Thursday, October 7, 2010

Teammates See Moss As A Man Who Fits The Plan

Randy Moss
Randy Moss Traded To
Vikings For 3rd round pick in 2011


Randy Moss, right, catches his first from Brett Favre during practice in Eden Prairie on Thursday, October 7, 2010. (Pioneer Press: Ben Garvin) (Ben Garvin
Pioneer Press)

The catch took place in Moss' first practice with the team today.



 Vikings players had the day off Wednesday, but a number of players visited the locker room at Winter Park, and the Randy Moss trade had the place buzzing.



"There is good energy in that locker room," tight end Visanthe Shiancoe said. "It was all positive energy and anticipation."



Moss' return to Minnesota after being traded by the New England Patriots captivated the football world, starting Tuesday night. Several of his new teammates said they were completely caught off guard.



All-Pro defensive tackle Kevin Williams, one of a handful of current Vikings who played with Moss during his first stint with the team, said he first learned of the trade while watching the news Tuesday night.



"I was a little surprised," Williams said. "I don't think anyone saw it coming."



Moss is scheduled to take part in his first practice Thursday. Several players said his arrival created a spark inside the locker room as the team prepares to embark on a taxing October schedule starting Monday night against the New York Jets.



"This is an exciting move," quarterback Brett Favre told Vikings.com. "It's rare you get to play with a future Hall of Famer and get to appreciate their talents up close. Randy Moss is a great player, and his career speaks for itself. I've admired him from a distance for a long time and you can't help but be impressed by the guy. I've seen him light our teams up plenty of times in those Vikings-Packers games, and I'm excited to be on the same team now."



Adrian Peterson told the team's website that Moss' presence will have a dramatic effect on their struggling passing game.



"It's a great move getting Randy Moss in here," Peterson said. "We've just been missing something, and I think he can give us another threat down the field. The opportunity to play with a guy like Randy Moss, one of the best wide receivers to ever play the game, that's a chance that doesn't come along every day."