Android #17

I wanted to make this topic to keep you up to date with the news in the NFL even though the season is over.

Vikings Sending Pro Bowl WR Moss to Raiders, Agent Says
Possible Deal Cannot Become Official Until March 2MINNEAPOLIS (Feb. 23) - Randy Moss' electrifying talent was no longer enough for the Minnesota Vikings to put up with his distracting antics.

Dante DiTrapano, Moss' agent, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the Vikings and the Oakland Raiders had "come to an agreement on Randy playing for Oakland next year."

Neither the Vikings nor the Raiders would confirm the deal, which was first reported by The St. Paul Pioneer Press.

"We have had discussions with the Oakland Raiders, but there's nothing to announce," Rob Brzezinski, Minnesota's vice president of football operations, told The Associated Press.

Raiders spokesman Mike Taylor said, "I cannot comment on the deal specifically, however, this organization has always been tremendously aggressive and Randy Moss rates with the great players of all time. Great players want to play for the Raiders."

DiTrapano said he didn't know the terms of the deal, but the Pioneer Press reported the Vikings would get linebacker Napoleon Harris, along with the seventh overall pick and a late-round pick in the upcoming draft.

The deal cannot become official until March 2, the start of the NFL's fiscal year.

"It's just like any other contract. There's a meeting of the minds between the people who negotiate for the Vikings and the people who negotiate for the Raiders," DiTrapano said. "It just hasn't been reduced to writing and it won't be until March 2."

Moss is due to make $7.25 million next year. Harris is due to make $5.41 million.

Oakland's renegade owner Al Davis has long embraced combustible players and the vertical passing game, so adding Moss seems to be a perfect fit.

The timing of the move comes as a bit of a surprise with the Vikings in the midst of an ownership change. Red McCombs has agreed to sell the team to Arizona businessman Reggie Fowler, a deal that still needs to be approved by the NFL.

A spokeswoman for Fowler said it would be "inappropriate for Reggie to be commenting at this point" because McCombs still owns the team and is making all the decisions.

Trade rumors have surrounded the flamboyant Moss all offseason. He struggled with a hamstring injury, but still finished with 13 touchdown catches last season. He was fined $10,000 for pretending to pull down his pants and moon the Green Bay crowd during Minnesota's playoff win. He also drew criticism for leaving the field with 2 seconds left in a regular-season loss against Washington.

Team leaders Matt Birk and Daunte Culpepper confronted Moss after he walked off at Washington, and the organization's patience with the receiver seemed to dwindle in the past year or so.

"He's my good friend, but you almost get to thinking that maybe enough is enough," Culpepper said earlier this month at the Pro Bowl. "And maybe the Vikings organization has had enough."


Moss by the Numbers
111 Catches by Randy Moss in the 2003 season

49 Catches by Moss this season

93 Career touchdowns by Moss, 90 of which are receiving

7 Seasons spent in the NFL, all with the Minnesota Vikings

4 Times the Vikings have been to the playoffs since 1998

0 Number of Super Bowl appearances

Last year's transgressions were the latest in a long line of headline-grabbing negative behavior for Moss that included bumping a traffic control officer with his car in 2002, verbally abusing corporate sponsors on a team bus in 2001 and squirting an official with a water bottle in 1999.

But when he was focused and healthy on the field, there was no denying his considerable ability.

His 9,142 career receiving yards are the most by any player over his first seven seasons. The Vikings' offensive identity was built around Moss' uncanny ability to leap over smaller defensive backs to catch deep passes.

Moss burst into the league in 1998 and has been a big reason why the Vikings have sold out every game, including preseason, since he arrived. "The Freak" caught 17 TD passes - many of them long, high-arching throws from Randall Cunningham - to help lead the Vikings to the NFC championship game in his rookie season.

He had his best season in 2003 with 111 catches for 1,632 yards and 17 touchdowns.

He'll leave Minnesota as the only receiver in NFL history to start his career with six straight 1,000-yard seasons. Last year, he had 49 catches for 767 yards and 13 touchdowns.

But after the Vikings lost to Philadelphia in the playoffs this season, coach Mike Tice talked of molding the Minnesota into a running team.

Perhaps in a veiled reference to Moss, Tice also said the Vikings needed leaders to emerge.

"I've said many times before - until the leadership takes over the locker room we're not going to make the big jump to where we need to be," Tice said in January. "The teams that are playing now - New England and Philadelphia - have tremendous leadership in their locker room. They take care of everything."

In Oakland, Moss will team with Jerry Porter to form a formidable receiving duo.

On Tuesday, the Raiders re-signed Porter to a five-year, $20 million contract.

