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Well, at least some exploratory interest.
Packers have interest in Moss, but receiver would bring lots of baggage
By BOB McGINN
Indianapolis - The Oakland Raiders are trying to dump Randy Moss and the Green Bay Packers definitely are interested if the former all-pro wide receiver would agree to a restructured contact in order to play with a better team and Brett Favre.
Sources close to the situation said the Packers had explored trading for Moss, the temperamental former Minnesota Viking who once pretended to moon the crowd at Lambeau Field.
The two teams have had preliminary dialogue but at this point the Packers consider Moss to be an economically unfeasible solution to their need for another receiver alongside Donald Driver and Greg Jennings.
Moss has two years left on his contract, including base salaries of $9.75 million in 2007 and $11.25 million in '08. Moss' business agent is Tim DiPiero, but some of his affairs are handled by James "Bus" Cook, the only agent Favre has ever had. Mindful of tampering rules, general manager Ted Thompson and Packers coach Mike McCarthy have carefully avoided talking about Moss. Yet, neither has denied interest in him, either.
"You have the opportunity to obtain players for your program through the draft and free agency, and he's another part of free agency," McCarthy said last week. "That's where I stand on that."
The trading period opens Friday. New England and Jacksonville reportedly also are interested in Moss.
Several Raiders sources at the NFL combine indicated that Moss wasn't expected back in '07.
"Moss quit on us last year," one Raiders employee said. "My feeling is he wants to go someplace where they can win. He knows he only has X number of years left and he's never, ever won at any level."
The Raiders were last in just about everything in 2006 and are starting over with a novice head coach, Lane Kiffin, and what might be a rookie quarterback, JaMarcus Russell.
It can be safely assumed that owner Al Davis will start out seeking a first-round draft choice for Moss, who cost the Raiders the seventh overall pick in the 2005 draft and linebacker Napoleon Harris to obtain him from the Vikings just more than two years ago. But, in reality, the Raiders have almost no hope of getting one.
Moss is viewed by many in the league as a declining player, having turned 30 earlier in the month and coming off his poorest season. And with new NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell gung-ho about cracking down on poor behavior by players, some teams say they wouldn't touch Moss.
"I don't think that works," a personnel director for an AFC team said. "I'd develop other guys. You don't want him. It will be a big story. The story will be him, not your team."
There are general managers who wouldn't even consider adding Moss or any player regardless of ability if his character is questionable. But Thompson, who last September signed wide receiver Koren Robinson when he had one foot out of the league for off-field issues, isn't one of them.
Scouts also left the RCA Dome on Sunday afternoon enthusiastically endorsing the number of big, talented wide receivers in the draft.
Kiffin and the Raiders already have made up with wide receiver Jerry Porter, who will be back wearing Tim Brown's old jersey number (81). Ronald Curry led the team with 62 receptions last season and also should return.
Over the years, Davis has relished putting one over on teams in trades, but with Moss he might well end up just taking what he can get.
"I think he's got second-round value but I don't know if anybody would give a two," another AFC personnel director said. "I think clubs will know he's not happy there and he wants to move on. They'll wait it out and say, 'We'll get him at our number.' A three, a four, maybe with conditions."
McCarthy has indicated in the past month that he is in on board with Thompson's philosophy of accumulating picks and building through the draft. He's also well aware what a motivated Moss might mean for an offense that has a receiving void at tight end and little depth at wide receiver.
"You watch the tapes, he can still make you pay if you screw up," said Frank Bush, senior defensive assistant for the Houston Texans. "If he can just have an open area to run, if you don't press him and do some things to screw the route up, when he starts going he can still run and make a big play."
Last season, a Raiders source said Moss didn't like quarterback Aaron Brooks from Day 1 and at one point asked to be traded. When the trade didn't happen, Moss basically went through the motions.
"When we didn't trade him he was like a little kid who threw a tantrum when his parents wouldn't give him something," the source said. "So his tantrum was dropping passes."
