MOSS TO GREEN BAY?

[woodbuck27]

My 2 cents worth.

As I see it. Any chance to get Randy Moss in Green Bay next season for a third and a player ? has to be seriously considered.

NO !!! Get that done.

The reality of this prospect will most likely be. A team offering more than that 3rd to Al Davis. That will trump Ted Thompson, as I doubt that he would go that high given the value he places in the draft.

My conclusion is that it's not likely we will see Randy Moss catching Brett Favre pass's.

[woodbuck27]

http://www.packersnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070207/PKR07/702070558/1989

Posted February 7, 2007

Mike Vandermause column: Moss could make fans forgive, forget


By Mike Vandermause

The vision of Randy Moss pretending to moon Green Bay Packers fans at Lambeau Field during a Minnesota Vikings' playoff victory two years ago is hard to forget.

That's why reaction to rumors that Moss could be traded to the Packers has been decidedly mixed.

Moss is a five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver capable of filling the offensive playmaker role the Packers desperately need. But with his extraordinary skill comes potential baggage, which is something the Packers must ponder long and hard.

At first glance, the thought of Moss wearing a Packers' uniform seems far-fetched. His demeanor and attitude don't appear to be a good fit in Green Bay.

But stranger things have happened. Who would have predicted in 1996 that often-misunderstood receiver Andre Rison would become an integral part of the Packers' team that marched to a Super Bowl title?

During his short tenure here, Rison had no trouble fitting into a small-town environment. Winning tends to dissolve problems and shrink egos.

Who's to say Moss couldn't come to Green Bay and become the bona fide deep threat Brett Favre has been longing for? Moss would be a perfect complement to Pro Bowl receiver Donald Driver. Moss and Driver would form the most dynamic receiving tandem Favre has seen, and opposing defenses would be tested severely.

Favre and Moss at one time had the same agent, Bus Cook. The players reportedly share a mutual respect. There can be no doubt Favre would love the opportunity to throw to Moss.


For that to become a reality, numerous obstacles must be cleared.


It's no secret Moss' team, the Oakland Raiders, have been shopping him. Moss had a forgettable two-year stint in Oakland. With no decent quarterback to throw him the ball and playing on an abysmal 2-14 club,

Moss caught just 42 passes for 553 yards last year.


Some say he quit on his team. Others suggest the Raiders quit on him.


His less-than-stellar 2006 season has made Moss both available and affordable. The Raiders gave up a first-round draft pick (No. 7 overall), seventh-round pick and linebacker Napoleon Harris for Moss in March 2005.

The asking price should be much less this time.

The best guess is it would take a second-round draft pick to get Moss, who will turn 30 next week.

Packers General Manager Ted Thompson made it clear he made no promises to Favre about bolstering the offense. Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy are adamant that no player — even Favre — will dictate how they rebuild the team.

Thompson would rather stockpile draft picks than give them away, which makes a trade less likely.


There also is Moss' 2007 base salary of more than $9 million to consider. The Packers have enough room under the salary cap and could restructure the terms of the deal, but the sometimes-temperamental Moss wouldn't come cheap.

However, it's rare when a special player like Moss is available.

Assuming the trade terms are reasonable, the Packers should take a risk on a legitimate difference-maker.

Fans will have to forgive Moss for his past antics. But that's a small price to pay to acquire someone who can ignite the offense and elevate the Packers into a contending team.

Mike Vandermause is sports editor of the Press-Gazette

[woodbuck27]

http://www.journaltimes.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=10764

02/08/2007: Moss would be Thompson's kind of guy

Category: General Posted by: Gery
BY GERY WOELFEL

The rumors have been circulating for a month or so: The Packers are interested in acquiring Randy Moss from the Oakland Raiders.

Now, if Moss was being linked to the New England Patriots or the Indianapolis Colts or some other teams, I'd say it was a certifiable rumor because those teams don't waste their times with players who carry as much baggage as Moss.

But we're talking about the Packers here, and we're specifically talking about their general manager Ted Thompson. Thompson has been around only two years, but he's already shown he doesn't put a lot of stock in character.

Case in point: Koren Robinson. Not one other team except the Packers made a concerted effort to sign the chronically-troubled Robinson. Robinson is now, shockingly, out of football, serving a suspension.

Moss has been bad news even before he entered the NFL. On the day Moss was drafted late in the first round by the Minnesota Vikings - after the Packers passed on him -- I had a lengthy conversation with then Packers GM Ron Wolf. I asked Wolf after the first day of the draft whether he would have taken Moss under any circumstance.

He answered with one word "No.''

