The New England Patriots have reached a trade agreement in principle to acquire wide receiver Randy Moss from the Oakland Raiders for a fourth-round round choice in Sunday's second day of the NFL draft.
There are still details to be completed, including Moss passing a physical examination by the Patriots' medical staff, but league sources said they expect the deal to be competed. As part of a trade, Moss would restructure and perhaps even extend his current contract, which calls for base salaries of $9.75 million in 2007 and $11.25 million in 2008.
Oakland and New England officials conducted on and off negotiations for the last several days. The Raiders, who acquired Moss from Minnesota in 2005, have been shopping the wide receiver much of the offseason.
Moss, 30, has not participated in any of the offseason conditioning sessions conducted by first-year head coach Lane Kiffin and the suspicion is that he would not show up for the start of training camp.
Acquiring the once-explosive Moss would perhaps be the defining moment of an offseason in which New England coach Bill Belichick and personnel chief Scott Pioli have worked to dramatically upgrade the team's receiving 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 nine seasons, Moss has 676 receptions for 10,700 yards and 101 touchdowns. He is coming off a 2006 season in which he played in 11 games and registered 42 catches for 553 yards and three touchdowns, career lows in all those categories.
Seems pretty damn cheap for Moss; just a 4th rounder in a not terribly impressive draft? Dunno what the Raiders are thinking, unless they want to be rid of him, period, no matter how low an offer they get, and don't want to take the cap hit they'd take by releasing him.
-Arlos