DiTrapano said Moss was "very pleased to be going to Oakland and looking forward to playing with a team that's promised they're going to throw the ball deep a whole lot to him and having a chance at winning the Super Bowl."

"He doesn't leave Minnesota with any grudges," DiTrapano said. "It just was frustrating for him to lose."

There you go. Enjoy.

Inuyasha16

They just plain didn't get enough for him. They needed what they got, but should've got another player.

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Android #17

Randy Moss is pretty much the biggest trade for the Raiders since they traded Jerry Rice to the SeaHawks. The Raiders most likely need him.

Iversonite

The Radiers sort ot need him, but they sort of don't. jerry Porter looked pretty good toward the end of last year and Ronald Curry also showed some promise. But in the immediate future, attaining Moss would be a big plus, because not only would be bring his own talent but he would make the rest of the receiving corps better. By the way, are the rumors that Muhsin Muhammed going to Philadelphia true?

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"I go out there on the court, and when you see me, you see me in games? You see me give 110% out there when it really matters? Ok then, what's the big deal with practice? We talkin' about practice here man. We talkin' about practice." - Allen Iverson

Android #17

Don't know, I'll look into that. There was a rumor that R. Moss was s'pose to go to the Eagles but I guess that's not true. If he was to go there, let's just say that the Eagles will be a hard opponent against the Patriots.

Iversonite

Philly is going to be tough again next year because they aren't losing anyone and they still have 18 mil left in their salary cap(Amazing huh? They could give it to Muhammed for signing with them...lol) Also, I wonder what the Panthers will be like this year. They had so many injuries I lost count but they kept winning there in the middle and end of the season. They tried not to make injuries an excuse, but 3rd and 4th stringplayers have their limits too.

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"I go out there on the court, and when you see me, you see me in games? You see me give 110% out there when it really matters? Ok then, what's the big deal with practice? We talkin' about practice here man. We talkin' about practice." - Allen Iverson

Android #17

Here's some more news for you guys.

Keeping An Eye On NFC In This Off-Season February 22, 2005

As we all watch what the Eagles' actions are in the pending free agency period, it's also of utmost importance that we keep an eye on the rest of the NFC East and, for that matter, the entire Conference.
Teams are in catch-up mode with regards to the Eagles and, as they say, it's a lot easier to reach the top than it is to stay on top.

What's happening around the NFC? Here are some news flashes.

Washington And Coles: What Will Happen?

It's clear that something is amiss in the world of the Washington Redskins and wide receiver Laveranues Coles. Are they trading him? Are they releasing him? Has the onslaught of media attention changed the plans in Washington?

It's clear that the Redskins are strapped as far as the salary cap goes. All of those years of spending lavishly in free agency are, apparently, forcing Washington to change its tact a bit in this off-season.

The guess here is that Coles will be released and then sign with another team. What do we know about him? Well, he's an extremely talented player who does a variety of things well on the field. He's also got a toe injury that you have to wonder about.

And he has a huge price tag. Coles reportedly initiated all of this talk by complaining about the Redskins offense and indicating that he wanted out of Washington. That Washington would even think of moving a player so good speaks to its interest in retaining some kind of fiscal sanity, even if it's two or three seasons too late.

Then there is the Rod Garnder issue. Is he out of Washington's plans, too?

Head coach Joe Gibbs looked weary on television the other night talking about the Coles situation. These are not the same days as when Gibbs ruled Washington with an iron fist and his teams played great football. There are many other complications, and Gibbs looks like he's tiring of the challenge.

Drew Bledsoe In Dallas: Really?

The first thing that struck me when reading reports about the Cowboys' apparent interest in Drew Bledsoe was this: Isn't Drew Henson supposed to be The Answer in Dallas?

I understand the need to give Henson more time to prepare himself for the NFL after three years away from the game. But it is a bit surprising that the Cowboys wouldn't at least get the kid some game action, that they wouldn't give him a shot to win the starting job in the preseason.

My read is this: Bill Parcells has one more year, maybe two, remaining as the Cowboys' head coach. That's my guess, and I'm sticking to it.

Out West: Seattle Making Plans

OK, so the Seahawks did the most sensible thing they could faced with a glut of free agents about to hit the market: They spent wildly. They retained premier left tackle Walter Jones with a whopping seven-year contract. They signed quarterback Matt Hasselbeck to a long-term deal. They are reportedly going to use the franchise tag on running back Shaun Alexander.

Faced with so many decisions, the Seahawks did the right thing. They locked up their three best players. Now, Seattle will lose a bunch of key players in free agency. The Seahawks still have 13 players who will become free agents next week.

