Moss Trade Rumors

[CD6405]

 

Don Banks, SI.comThe NFL trading deadline is Tuesday, and as has become customary in the salary-cap era, the deals are expected to be few and far between, involving less-than-headline names. With perhaps -- and we repeat, perhaps -- one notable exception. According to league sources, there are at least two teams that have expressed serious interest in acquiring underachieving Raiders receiver Randy Moss from Oakland, and the Raiders are at least receptive enough to be listening long and hard for potential offers."We're hearing there are a couple suitors for Moss,'' one veteran general manager. "And when you look at his contract, a trade is not as unlikely as people think. There is some smoke there right now, and you can't be sure it won't turn into fire.''Here are the facts surrounding Moss' contract: After they play their Week 6 game at Denver, the Raiders still will owe Moss $ 4.85 million for the final 10 games of this season, and a combined $21 million over the last two seasons of his deal ($9.75 million in 2007, $11.25 million in 2008).Thanks to a new provision that was part of this year's CBA agreement, the Raiders have more leeway to entertain a possible trade and deal with the salary-cap ramifications that would result. Under the old CBA, the team that dealt a player had to take the entire hit of cap acceleration that a trade produced this year, absorbing the player's remaining pro-rated yearly cap numbers all at once. Now teams are allowed to put off dealing with such a huge cap hit until the following year, freeing up room on this year's cap. In essence, the new CBA made the cap ramifications of a trade identical to the one a team faced when releasing a player after the June 1 deadline.Which teams might be interested in Moss, whose lack of interest in remaining a Raider has been apparent for weeks now? For starters, discount any team that doesn't have at least the $5 million or so of cap room that would be required to take on Moss' contract for the final 10 weeks of the season. Here are the most likely candidates who fit the bill:New England -- Yes, the marriage of Bill Belichick and Moss seems improbable on the surface, but we once said that about Corey Dillon, didn't we? The Patriots need for a go-to receiver is obvious, and they have been willing to take risks in the past on players who might not seem to fit the Patriots model.As one NFL club executive said: "You can't dismiss it, because at this point in his career, Moss is a veteran player who wants to win and wants to be successful. He already has his money. He wants to get a ring, and he knows he isn't going to win that in Oakland. Can he come into that situation in New England and fly right? The Patriots have shown with Dillon what they can do with a perceived malcontent. How much different was Dillon in Cincinnati than Randy in Oakland? Plus, a good receiver wants to know who his quarterback is, and who's getting him the ball? He's going to get the ball with Tom Brady as his quarterback, and he knows that.''Arizona -- The Cardinals are stocked with great receivers, but with Dennis Green on hand, you can't rule out a deal for Moss. It's unclear whether Green would have the influence to persuade Arizona's ownership to make this move. But with perhaps 11 games remaining to save his job, Green reuniting with Moss, whom he coached in Minnesota, makes some sense. Especially since Pro Bowl receiver Larry Fitzgerald could miss a month or so with a hamstring injury.Jacksonville -- Mike Tice, another of Moss's former Minnesota coaches, is the Jaguars offensive line coach. The Jaguars need play-makers at receiver. Is that enough to get Moss shipped to northern Florida? Questionable, but with cap room available, you can't ignore Jacksonville's potential.Cleveland -- The Browns make the list only because their offense continues to flounder and they have a desperate need for a big-play weapon that coordinator Maurice Carthon can build around. Cleveland, however, rates a long shot, at best.To be sure, there are other teams in need of receiving help, but they just don't make sense in any potential Moss sweepstakes. Miami has just $1 million in available cap room, and there's the widespread perception that Moss and current Dolphins quarterback Daunte Culpepper still have problems stemming from their falling out at the end of Moss's Vikings tenure.The Eagles also could use another veteran receiver, but if you think Andy Reid and Co. would go after Moss after their Terrell Owens experience, you've lost touch with reality. Other teams with cap room but likely no interest include New Orleans, San Francisco and Houston.Washington? Because of owner Daniel Snyder's free-spending ways, you can never rule out the Redskins. But they're stocked at receiver and spent heavily at the position this offseason. In addition, head coach Joe Gibbs isn't likely to find Moss to be his kind of player.The new CBA provision and the fact that the salary cap number expanded so significantly this offseason gives teams a little more motivation to make a trading deadline deal this year. But no one should expect a bevy of deals, or perhaps even more than the three trades that were consummated around the league's trading deadline in each of the past two seasons."It's true that with more cap room and the new CBA rule, you're not as handcuffed as you once were in terms of making a mid-season trade,'' one club executive said. "It could prompt more action, because it gives teams the ability to do more at a time of year when you're usually pretty constricted in terms of your cap. But it still has been pretty quiet within the league this week. You're not hearing much.''Even with more financial wiggle room, moving Moss won't be easy for the Raiders, the club executive said: "They'd have to fire sale him. Nobody is really going to give them much of anything for him. Oakland might move him, but it'll be to somebody trying to steal him.''Other names being bantered about within the league include disgruntled Oakland receiver Jerry Porter, and Tennessee running back Chris Brown. But Porter's situation is probably contingent on what the Raiders do with Moss, and Brown's market is limited by the reality that he'll be a free agent next spring, and thus has little trade value."If you trade for Chris Brown, you're buying him for only 10 games,'' said a veteran general manager. "He's going to be a free agent after the season, so if you give up something for him, you'd have to believe you can convince him to sign a long-term deal as part of the trade. Otherwise there's not enough reason to go after him.''

