Another big-ticket player is being sent out of New England. This seems to be business as usual for the Patriots franchise and fans. The blockbuster deal is a swap of Randy Moss for the Vikings’ 2011 third-round pick and should be announced sometime today. When the exchange is completed, the Patriots will have two draft picks in the first four rounds of the 2011 NFL draft. They dealt Richard Seymour to the Raiders a year ago and acquired their 2011 first-round pick. They will also have Carolina’s second-round pick, Minnesota’s third-rounder, and Denver’s fourth-round selection. There are two sides to this trade. The first is that the Patriots have no intention of giving the star receiver the contract he desires, so they want to get something back in return. Let’s remember the Patriots dealt a fourth-round pick to the Raiders a few seasons ago to get Randy Moss. They enjoyed a few productive seasons, including his best ever, and are actually getting a better draft pick in return! The other thought is that the Patriots are possibly hanging it up for the season and playing for next year, or are they going back to the 2001 mentality of spreading the football around? In any event, the Patriots are clearly stockpiling top-125 draft picks in order to compete year in and year out. When was the last time they had a losing season? You’ll have to go to the year 2000, which is incredible in the salary cap era.
The exciting part for Minnesota Vikings fans is that Randy Moss is coming back. He’ll get to play with Brett Favre, giving him a last chance to win a ring. The offense will be explosive just like last year, and with the addition of Moss, the Vikings have arguably the most explosive wide receiver and running back in the same offense! Later in the season, teams could have a headache facing Moss, Harvin, Rice, and Shiancoe. Show me a defense that can stop this juggernaut — not even the Steelers, Ravens, and Jets could handle it.
Mark your calendars and stay home on Halloween. The Minnesota Vikings will be at Gillette Stadium to take on the New England Patriots. You can bet Randy Moss will be motivated.
