The Minnesota Vikings have tentatively agreed to trade wide receiver Randy Moss to the Oakland Raiders next week.
Moss's agent, Dante DiTrapano, told the St. Paul Pioneer Press that the two teams have agreed to the deal and it will be made official next Wednesday, when the NFL's trading and free agent period begins. Trades cannot be completed before then.
The Minnesota Vikings have reportedly cut ties with flamboyant wide receiver Randy Moss by trading him to the Oakland Raiders in exchange for linebacker Napoleon Harris and draft picks.
(Ann Heisenfelt - AP)
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An NFL source, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the trade has not yet been announced, confirmed that the agreement is in place. The Raiders will send linebacker Napoleon Harris and two selections in April's draft, the seventh overall choice in the first round and a late-round pick, to the Vikings.
The move comes even with league approval of the Vikings' proposed sale from Red McCombs to Arizona businessman Reggie Fowler still pending. Fowler had said publicly in recent days that Moss would not be traded.
He is one of the league's most gifted players but has been involved in a series of controversies on and off the field. He walked off the field with a few seconds still remaining in the Vikings' loss to the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field to end the regular season, and was fined by the league for pretending to moon the crowd at Lambeau Field as part of a touchdown celebration during a playoff triumph at Green Bay.
Cowboys Add Another Drew
For a second straight year, Coach Bill Parcells is bringing a veteran quarterback from his past to the Dallas Cowboys. He and his team can only hope that it turns out better this time.
The Cowboys completed a contract agreement today with free-agent quarterback Drew Bledsoe after the two sides reached a tentative deal Tuesday night. The Cowboys scheduled a news conference for late this afternoon to officially introduce Bledsoe, who previously played for Parcells for four seasons with the New England Patriots. He probably will enter next season as the Cowboys' starter, ahead of youngsters Drew Henson and Tony Romo.
Bledsoe succeeds Vinny Testaverde, the Cowboys' starter this past season. Dallas signed Testaverde last summer, following his release by the New York Jets, to compete with Quincy Carter for the starting job. Testaverde became the starter in training camp when Parcells and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones released Carter, but he failed to recapture his past Jets glories with Parcells. The Cowboys went 6-10, and apparently will permit Testaverde to depart this offseason via unrestricted free agency. He perhaps could be headed back to the Jets.
Bledsoe, 33, was only the NFL's 25th-ranked passer this past season, his third year with the Buffalo Bills after nine seasons with the Patriots. The Bills decided to go with J.P. Losman as their starter next season as a second-year pro, and Bledsoe declined Buffalo's offer for him to accept a pay cut to stay in the fold as Losman's mentor and backup. His release by the Bills became official Tuesday.
Many people around the league wonder whether Bledsoe has any productive seasons left. He is as immobile as they come in the pocket. But the Cowboys believe he remains a gifted passer and a good leader. He helped the Bills to a 9-7 record this past season after an 0-4 beginning under a first-year coach, Mike Mularkey. Parcells selected Bledsoe with the top overall pick in the 1993 draft for the Patriots, and they were together in New England between '93 and '96. They reached a Super Bowl together in the '96 season.
Parcells made it clear all season that he was not ready to go with Henson as his starter, even with Jones seemingly pushing at times for that move. The Cowboys have a chance to put an improving team around Bledsoe. Tailback Julius Jones should be the club's offensive centerpiece in his second pro season, and the Cowboys plan to be aggressive in free agency. They have two first-round draft selections in April, and Parcells will be eager to rebound. There were reports that he contemplated leaving the Cowboys after this past season, and he might not stick around beyond next season if the team struggles again.
Franchised By The Dozen
A dozen NFL teams used their franchise-player tags this year. Six players were tagged Tuesday (tailbacks Shaun Alexander of the Seattle Seahawks and Edgerrin James of the Indianapolis Colts, Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri, Oakland Raiders cornerback Charles Woodson, San Francisco 49ers linebacker Julian Peterson and Jacksonville Jaguars safety Donovin Darius) to go with the six players given the designation last week (San Diego Chargers quarterback Drew Brees, Cincinnati Bengals tailback Rudi Johnson, St. Louis Rams left tackle Orlando Pace, Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Corey Simon and defensive ends John Abraham of the New York Jets and Darren Howard of the New Orleans Saints).
One player who escaped the tag was Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Plaxico Burress, who will be on the unrestricted free agent market next week unencumbered. . . .
