The Green Bay Packers, like any other team, have seen ups and downs. However, winning two Super Bowls in the last three decades is a feat that few can match.
However, after having Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers, the Packers are sometimes blamed for failing to win more Lombardi Trophies despite having two of the NFL’s top quarterbacks at the time.
One of the Packers’ most common criticisms has been the lack of an exceptional, go-to receiver on whom Rodgers, Favre, and now Jordan Love can rely. Randy Moss would have solved it.
While the Packers were never going to be able to lure Moss away from their NFC North rivals during his prime with the Minnesota Vikings, the Hall of Fame receiver eventually joined the Raiders via trade. However, despite Moss satisfying Al Davis’ thirst for speed, things were not going well in Oakland.
Moss had a career-low 553 receiving yards during a sad 2-14 season, so the Raiders moved their best receiver when his value was at its lowest. Despite his low stock, the 29-year-old still possessed world-class speed in a remarkable 6-foot-4 frame. In other words, multiple teams expressed interest, including the Packers.
Andrew Brandt explains why the Green Bay Packers declined the Randy Moss trade.
According to former vice president Andrew Brandt, the Packers explored trading for Moss in 2007, but general manager Ted Thompson vetoed the transaction. What’s the issue? Moss wanted to play on a one-year contract, but the Packers were not willing to take that risk.
“The Raiders made Moss available. He wanted out. They wanted to relocate him, and moving him would not cost much in draft compensation. We stalled because we didn’t want a one-year contract.
“We wanted more than a one-year contract. We wanted a two-year agreement and tried to negotiate it, but when the Patriots came in with a one-year contract, they got him.”
“Ted Thompson was very clear with me: we won’t do this for a year. We want more than one year, so we’ll do a second year and a bonus in early March of Year 2, but we’re not going to
Here’s the video where Brandt explains why the Packers did not trade for Moss.
Keep in mind that Moss was dealt for a fourth-round pick, the 110th overall. He went on to enjoy a spectacular season in his first season with the Patriots after the deal, catching 98 passes for 1,493 yards and an NFL record 23 touchdowns.
He wasn’t exactly washed up, and he was correct to want to prove himself on a one-year contract. He had two more 1,000-yard seasons the following two years and never topped 500 yards again, but it’s difficult not to imagine what could have been if Moss had paired up with Favre and then Rodgers for a few seasons.