But what can you do? You don't let a franchise left tackle and your starting quarterback walk. You also have to make a tough decision on a player like Alexander, who, despite what his critics say, has been extremely productive in his NFL career.

The writing here says that Seattle will have a tough time contending next season. The Seahawks will suffer a tremendous talent loss this off-season. But there is a sense that Seattle will rebuild around the talented trio offensively, and that with Tim Ruskell now in charge of personnel, they will look to build back via the draft.

What Impact Will The Titans' Moves Have Here?

When you suddenly release the likes of Derrick Mason and Samari Rolle and a bunch of pretty darn good players on the market, you create a good buyer's market. You create more opportunity for teams with lesser dollars and you make the overall price of players go down in free agency.

From that perspective, then, the Eagles have more chances to add good players, if they wish. At the same time, it gives every team an opportunity to sign more good players. The Eagles, with a decent amount of salary cap space, lose the advantage of having more cap room with a glut of good players on the market.

Ultimately, of course, we'll see how it impacts the Eagles. They have not said a peep about their free agency plans. We'll find out in one week, won't we?

Do The Vikings Step Up, Or Do They Step Back?

When Jeffrey Lurie bought the Eagles in 1994, he watched as Rich Kotite roared out of the gates with a 7-2 record and then doomed himself with his famous midseason line about evaluating his future after the season was over.

We all can laugh about it now.

Back then, the impact of a new boss was very much on everybody's minds. Does the boss like us? Does he have his own people to bring in and replace us? What does he even know about my job?

In Minnesota, they have a man named Reggie Fowler on his way to being named the new owner. He will take over a franchise that has been strong on the field in the last year, and one that has a good thing going.

But change means uneasiness. How do you think Mike Tice feels right now? Do the Vikings act aggressively in free agency? Do they lay back and see what the new boss wants to do after he takes control?

There will be a transition period. There has to be. The Vikings, who will not trade Randy Moss unless a team out there is absolutely convinced he is the missing piece, have the ability to contend for the Super Bowl next season or fall far out of the picture.

What Is Going On With The Giants?

All is quiet in the land of the Giants. But the big off-season question there is the player-head coach relationship. Has Tom Coughlin gained the like and trust and respect of his team after one season at the helm? We'll find out.

The Giants are going to stick with Eli Manning at quarterback, obviously, and they'll hope he shows significant improvement over his rookie season. New York does not have a first-round draft pick, so the Giants will have to be very, very efficient next year to get in the NFC East race.

Arizona: A Sleeper Team In Conference

I know the Cardinals have to get a quarterback -- Kurt Warner? Jeff Garcia? Somebody? -- but they also have a good nucleus of young players and a very strong defense.

And if the Cardinals can pull off the trade that is being thrown around out there -- offensive tackle L.J. Shelton for running back Travis Henry -- they'll be scary.

If they can bring Henry to the table, they'll have a fine running back, two outstanding young wide receivers, a decent offensive line, the defense and a shot to be a playoff team.

Don't count this team out. The Cardinals are coming.

Eagles Information: Anything?

I can truly tell you ... no. Very quiet. Nobody is saying anything. The Eagles send their Scouting Combine contingent out to Indianapolis on Thursday night and then they return and free agency starts on March 2.

It's coming, so be prepared. The Eagles are going to make moves. They have their own players to sign and they have free agents to acquire.

Who they are and how the Eagles will get them, I have no idea. I'm just as excited as you are to get it started.


Westbrook ... Wayne ... Eagles Making Moves February 24, 2005

The Eagles did the expected and tendered a contract offer to Brian Westbrook, protecting him against another team's intentions.
The Eagles also did the expected and released Nate Wayne, a veteran linebacker with a big ticket who was not very much in the plans at the end of the 2004 season.

What's next? That's the big question. That's what nobody knows.

But how how will these moves they've already made impact what they plan to do down the line? Let's take a look.

Westbrook Tender: Is He Here To Stay?

Right now, the answer is yes. The Eagles tendered Westbrook at the mid-level amount. They could have taken it a step beyond and tendered him at $1.9 million, but those those the middle ground.

What it means is this: Any team that wants to sign Westbrook to a contract offer can do so and then would have to wait seven days for the Eagles to match the deal. Should the Eagles match the deal, Westbrook would be an Eagle for however long the contract stipulates.


The Eagles would like to keep Westbrook
Should the Eagles not match that contract offer sheet, they would receive a first-round draft pick from the team that signed Westbrook.