The two most prominent tailbacks on the unrestricted free agent market, Alexander and James, got franchise-player tags Tuesday. That was good news for the teams looking to trade tailbacks, like the Bills with Travis Henry and the Denver Broncos with Reuben Droughns. Their value was enhanced considerably. The Bills and Cardinals continue to discuss a possible trade that would send Henry to Arizona for offensive tackle L.J. Shelton. . . .
The Colts completed a two-year, approximately $4 million contract extension with reserve tailback Dominic Rhodes to keep him off the unrestricted free agent market. . . .
The six-year contract extension to which the Seahawks and quarterback Matt Hasselbeck agreed late Monday night is worth about $47 million, including a signing bonus of approximately $16 million. The Seahawks handed out about $32 million-worth of signing bonuses in the contract extensions to which they agreed with Hasselbeck and left tackle Walter Jones. The total value of the two contracts is about $99.5 million. . . .
The overhaul of Seattle's front office is just about complete, with Tim Ruskell, the assistant general manager of the Atlanta Falcons, agreeing to become the Seahawks' president of football operations and Bob Ferguson resigning as the team's general manager.
Ruskell will work with Coach Mike Holmgren, who won a power struggle with former club president Bob Whitsitt, resulting in Whitsitt being fired by owner Paul Allen. The Seahawks also lost vice president of football operations Ted Thompson, who became the Green Bay Packers' general manager, and college scouting director Scot McCloughan, who became the San Francisco 49ers' vice president of player personnel. Seattle hired Mike Reinfeldt, a former Seahawks executive, as a front-office consultant a few weeks ago, and his work in completing the Hasselbeck and Jones contract extensions could earn him a more permanent job under Ruskell. . . .
Nearly three dozen players were released league-wide Tuesday. The NFL's waiver system went back into effect and cuts could become official, with teams maneuvering to get under the salary cap by next week's deadline. Chicago gave up on quarterback Jonathan Quinn, a part-time starter for the Bears this past season. Kansas City said its goodbyes to defensive end Vonnie Holliday, a failed free-agent acquisition. The Cowboys parted with defensive end Marcellus Wiley, a major disappointment this past season after being signed as a free agent last offseason to improve the pass rush, and the Chargers released wide receiver and kick returner Tim Dwight. The Rams cut veteran quarterback Chris Chandler. . . .
Bears officials said they won't bring back veteran quarterback Jeff George next season. That reinforces the notion that the Bears are the team most likely to sign Kurt Warner after the former two-time league most valuable player voids the remaining season of his contract with the New York Giants. Chicago then would have Warner to go with holdover quarterbacks Rex Grossman and Craig Krenzel. . . .
Carolina signed running back and kick returner Rod Smart to a four-year contract extension to keep him from being an unrestricted free agent. . . . The contract extension to which the Raiders and wide receiver Jerry Porter agreed is a five-year deal with provisions for it to be voided to a three-year, $15-million pact. . . . The Saints kept safety Jay Bellamy off the unrestricted free agent market with a three-year, $3.6 million contract extension that includes a $750,000 signing bonus. . . .
The Jets are attempting to re-sign offensive tackle Kareem McKenzie before the free-agent market opens. But reserve tailback LaMont Jordan, another prospective unrestricted free agent, has rejected the Jets' contract offers and plans to test the market. He is stuck behind Curtis Martin in New York and is hoping to find a starting job with another club. . . .
Dick Curl, already a member of the Jets' coaching staff, will take over as running backs coach for Bishop Harris, who left the team to become the 49ers' running backs coach in the aftermath of his sideline confrontation with Coach Herman Edwards during the AFC playoffs. . . .
The Jets released defensive back Jamie Henderson after keeping him on the payroll this past season even though he was unable to play after suffering life-threatening head injuries in a motorcycle accident last spring. . . . Miami released defensive end Jay Williams and safety Arturo Freeman. . . . The Baltimore Ravens, after trying but failing to land Terrell Owens last offseason, could be among the leading suitors for Burress. . . . The Steelers have opened discussions with tailback Jerome Bettis on a restructured contract that would keep him with the club next season if he decides not to retire. . . . Two former starters in the defensive backfield, Omar Stoutmire and Terry Cousin, were among the five players cut by the Giants. . . .
Renowned offensive line coach Alex Gibbs is reducing his workload with the Falcons and will be only a part-time assistant coach and consultant next season. He helped Atlanta to have the league's top-ranked rushing offense this past season, but has suffered from burnout in the past and made a similar move when he was in Denver. . . . Kicker Mike Vanderjagt could end up being released by the Colts. . . . Cleveland has opened negotiations with quarterback Kelly Holcomb, attempting to re-sign him before the free-agent market opens.
