Revisiting the Randy Moss-to-New England Trade

Oakland Raiders defensive back John Bowie, who was chosen with the 2007 4th round pick (110th overall) the Raiders acquired from the New England Patriots in exchange for Randy Moss, was "waived/injured" today, prompting ESPN.com's Adam Schefter to "Tweet" the following two entries:

"Trade now final. Raiders waived DB John Bowie, player they drafted in 4th round with pick they got from New England for WR Randy Moss.

"A co worker from ESPN just emailed me back on Moss-Bowie deal. Emailed: "Worst. Trade. Ever." Well, it's certainly in the discussion."

Bowie's involvement in this trade has always been unfair. It wasn't his fault that the Raiders chose to forever link him to Moss, and given how Moss "rebounded", i.e. starting trying again as soon as he was linked to a Hall of Fame quarterback, anything short of Bowie becoming a perennial Pro Bowl cornerback would've made the trade on that people like Schefter characterized as being in the discussion for the "Worst. Trade. Ever.".

Besides throwing a player a player like Bowie under the bus, there's been a weird remembrance of the circumstances involving the Raiders' decision to trade Moss, namely that he had quit on the team in 2006.

Repeat: Randy Moss quit on his team in 2006.

Moss openly admitted in 2007 that he had lost interest in the game during the '06 season, which certainly came as no surprise to anyone who had watched a Raiders game that season. Moss dogged it on routes, ran at half-speed, and basically stole money from the Raiders that season.

Any NFL analyst, like Schefter for example, would be quick to point out that the sooner you can get a player like that (disinterested in playing, makes a ton of money) off your roster and payroll, the better.

Complicating the Raiders effort to trade Moss was that he had two years and $21 million dollars remaining on his contract, and anyone trading for the then-30 year old wide receiver who again, had quit on his team and had everyone wondering if he had lost more than a step in his advanced age, would have to re-visit his contract and guarantee him some money.

I don't wish to defend Al Davis or the Oakland Raiders, but that they got anything for Moss was a miracle.

And fans and media should remember the circumstances at that time when evaluating this trade, and not be blinded by how Moss rebounded in 2007.

Then again, Moss did get more than a few votes for the "Comeback Player of the Year" award in 2007, so there's a fat chance of that happening. Had Moss won that award, he would've been the first player to ever overcome the crippling condition known as "being bored while making $8.25 million dollars" to earn that honor.