was good enough to get him a one-way ticket to Minnesota.
Like I mentioned last night, with this blockbuster trade now finalized, Monday Night’s game between the Vikings and Jets now becomes laden with hype and anticipation. There are a bunch of storylines one can touch on; Favre returning to New York, cornerback Darrelle Revis’ return from a bum hamstring he suffered against, who else, Moss in Week 2, are just two examples. The game is only five days away but fans of both teams will tell you it feels more like five years.
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Its pretty much insane. Darrelle Revis was burned by Moss in week 2, and now he’ll have the opportunity to redeem himself. Its going to be tough for the Vikings. And if they lose, they shouldn’t think that the trade did not work. The Jets are still an awesome team. We’ll see if Favre’s play improves, so he can get the ball to Moss. It’d be a shame if it turned out to be a failed experiment just because Brett Favre is too old.