Randy Moss 
isn't going home again, but he is headed back to where he grew up as an NFL superstar. The Minnesota Vikings completed a trade for Moss with the New England Patriots on Wednesday. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter via a league source, the Patriots will receive a 2011 third-round pick for Moss and a 2011 seventh-round pick. A source told ESPN's Chris Mortensen that Moss will report to the Vikings later today. The source also said Moss and the Vikings haven't agreed to a contract extension, but the two sides are expected to talk later in the day.
"Over the course of the past several months, I have spoken with Randy and his representative about Randy's place on our team and his future in football," Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said in a news release announcing the trade.
" ... [S]uffice it to say that many things were taken into consideration before making the trade," Belichick said. "In this business, there are complex and often difficult decisions, but it is my responsibility to make them based on what I feel is best for our football team, in both the short term and long term."
Vikings head coach Brad Childress is expected to hold a press conference regarding the trade at 3:30 p.m. Eastern time.
Fantasy Analysis:
It's unknown if Moss will be ready in time for the Vikings' game against the Jets on Monday night. But I figure he will be. Vikings fans have the right to be ecstatic. On the contrary, Patriots fans are probably a little miffed. Randy Moss for a third-rounder looks very uneven. Brett Favre now has Moss, Percy Harvin and Visanthe Shiancoe as his top passing weapons. He can check it down to Adrian Peterson out of the backfield. And maybe he'll get Sidney Rice back for the final two months of the season. On paper, this offense is absolutely loaded. This is a big get for Favre, who has his legitimate down-the-field threat in Rice's absence. While he's passed his prime, Moss is maybe the best deep receiving threat in NFL history. Favre hasn't played well this season, but Moss' presence could really help Favre's confidence and trust in his other options. And expect Randy will see a ton of targets in the next few games. He could possibly play 17 games this season since the Vikings had their bye in week four. Of course, Moss and any Vikings receiver totaled the same number of fantasy points last week. I think Harvin's value goes up as he moves to the No. 2 WR spot, which should be much more to his liking. Peterson could see a little less defensive attention, but that really depends on the opponent's defensive game plan. Do you double Moss or put eight in the box against Peterson? What a nightmare for a D-coordinator. Brandon Tate will likely move into the starting lineup in New England. He's a second-year pro who has made his biggest impact thus far in the kick-return game. Since he's gone from second-string wideout to starter because of this trade, he may be the biggest winner of all. And with Tom Brady throwing to him, Tate should be added in 10- or 12-team leagues. Wes Welker's role doesn't change. He may see more coverage, but I'm not worried about him. He'll still run his short routes and rack up the receptions. Brady ... well, he just lost Randy Moss. That's not a positive. He'll spread the ball around and still make fine use of his remaining weapons. But you have to figure that playing without Moss will send Brady's yardage totals down. To expect 4,000 yards is now unrealistic. Brady had just one such season before Moss arrived in 2007. He may still reach 25 touchdowns, but he won't get to 30. Brady will still have his good days. It's not like the cupboard is bare. But you don't just replace Randy Moss and keep on rolling. He remains a top-six fantasy QB, but Brady's ceiling was lowered a bit today.
