League sources last night indicated Patriots coach Bill Belichick has long been enamored with Raiders wide receiver Randy Moss and would welcome the opportunity to bring him to Foxboro for the right price. Moss is on the block after two disappointing seasons in Oakland. The Raiders have worked on a deal that would send the mercurial wide receiver to Green Bay, with the Packers offering quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Raiders holding out for a first-round pick, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The Packers don’t seem in much of a rush to pull the trigger, however, which has left an opening for the Pats. A source said Belichick believes he could motivate Moss to play and that he’d have the locker room support system to back him up, thanks to high-character veterans like Tom Brady, Richard Seymour and Rodney Harrison, among others. … Word out of Oakland is the 30-year-old wants to play on a contender before his career ends. The Raiders are intent on moving him following a miserable 2006 that saw him post career-worst numbers in receptions (42), yards (553), and touchdowns (three).
The Dolphins have maintained a serious level of interest in former Steelers linebacker Joey Porter, but the free agent has yet to decide where he will play next season. With multiple teams still in the mix, the Dolphins appear to be among the main contenders for one of free agency’s remaining top-tier players. Porter might still make a visit to the Dolphins’ facility. Porter’s agent, Jeff Sperbeck, said Sunday they expected to make a decision today whether such a trip would be necessary.
Over the past few days, sources said Dre Bly has expressed concern with remaining a Bronco with several of his new teammates, as well as former ones in Detroit. Bly and agent Kennard McGuire, both reached on their cellphones, declined comment. Shawn Springs has told friends about his long-held desire to play for Denver Coach Mike Shanahan — they became close many years ago after flying to Hawaii for the Pro Bowl together — and Shanahan remains a strong proponent of Springs’s play, according to a source. The Redskins and Broncos have completed trades in each of the past three years. Should the Broncos reach a point where they considered dealing Bly, the Redskins could be the right partner.
The Packers are most likely to look at hard-cutting backs such as Tennessee’s Travis Henry and Chris Brown, New England’s Corey Dillon and possibly Oakland’s Lamont Jordan if he is released. The Packers also have Noah Herron and 2006 rookie free agent Arliss Beach on the roster. Of the group, Henry is the one who would most fit what the Packers are looking for. However, he is also being heavily pursued by the Broncos. The Packers have $21 million in salary cap room.
Claiming that the rights to a retired player cannot be traded, the NFLPA is expected to file a grievance against the trade that brought Jake Plummer from the Broncos to the Bucs early Saturday. The time the trade was finalized is critical to the matter. If it was finalized after Plummer filed his retirement papers, which reportedly was Friday, then the deal could be voided. Even more critical, however, might be the roughly $5 million in prorated bonus money Plummer will have to pay back should his retirement, which he officially announced on his Web site Saturday night, stick. If the deal goes through, there is a chance the Bucs will be in line for that $5 million payback. If it does not go through, the Broncos likely would be owed the money. Also important are the rights to Plummer. Though he has announced his retirement, he could unretire at any point. The team holding his rights could then trade them. There has been talk of the Bucs possibly trying to talk Plummer out of retirement in an effort to trade his rights to either the Raiders or the Texans.
Courtesy of Ben Mallar