According to STATS, Moss dropped eight of 97 targeted throws, or 8.5%. In his three previous seasons he dropped just 14 of 381, or 3.7%. He sat out the final three games with an ankle injury of disputed severity.
"Unfortunately for Randy, it's everybody else's fault except his," said Carl Peterson, president of the Kansas City Chiefs. "I thought Art (Shell) really tried to work hard this year to make him a leader, but that's not his personality.
"He's never done anything to hurt the Chiefs."
Carefully emphasizing his choice of tense, Peterson added, "He was a great talent. You can't play at that (current) level for a while and come back."
Some but not all Raiders employees say Moss has lost a step since his halcyon days in Minnesota, when almost no cornerback in the league could run with him. He didn't participate in the Raiders' off-season program and hasn't always taken good care of his body.
His longest reception in 2006 was 51 yards, when he tied for 78th in the NFL with 42 receptions and ranked 73rd in receiving yards with 553. He scored three touchdowns, giving him 101 in eight seasons, and averaged 13.2 per catch.
"He's a one-dimensional guy who has kind of gone downhill," said a secondary coach for an Oakland foe in '06. "He's going to try to take you deep but he doesn't finish plays. You know when he's going to get the ball just by the way he comes off the line of scrimmage."
His lackadaisical effort as a secondary receiver and blocker was brought up by four defensive coaches for teams that faced Moss last year.
"He still has the ability," Cincinnati defensive coordinator Chuck Bresnahan said. "It's just a question whether he will lay it on the line for you and buy into it."
An executive for an AFC West team has major reservations if Moss' heart still is in football.
"Does he have the desire to do the types of things he did with (Daunte) Culpepper and Denny Green?" the personnel man said. "Does he really still want to play, or is he in it for the money?"
The Raiders say Moss does have a strong mercenary side to him. One of their employees described him as "mischievous" and "playful," but not loud or disruptive.
"He's been allowed to get away with things in life so he will push you as far as he can possibly push you," one of the Raiders said. "On our team there was nobody to play the role of a player Randy respected.
"If he had respect for Brett, then he could bust his tail for him."
Packers have interest in Moss, but receiver would bring lots of baggage
By BOB McGINN
Indianapolis - The Oakland Raiders are trying to dump Randy Moss and the Green Bay Packers definitely are interested if the former all-pro wide receiver would agree to a restructured contact in order to play with a better team and Brett Favre.
Sources close to the situation said the Packers had explored trading for Moss, the temperamental former Minnesota Viking who once pretended to moon the crowd at Lambeau Field.
The two teams have had preliminary dialogue but at this point the Packers consider Moss to be an economically unfeasible solution to their need for another receiver alongside Donald Driver and Greg Jennings.
Moss has two years left on his contract, including base salaries of $9.75 million in 2007 and $11.25 million in '08. Moss' business agent is Tim DiPiero, but some of his affairs are handled by James "Bus" Cook, the only agent Favre has ever had. Mindful of tampering rules, general manager Ted Thompson and Packers coach Mike McCarthy have carefully avoided talking about Moss. Yet, neither has denied interest in him, either.
"You have the opportunity to obtain players for your program through the draft and free agency, and he's another part of free agency," McCarthy said last week. "That's where I stand on that."
The trading period opens Friday. New England and Jacksonville reportedly also are interested in Moss.
Several Raiders sources at the NFL combine indicated that Moss wasn't expected back in '07.
"Moss quit on us last year," one Raiders employee said. "My feeling is he wants to go someplace where they can win. He knows he only has X number of years left and he's never, ever won at any level."
The Raiders were last in just about everything in 2006 and are starting over with a novice head coach, Lane Kiffin, and what might be a rookie quarterback, JaMarcus Russell.
It can be safely assumed that owner Al Davis will start out seeking a first-round draft choice for Moss, who cost the Raiders the seventh overall pick in the 2005 draft and linebacker Napoleon Harris to obtain him from the Vikings just more than two years ago. But, in reality, the Raiders have almost no hope of getting one.
