Randy Moss Trade: New England Patriots Trade Moss To Minnesota Vikings

Randy to the Minnesota Vikings. The unimaginable has just become reality.

According to reports from ESPN's Adam Schefter, the New England Patriots agreed to trade Moss to the Vikings in exchange for a 2011 third-round draft pick.

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick informed Moss of the trade this morning over the telephone, and sources say the two sides acted very professional. 

No contract extension talks have taken place yet, but I'm sure that the Vikings will discuss it soon. The four-time All-Pro is poised to be a free agent at the end of this season, and the primary reason he pleaded for a trade was because of his disgruntled contract situation.  

"When you have done so much and put so much work in, it kind of feels like I am not wanted," Moss said on September 6, which was prior to the season opener. "It's kind of a bad feeling—feeling not wanted. It is not like my production has gone down."

And, it certainly hasn't.

The Patriots executed a draft-day trade with the Oakland Raiders, securing Moss's rights in exchange for a mere forth-round selection.

Ensuing, he became an integral key to their magical 18-0 run in 2007 as he hauled in an NFL-record 23 touchdown passes. In the two years following, he's caught an additional total of 152 passes for 2,272 yards and 24 touchdowns.  

This season, Moss has nine receptions for 139 yards along with three touchdowns. However, he was shutdown in their 41-14 victory over the Miami Dolphins last week. 

Nonetheless, Moss is still a tremendous talent even at 33.

The blockbuster deal clearly signifies the difference in direction between the two teams.

The Vikings made this aggressive move with the notion that it could possibly turn their season around and may even put them back into Super Bowl contention.

They have desperately lacked quality receiver play so far this season, and their entire offense has struggled as a result. 

Sidney Rice underwent hip surgery during training camp and may not play until Week 10. 

The team has looked to momentarily replace his services by attempting to acquire Chargers receiver Vincent Jackson, but were unable to get a deal done. 

However, now that they've brought in Moss, the mere thought of their potential is mind-boggling. 

The Patriots, on the other hand, are clearly building for the future as they continue to stockpile picks. They now have four additional picks in the first four rounds, including the Oakland Raiders first-round selection.

When the Vikings traded Moss away, virtually nobody expected him to ever return. Of course, we've seen crazier things happen before.

Now, it'll be intriguing to see how he meshes in with the team and if he can truly become the missing piece of the puzzle.