Is it a risky proposition? The Eagles think they've done the right thing. They think they've made it difficult for another team to sign Westbrook, at the risk of losing a first-round draft pick. They think, too, that having the right of first refusal gives them considerable leverage should, in fact, Westbrook sign an offer sheet elsewhere.

The big picture, of course, is whether Westbrook will be here for years to come. That's hard to answer right now. The Eagles would love to keep him here. He would love to stay here. It's all about a negotiation now.

Should things go according to plan, the Eagles will have Westbrook for 2005 and will try to sign him for the long term at some point between now and the end of the season.

They recognize his value as a dynamic back who is a big-play maker and a tremendous receiver out of the backfield. Keeping him for the long term would be a huge plus for this offense.

But that's down the line. That's a negotiation issue. That's Joe Banner and Westbrook's agent coming to a common ground.

For the immediate future, the Eagles have protected themselves with Westbrook.

Nate Wayne And His Departure

Wayne is a smart man and he knew, going toward the end of the season, what the deal was. He wanted to win a Super Bowl and then move on.

"That's my focus," he said late in the season. "I'm not worrying about anything other than that."

Wayne, plagued by a hamstring injury after having a terrific preseason, never regained his starting job after the hammy healed. Now that he's gone, well, the true question is this: Who is the starter at the WILL position?

Mark Simoneau has the inside track at the moment. Keith Adams is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday. Ike Reese is, too.

Simoneau and Jason Short are the only players with WILL experience under contract on the roster.

What does that mean? It means it is very likely the Eagles will either A) Keep Adams and allow him to compete with Simoneau for the starting job; Keep Reese and allow him to compete with Simoneau for the starting job; C) Keep both Adams and Reese and make it a three-way competition for the starting job; D) Allow both Adams and Reese to leave in free agency and turn the job over to Simoneau; E) Allow both Adams and Reese to leave in free agency and sign a veteran in free agency to compete with Simoneau or; F) Allow both Adams and Reese to leave in free agency and draft a linebacker to compete with Simoneau for the starting job in 2005.

Bottom line? A lot of things can happen at that position.

Anything Else Out There Impacting The Eagles?

Yeah, sure. Drew Bledsoe is the starting quarterback in Dallas. He's a strong-armed veteran player who doesn't have mobility. Is he an upgrade over Vinny Testaverde? We'll see.

Oh, and Randy Moss is out of the NFC. He's a difference-making wide receiver. He goes to Oakland -- officially announced next week --and the Vikings will have trouble replacing his on-field productiion.

Certainly, the trade shows that the Vikings just couldn't put up with Moss any longer. There must be some great stories behind the scenes. The public knowledge of Moss' problems are enough to make you understand why they would want to get rid of him, so imagine the real behind-the-scenes stories.

Minnesota has a lot of cap room, two first-round draft picks and a good talent in linebacker Napoleon Harris. Judging the trade of Moss is not fair at this point. Let's see what the Vikings look like in September before we make judgments.

Oakland, which visits Lincoln Financial Field this season, will have some power on offense with Jerry Porter and Moss at wide receiver and, maybe, Lamont Jordan at running back. The offensive line needs to be good. That defense is not good, but the Raiders will be entertaining.

Anything Else Happening At The NovaCare Complex?

Nah. The personnel people and coaching staff are in Indianapolis at the Scouting Combine. It's that time of the year.

I know nothing. I know nothing. I want to know something....

.ThEDarKnIgHt

i heard the jets just traded santana moss for coles. sources say mmoss wanted to leave because they werent throwing the ball to him that much at all. they also lost jason fergason. they got blaylock from the kansas city chief

Android #17

QB Warner agrees to one-year deal with Cards

NFL.com wire reports

PHOENIX (March 6, 2005) -- Kurt Warner agreed to a one-year contract with the Arizona Cardinals, the two-time MVP's third team in three seasons.

The 33-year-old quarterback, who lost his starting job with the Giants to rookie Eli Manning last season, is to sign the contract and appear at a news conference in Arizona on March 8.

Warner, a former Arena Football League player, was a three-time Pro Bowl selection with the St. Louis Rams. He led the Rams to the Super Bowl in 1999 and 2001, beating Tennessee and winning MVP in the 2000 game.

But after losing the starting job to Marc Bulger in St. Louis, he signed a one-year deal with the Giants before last season.

Warner visited the Cardinals on March 3, then made a trip to Chicago for a meeting with Bears officials.

"From the beginning of this process, I was looking for the best situation for myself and my family and the Cardinals clearly represent that," Warner said in a statement released by the Cardinals. "We are very impressed with the direction the organization is headed in and couldn't be more excited to be a part of it. Even though this is a one-year deal, I really don't want to go anywhere else and would like nothing more than to end my career by helping the Cardinals win a championship."