Moss is viewed by many in the league as a declining player, having turned 30 earlier in the month and coming off his poorest season. And with new NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell gung-ho about cracking down on poor behavior by players, some teams say they wouldn't touch Moss.
"I don't think that works," a personnel director for an AFC team said. "I'd develop other guys. You don't want him. It will be a big story. The story will be him, not your team."
There are general managers who wouldn't even consider adding Moss or any player regardless of ability if his character is questionable. But Thompson, who last September signed wide receiver Koren Robinson when he had one foot out of the league for off-field issues, isn't one of them.
Scouts also left the RCA Dome on Sunday afternoon enthusiastically endorsing the number of big, talented wide receivers in the draft.
Kiffin and the Raiders already have made up with wide receiver Jerry Porter, who will be back wearing Tim Brown's old jersey number (81). Ronald Curry led the team with 62 receptions last season and also should return.
Over the years, Davis has relished putting one over on teams in trades, but with Moss he might well end up just taking what he can get.
"I think he's got second-round value but I don't know if anybody would give a two," another AFC personnel director said. "I think clubs will know he's not happy there and he wants to move on. They'll wait it out and say, 'We'll get him at our number.' A three, a four, maybe with conditions."
McCarthy has indicated in the past month that he is in on board with Thompson's philosophy of accumulating picks and building through the draft. He's also well aware what a motivated Moss might mean for an offense that has a receiving void at tight end and little depth at wide receiver.
"You watch the tapes, he can still make you pay if you screw up," said Frank Bush, senior defensive assistant for the Houston Texans. "If he can just have an open area to run, if you don't press him and do some things to screw the route up, when he starts going he can still run and make a big play."
Last season, a Raiders source said Moss didn't like quarterback Aaron Brooks from Day 1 and at one point asked to be traded. When the trade didn't happen, Moss basically went through the motions.
"When we didn't trade him he was like a little kid who threw a tantrum when his parents wouldn't give him something," the source said. "So his tantrum was dropping passes."
According to STATS, Moss dropped eight of 97 targeted throws, or 8.5%. In his three previous seasons he dropped just 14 of 381, or 3.7%. He sat out the final three games with an ankle injury of disputed severity.
"Unfortunately for Randy, it's everybody else's fault except his," said Carl Peterson, president of the Kansas City Chiefs. "I thought Art (Shell) really tried to work hard this year to make him a leader, but that's not his personality.
"He's never done anything to hurt the Chiefs."
Carefully emphasizing his choice of tense, Peterson added, "He was a great talent. You can't play at that (current) level for a while and come back."
Some but not all Raiders employees say Moss has lost a step since his halcyon days in Minnesota, when almost no cornerback in the league could run with him. He didn't participate in the Raiders' off-season program and hasn't always taken good care of his body.
His longest reception in 2006 was 51 yards, when he tied for 78th in the NFL with 42 receptions and ranked 73rd in receiving yards with 553. He scored three touchdowns, giving him 101 in eight seasons, and averaged 13.2 per catch.
"He's a one-dimensional guy who has kind of gone downhill," said a secondary coach for an Oakland foe in '06. "He's going to try to take you deep but he doesn't finish plays. You know when he's going to get the ball just by the way he comes off the line of scrimmage."
His lackadaisical effort as a secondary receiver and blocker was brought up by four defensive coaches for teams that faced Moss last year.
"He still has the ability," Cincinnati defensive coordinator Chuck Bresnahan said. "It's just a question whether he will lay it on the line for you and buy into it."
An executive for an AFC West team has major reservations if Moss' heart still is in football.
"Does he have the desire to do the types of things he did with (Daunte) Culpepper and Denny Green?" the personnel man said. "Does he really still want to play, or is he in it for the money?"
The Raiders say Moss does have a strong mercenary side to him. One of their employees described him as "mischievous" and "playful," but not loud or disruptive.
"He's been allowed to get away with things in life so he will push you as far as he can possibly push you," one of the Raiders said. "On our team there was nobody to play the role of a player Randy respected.
"If he had respect for Brett, then he could bust his tail for him."
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