Former Raiders Executive Reveals Patriots’ Randy Moss Trade Cost Him His Job

00:00 Randy Moss is headed to the Pro Football Hall of Fame this weekend after he had an illustrious career — some of which was spent with the New England Patriots.
The former wide receiver played 14 NFL seasons and was quarterback Tom Brady’s number one target in 2007 when Moss set the record with 23 touchdown catches in a single season, and was part of the historic 16-0 team that lost to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl.
Moss was traded to New England prior to the 2007 season from the Oakland Raiders for a fourth-round draft pick.
The trade seemed to work out for everyone … except for former Raiders senior personnel executive Mike Lombardi, who told NBC Sports Boston’s Tom Curran it’s what cost him his job.
“I got fired because I told Bill Belichick that (Moss) could still run,” Lombardi said on Curran’s “Quick Slants The Podcast.” “And Al (Davis) got mad at me because I told Bill that.
I still can’t figure out why Al got mad at me when Al wanted to trade (Moss), but that might require a whole different book.” Yikes.
You may remember Davis’ odd 2008 accusation when he essentially threw Lombardi under the bus for tampering with Moss, telling reporters Lombardi “sold” Patriots head coach Bill Belichick on the fact that Moss, who was 30-years-old at the time, still could run.
Regardless, it seemed to intrigue Belichick enough to go on with the trade and acquire Moss — who caught 98 passes for 1,493 yards to go along with his 23 touchdowns in 2007.
Thumbnail photo via Brace Hemmelgarn/USA TODAY Sports Images