 

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=cnns...cnnsi&type=lgns

Edited October 13, 2006 by CD6405

[Todd1]

Jerry Porter to GB would make sense. With Ferguson out 4-6 weeks (and sucking anyway), we're down to a handful of very young WR's. KRob could get suspended by the NFL at any moment, leaving us with Driver, Jennings and... Ruvell Martin!

[ghengis_chan]

If there is anything in the works on any "Big Name" players like Moss, Porter and Brown, more than likely you will see them listed as "inactive" this weekend. You wouldn't want to risk injury and negate any deals.

[MrTed46]

If there is anything in the works on any "Big Name" players like Moss, Porter and Brown, more than likely you will see them listed as "inactive" this weekend. You wouldn't want to risk injury and negate any deals.

 

 

I dont think so. Why would a team hold out a player and not utilitize him even if hes being traded.

 

Doesnt make sense to me.

[LooGie]

Jerry Porter to PIT makes more sense than strippers at a bachelor party, if you ask me.

 

you guys are killing me. Neither Moss nor Porter have ANY Steeler in them. They are just not steeler guys. They dont have the heart. Randel El was the PERFECT fit for PIT, and it's really starting to show. Of couse we'll know more after this weekend but...

If Plax couldn't make it as a Steeler, Porter and Moss We need a :wank: emoticon.

[LooGie]

If Terry Glenn had too much of an attitude problem for Belichick, there's no way that Moss would work out in NE. Jerry Porter has a better shot of being traded to the Pats.

 

And I don't see Randy going to PIT, either. He's not going to catch 7 or 8 passes per game in that offense and won't want to run-block.

 

 

They already took Gabriel. They also just signed um..Gaffney I think? they're sink or swim with who they got. . And Porter/Moss aren't Pats guys anyway.

 

Moss to MIA is about the only situation I could EVER see, simply because their franchise QB just might need the Phreak to be a franchise QB. No way Al Davis would deal Moss over Porter. And it's not looking like he's dealing Porter either, since he's doing so much for the team/community

[LooGie]

Jerry Porter to GB would make sense. With Ferguson out 4-6 weeks (and sucking anyway), we're down to a handful of very young WR's. KRob could get suspended by the NFL at any moment, leaving us with Driver, Jennings and... Ruvell Martin!

 

 

This is a nice fit, but I don't see it either. It's at least a possibility, but if GB actually goes into rebuilding mode (which we ALL know they're already in, they just love lying to themselves) there's no need for a WR like this with character issues. Porter is win now guy. Especially after his nonsense on the sidelines.

 

Jax, or ATL

Edited October 14, 2006 by LooGie