Looking back at Randy Moss trade 20 years later

Raiders made big swing for Hall of Famer 20 years ago

It’s been 20 years since the Raiders made a huge splash trading for future Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss from the Minnesota Vikings.

I vividly remember when this blockbuster happened. It was March 2, 2005 and I was in Indianapolis covering the NFL combine. It was a big deal for me, work-wise. It was my first offseason as a Denver Broncos beat writer after covering the Vikings for the past four years.

So, with my sources in Minnesota and a superstar coming to the AFC West, it was a big story for me to cover.

Here’s a closer look at the deal and how it shook out:

Why was Randy Moss traded by the Vikings?

Despite all of his on-field prowess, Moss could be difficult to deal with and his time in Minnesota simply ended with a separation being the best solution for everyone involved. We had seen it happen in sports before and it’s happened plenty of times since, including two years later when the Raiders shipped Moss out of Oakland.

Trade compensation for Randy Moss between Vikings and Raiders

The Raiders sent linebacker Napoleon Harris, the No. 7 overall draft pick and a seventh-round pick in the 2005 draft in return for Moss.

How did Moss perform for the Raiders?

Let’s call this the non-Hall of Fame portion of a Hall of Fame career. Moss had 60 catches for 1,005 yards in 2005 and just 42 catches for 553 yards in 2006. He had 11 touchdown catches in two seasons with the Raiders. There were single seasons in Minnesota where Moss almost equaled his two-season total with the Raiders. Moss had a reputation for not always giving his full effort at times and that appeared to be the case with the Raiders especially during a dreadful 2-14 2006 season. Moss publicly expressed his unhappiness in Oakland and said during the season he was hoping to be traded again.

How did the Vikings do in the Randy Moss trade?

Harris, a Raiders’ first-round pick in 2002, was limited by a knee injury in 2005, but he did well in 2006, finishing with 96 tackles, the second-most on the team. He signed a six-year deal with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2007. He was cut the next year and re-signed with the Vikings to end the season.

The Vikings took South Carolina wide receiver Troy Williamson in the No. 7 overall pick in 2005. He did not fill Moss’s shoes well. Williamson had just 79 catches in three seasons with the Vikings. Williamson had deep-ball speed but he was a drop machine and a pretty big disappointment.

The Vikings took defensive back Adrian Ward out of UTEP in the seventh round to round out the trade. He didn’t make the team. So, in the end, this trade was a loser for both the Raiders and the Vikings.

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How Randy Moss’ time with Raiders ended

The Raiders realized Moss was a poor fit and quickly cut bait on their expensive addition by trading him during the 2007 draft to the New England Patriots for a fourth-round pick that became defensive back John Bowie. He played in just five games with the Raiders. Moss, of course, reclaimed his superstar status with New England, playing with quarterback Tom Brady.

How Moss will be remembered as a Raider

Moss is not remember well by Raiders fans. There has been a lot of poor fits between players and the Raiders. This one ranks right up there.