Well, Moss went on to have some stellar seasons with the Vikings but his act was so pathetic the Vikings jettisoned him to the Raiders. With the Raiders, Moss has been nothing but a highly-overpaid, underachieving malcontent.

If Thompson was smart - and that's open to debate after his horrendous decision to sign Robinson -- he'd do precisely what Wolf did on that draft day and stay away from Moss.

[mmmdk]

...about the mooning...the GB fans typically mooned the Vikings bus after games at Lambeau so Moss just gave some back. I never had any problem with either acts. Moss is strange alright but he's a huge talent and this league is about winning and so is Favre. Why not give Packers a fighting chance? TT likes his picks? Good, then don't waste'em on busts like Cory Rogers and a bunch guys already gone from the 2005 draft (Packers 2005 draft = what a waste). Moss could get injured but that's the name of the game but Moss has had NOBODIES throwing to him in Raiderland. Get Moss if you wanna go get the the trophy or at least a fighting chance. I'm tired of NFL-Europe players on my Packers roster.

I agree ... screw Europe! :P :P :P

Sorry for my lateness but this was actually quite funny.

[retailguy]

Thompson has been around only two years, but he's already shown he doesn't put a lot of stock in character.

Case in point: Koren Robinson. Not one other team except the Packers made a concerted effort to sign the chronically-troubled Robinson. Robinson is now, shockingly, out of football, serving a suspension.

Anyone else find this quote troubling? 'Cept for the fans in Cincy?

[Zool]

Ugg, not this again. Robinson was an extremely low risk signing. The man has a problem with alcohol and decision making. He's not trafficking drugs (Jamal Lewis) or stabbing people outside a party (Ray Lewis). He drinks and then gets stupid. Anyone here ever drink and drive?

[gureski]

For what it's worth, I wanted to chime in before anything happens so I can be on record as having the following position:

From my own perspective, I wouldn't have a problem with Moss being on the Packers. For the price of a third and a WR other then Driver and Jennings.....it's a go. Any more then that and forget it. It's worth the risk at the price of a third and I think Moss could help the Packers win.

Now, on to the hard part for me....

Since I have been on record as saying Moss isn't as bad as he's portrayed (going back to the JS online days) it's not an about face for me personally to take the position that I take . I think the media plays up his bad-boy image more then he earns it. There were however alot of Packer fans that roasted Moss repeatedly over his career and have just spewed hatred about him as recently as last year. As a Packer fan, I would have to say that I almost hope the Packers don't acquire Moss because it would be an embarassment for Packer fans to have to have the National image of being bandwagon type's that hated Moss until we had a chance to have him. We'd be looked upon as sell-outs.

I'd say that 95% of Packer fans would have to do a full about-face in order to support and cheer for Randy Moss. That will get noticed on a National level and Packer fans will be fair game for all the writers and reporters who have been just itching to take shots at the image of the Packer fans for years.

For as much as Moss would bring to the team on the field and as much fans would love the wins.....we'd lose more in the area of reputation then we'd gain in wins and losses. That's too big a price to pay. That reputation was earned by generations before us and through hard losing seasons. I don't want to lessen the image of Packer fans being class acts just to get a few wins. My official position, because so many Packer fans hated Moss prior to now, is that I hope we don't get him.

[Fritz]

Here's an issue nobody's talked much about regarding Moss: what'll happen with him after Favre leaves? Mike Vandermeuse points out that Moss is notorious for chewing up young QB's - if you trade for Moss you're trading for a one or two year, ver expensive player, who, when Favre leaves, will be an aging, expensive receiver known for creating havoc with a team. With no Favre around to keep Moss in line, he becomes an expensive cancer.

No thanks to Moss, I think, unless you truly believe he'll be the piece that gets you not to the playoffs but to the SB. I don't.

[red]

we wear big giant chunks of foam cheese on our heads

i think we lost the respect of everyone a long time ago

[gureski]

It's Cheddar though, not limburger. Right now, it doesn't stink to wear one.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Here's an issue nobody's talked much about regarding Moss: what'll happen with him after Favre leaves? Mike Vandermeuse points out that Moss is notorious for chewing up young QB's - if you trade for Moss you're trading for a one or two year, ver expensive player, who, when Favre leaves, will be an aging, expensive receiver known for creating havoc with a team. With no Favre around to keep Moss in line, he becomes an expensive cancer.

No thanks to Moss, I think, unless you truly believe he'll be the piece that gets you not to the playoffs but to the SB. I don't.

You get two good years from him, and then you cut him. I don't think Moss has more than about 2 good years left. At this point I'm not sure we can be 100% sure Rodgers is going to be the guy anyways. It's possible the Favre plays two more years, Rodgers is a FA, and the Packers will have drafted another guy or signed a FA in that time.

