What started as an accidental tweet from Bill Simmons -- no, really -- quickly turned what was supposed to be a quiet bye week into a loud, rumor-filled Tuesday evening: according to Fox Sports' Jay Glazer, the Patriots are working on a deal to send Randy Moss to the Minnesota Vikings.
And now the Boston Herald's Karen Guregian is reporting that Moss had his agent, Joe Segal, call Bill Belichick and ask for a trade after Week 1's game with the Bengals. Moss caught five passes for 59 yards in the win.
Randy Moss is in the final year of his contract, and the Patriots have showed no indications that they plan to re-sign him after the 2010 season. The Herald's Ian Rapoport details why trading Moss makes sense -- for Moss.
With the threat of a lockout on the horizon, Moss would prefer being traded, and working a long-term deal out with another team, so he is assured of getting money. That was part of the impetus behind asking out. Plus, the way the offense is now designed, with the ball being spread around more, he wasn't going to get the type of statistics he had gotten here in the past, perhaps dampening his earning power.
The trade deadline is not until Oct. 19, but making a trade during a bye week makes sense for New England, giving them to adjust.
Comcast Sports New England's Gary Tanguay reported via Twitter tonight that Randy Moss showed up to Gillette Stadium on Tuesday "unhappy ... He and BB had words. He is gone to Vikes if he and Minn workout a new deal." Take that for what it is worth.