The Las Vegas (Oakland back then) Raiders traded wide receiver Randy Moss for a fourth-round pick with the New England Patriots 13 years ago. Looking back, his tenure with the Silver and Black still provokes a negative reaction.
The Raiders originally acquired Moss from the Vikings in exchange for linebacker Napoleon Harris and a first-round pick in 2005. Minnesota drafted wide receiver Troy Williamson with the selection they got while Oakland foresaw Moss becoming a deep-threat. In hindsight, both teams lost.
When the Raiders acquired Moss, they thought of the now Hall-of-Famer that terrorized defenses for breakfast and burned opposing cornerbacks for lunch when he played for the Vikings. What they got was a malcontent that gave up on the team and lasted a mere two seasons with the team. The receiver wasn’t placed in a position to succeed as the quarterback play, at that moment, was subpar with Kerry Collins under center, but his character didn’t help matters either.
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Eventually, then-coach Lane Kiffin grew wary of Moss’ act and shipped him to New England. After the path of destruction the receiver left on his way out, many Raiders fans felt angst, disappointment and not many good things to say. 13 years later, the feeling towards him hasn’t changed much.
Most fans are still angry and resentful (Warning: NSFW content ahead):
He’s a fuckin quitter, he quit on himself, his teammates and us the fans. Fuc him and everything he stands for…..
— Renfrow Hit Stick (@lopezee) April 29, 2020
F*** him.
— joel (@joelsancar) April 29, 2020
I still can't stand his punk ass 💯
— Boss Chick (@stacy_chick) April 29, 2020
I was more pissed we got a 4th rounder than the fact he played like s*** and didn’t wanna be a Raider
— BOOM! (@StillWes81) April 29, 2020
Won’t sugar coat it…Moss was a biatch with Raiders…didn’t even hide the fact he’d shut down. His effort with Pats made it even harder to watch… some “Pro and from a HOF player, for shame 🤮
— Raider Rob Crawford (@RobCraw16690046) April 29, 2020
https://twitter.com/LVRaiders1324/status/1255613799886921728?s=19
Some place the blame on both Moss and the Raiders but still find it inexcusable he quit on the team:
He quit on his teammates.
— Chris D'Ascenzo (@Chris_Dascenzo) April 29, 2020
No question they were a dysfunctional mess but that doesn’t excuse it. pic.twitter.com/9n13zHRjYz
Jerry Porter and him nuked the lockerroom. But they had a bed and breakfast guy calling plays and Aaron Brooks at QB. That team was a raging shitshow
— MichaelSLK#1RVARaider (@Michael27360952) April 29, 2020
At least, this man became a Raiders fan because of Moss:
The reason I started to be a Raiders fan was this guy. Silver&Black for life since then https://t.co/asMaMWb11e
— investinurfuture (@investinurfutur) April 29, 2020
At the time Moss played with the Raiders, the late Al Davis was going through some horrible decision making such as signing wide receiver Javon Walker and cornerback DeAngelo Hall. Moreover, Moss left the same year the team drafted Jamarcus Russell.
In retrospect, the Raiders made many questionable bad moves in the 2000s, but the Randy Moss trade seems like one of the worst and least pleasant.
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Top Photo: Robert B. Stanton/Getty Images