[red]

this one seems to be dying fast, and i'm not sure why

so i read everywhere that the asking price has gone up to a second rounder or even a first

so what?

this isn't a market where the raiders get to dictate anything. as far as i've seen we're the only ones with any real interest in him. they get what we offer

they can't keep him, even if he was a pro bowl model player, theres noway they should keep him at his currnt cap number of almost 12.

they have to get rid of him. they can either trade him and get what they can, or cut him

al davis has completely lost it if he thinks theres anyway he could keep moss on that team. you'd be paying moss 12 million to sit on his ass and do nothing, because he will continue to not care and not try in that setting

IMO, you put a third rounder on the table, and wait out the raiders. they can either take it, or take nothing and pay 12 million for nothing

[K-town]

ESPN's KC Joyner on Randy Moss, etc.

One of the most entertaining parts of my week is doing my chat for ESPN.com's SportsNation. I thought it would be fun to address in detail a couple of the queries I received in last week's chat.


Moss Feeling Green
Rick Gureski from Milwaukee, Wis., wanted to know, "Based on what you are seeing on film, does Randy Moss still have talent or is he done? Could pairing Moss with an arm like [Brett] Favre resurrect his career?"
Favre has been fairly vocal about his desire to see Moss in Green Bay. A quick look at the numbers makes it easy to see why. Favre's passer rating on deep passes (21-plus yards downfield) was a paltry 40.8 last season.

Moss would seem like the perfect solution. Unfortunately, over the past three seasons he has gone from one of the best deep threats in the NFL to one of the worst. To illustrate this point, take a look at Moss' deep pass metrics over the past three seasons (with the 2004 season including his playoff numbers):

Randy Moss
Year Att Comp Yds TD INT Pen P-Yds YPA
2004 35 9 368 6 2 4 111 13.7
2005 36 11 429 7 1 1 34 12.9
2006 28 4 137 2 4 1 5 5.1


It's not just Moss' overall production that is down. His specialty routes used to be the go and fade routes, in which Daunte Culpepper would throw the ball near Moss and let him outjump the defender. Take a look at his production levels on these routes over the past three years:

Randy Moss-2
Year Att Comp Yds TD INT Pen P-Yds YPA
2004 20 7 240 5 0 2 38 13.9
2005 14 3 181 3 1 0 0 12.9
2006 12 1 51 0 1 1 5 4.7


These numbers are nearly identical to his overall numbers, so Moss isn't even producing on his trademark play.

There is one possible glimmer of hope. Moss dropped six deep passes this year and would have gained at least 165 yards on those passes (the yardage being based on how far downfield the ball was dropped).

If the drops were due to a lack of effort on Moss' part, based on his unhappiness with the situation in Oakland, his numbers could rebound to respectable levels with a move to Green Bay. If he doesn't resolve the issue, however, he could actually end up hurting the Green Bay offense.


Bill of Goods?
Mike from Lackawanna, N.Y., asked, "Do you think Nate Clements will land with his hometown team -- the Cleveland Browns?"
I don't think Clements will land in Cleveland if only because the issues in the secondary last year had more to do with injuries. Leigh Bodden, Daven Holly, Brodney Pool and Sean Jones give Cleveland a very solid nucleus of young defensive backs, so there are more pressing personnel needs for Romeo Crennel and Phil Savage to address.

Even if the Browns were to decide to pursue Clements, they should not break the bank for him. His performance the past four years has been quite inconsistent.

Clements posted dominant yards per attempt (YPA) numbers in 2004 (5.7) and 2006 (6.1). Conversely, his numbers were decidedly mediocre in 2003 (7.3) and 2005 (8.8). His 2003 season was actually even worse than the numbers would indicate, as he benefited from a lot of dropped and inaccurate passes.

He simply has not displayed the type of consistency that would be expected from one of the biggest names in the free-agent market this year.

KC Joyner, aka The Football Scientist, is a regular contributor to ESPN Insider. His latest release, Scientific Football 2007, is now available for a special pre-order price at his Web site.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Re: ESPN's KC Joyner on Randy Moss, etc.

Rick Gureski from Milwaukee, Wis., wanted to know, "Based on what you are seeing on film, does Randy Moss still have talent or is he done? Could pairing Moss with an arm like [Brett] Favre resurrect his career?"

Our Gureski?

Honestly, can he be properly evaluated based off last year. Who knows how catchable the balls he was thrown were. I wonder how the other Oakland WRs did on deep balls.

[red]

this ones dying fast

pft is saying that the jags are now hot after moss (tice is a coach there), and might be willing to involve leftwich in a trade for him