That's a heady goal for a franchise that has had one winning season, and one playoff appearance, since moving to the desert from St. Louis in 1988.

During his stop in Arizona, Warner emphasized that he wanted a long-term contract, preferably for four years, but he settled for a one-year deal.

"Kurt wanted an opportunity to come in and prove that he was certainly deserving of a higher valued contract later down the road," said Rod Graves, Cardinals vice president for football operations. "But the important thing for his agent, Mark Bartlestein, and I was to get a contract now. This was the place he wanted to be. We wanted him."

Warner completed 174-of-277 passes for 2,054 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions last season with the Giants, going 5-2 as a starter. But he was criticized for often holding the ball too long.

Warner's last game as a starter came in Arizona when he was sacked six times in the Cardinals' 17-14 victory over the Giants.

Warner has made it clear that he expects to be a starter, and Arizona coach Dennis Green made it clear that the opportunity for him is there. The Cardinals starter most of last season, Josh McCown, will be back next season.

"Bringing Kurt Warner on board this fast-moving train is very, very exciting," Green said in a statement. "He's proven he's one of the best competitors in the National Football League, regardless of position, and is one of the bravest quarterbacks ever to play the position. ...

"Kurt is one important element in building this football team that will help us win a championship."

Warner is the second player to agree to terms with the Cardinals in the past two days. On March 4, offensive tackle Oliver Ross signed a five-year contract.

.Z Warrior

They had to get rid of Santana Moss. The Jets are going to get very beat up this year. Gave up Moss, some defensive person, and Jordan.

.ThEDarKnIgHt

moss you need to come back. the jets really need him and the jason fergason. what the hell is wrong woth them. if they dont do good htis year i'm routing for the atlanta falcons.

Android #17

Burress gives Giants, Manning deep threat

NFL.com wire reports

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (March 18, 2005) -- Plaxico Burress didn't let an agent stand in the way of joining the New York Giants.

The free-agent wide receiver officially joined the Giants a week after rejecting an offer from the team. He then fired agent Michael Harrison and signed with Drew Rosenhaus, who renewed negotiations.

The speedy former Pittsburgh Steelers receiver met with the Giants last week and turned down a deal similar to the one he agreed March 17, causing New York to pull the offer from the table.

"In free agency, when a player leaves our facility, we withdraw the offer and go on to other things," Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi said in a statement.

But Burress liked the situation in New York enough to work out a deal. He now becomes Eli Manning's No. 1 receiver.

"Having the option to move around and be able to go in motion and create some one-on-one matchups, that's an opportunity that I've been waiting for," Burress said. "I believe I can go out and play at a level with some of the best receivers in this game."

Burress, 6-foot-5 and 226 pounds, will be an attractive target for Manning, who is heading into his first season as a starter. Burress had 35 catches for 698 yards and five touchdowns last season and is a proven deep threat.

"He is a guy who has an imposing physical presence. And because he does have the ability to be a long-ball threat, he is a guy that will force defenses to pay particular attention to where he is," coach Tom Coughlin said. "He's a big target. He can catch the ball with his hands above his head, which puts him well above most corners and most safeties."

Burress spent the past five seasons in Pittsburgh after the Steelers selected him in the first round of Michigan State in 2000.

Also, the Giants re-signed running back Mike Cloud, who joined the team in September after being released by the New England Patriots. Cloud is likely to again back up Tiki Barber.

Iversonite

Interesting. I don't think it'll hurt the Steelers because they have Antwaan Randle El, but it's definetly a plus for the Giants.

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"I go out there on the court, and when you see me, you see me in games? You see me give 110% out there when it really matters? Ok then, what's the big deal with practice? We talkin' about practice here man. We talkin' about practice." - Allen Iverson

Iversonite

Well, I think I'll bump up this topic instead of someone making a new NFL topic. The season is going to start soon, and that means fantasy football. I'm still looking for 5 people to join the MFG league, so if you're interested, go post in the topic in the Lounge.

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"I go out there on the court, and when you see me, you see me in games? You see me give 110% out there when it really matters? Ok then, what's the big deal with practice? We talkin' about practice here man. We talkin' about practice." - Allen Iverson

Superior

Good idea to bump this, Rock. I know I'll be cheering on the Jets once again. Weird how I don't even live in New York yet I cheer for the Jets. Sorry Giants just aren't my team.

Edit: Just pinned this thread since I'm sure it'll be around until the Super Bowl which will be played in 2006.

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