Moss Returns to Minnesota

By Justin Worsley

The New England Patriots have traded wide receiver Randy Moss back to the Minnesota Vikings.

New England will receive a third-round pick in the 2011 draft out of the deal. When the Patriots traded with Oakland for Moss in 2007, they gave up a fourth-round draft pick.

Moss, who is in the final year of his contract, began his career with the Minnesota Vikings in 1998. If New England decided to let Moss walk in free agency, they would receive a third-round compensatory pick in the 2012 draft.

According to ESPN.com's Adam Schefter, Moss, 33, requested a trade from New England after the team's victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. After the game, Moss stated that he felt that he felt unappreciated and that if New England opted until the season's end to work a new deal that it would be a "smack in the face."

So far this season, Moss has caught nine passes for 139 yards and three touchdowns. In Monday night's blowout win against the Miami Dolphins, however, Moss did not catch a pass for the first time in 51 games as a Patriot.

Minnesota has been desperately looking for a top wide receiver since Sidney Rice went down with a hip injury before the season starter. Rice is expected to miss the first half of the year. Minnesota was also in talk with the San Diego Chargers earlier this season about acquiring disgruntled receiver Vincent Jackson.

Moss, a seven-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro has been courted by Vikings quarterback Brett Favre before. When the Oakland Raiders were shopping Moss in 2007, Favre, the with the Green Bay Packers, asked the organization to pursue a trade for him saying that "There is no one in this league who puts fear in people more than Randy Moss."

Moss is on the verge of a milestone season where he could catch his 1000th pass, his 15,000th receiving yard and his 160th touchdown.