RUMORS FLY OF MOSS TO JAGS
One of our moles in Indy at the scouting combine tells us that, while new Raiders coach Lane Kiffin is talking like he plans to have receivers Jerry Porter and Randy Moss on the team this season, there is buzz that the Raiders would like to trade Moss if they can land a quarterback in return -- and that the destination about which folks are talking is Jacksonville.
Under that scenario, the Jags would send Byron Leftwich and a draft pick or two to Oakland.
And the possibility of a trade might explain the decision of the team to proclaim that Leftwich will be the starter when the season begins seven months from now. If Leftwich was on the team's proverbial trash heap, how could they get anything for him in trade? Given that the free-agent class is generally weak this season, teams that need quarterbacks will have to look elsewhere. If the Jaguars are proclaiming to the world that Fat Albert is their guy, the market for his services increases.
Likewise for the Raiders, the best way to get value for Moss is for the organization to throw its arms around him and act like they plan to keep him. Even if they don't.
Last season, there were rumors that former Vikings coach Mike Tice, who is now an assistant with the Jags, was lobbying for the team to trade for Moss. The Jags have a talented trio of young receivers, but they had a rash of drops in 2006.
