Yet, that appears to be the reality, with several reports saying the Moss trade is imminent, with the Patriots receiving compensation that does not appear to be fair. That scenario makes the average fan wonder what exactly is going on, but it's also leaving veteran reporters scrambling to make sense of the situation.
ESPN.com's Mike Reiss, among the most respected reporters in the Patriots' locker room, speculated on Twitter that there must be an off-field issue that is driving the Patriots to trade him.
"The reported 3rd round compensation for Moss makes me wonder if deal is more about off-field/chemistry issue than pure Xs and Os," Reiss wrote on Twitter. "Don't see many teams trade their top playtime WR in fifth week of season for a draft pick unless there is more to the story."
WEEI.com's Christopher Price also chimed in, saying Moss must be unhappy.
"One important note: Moss must really want out if, as Michael Lombardi points out, there's no extension waiting for him in Minnesota," Price wrote on Twitter. Price was referring to the NFL Network's report that Moss and Minnesota had not worked out any contract extension and likely would not be able to before the proposed trade.
The Boston Herald's Ian Rapoport, who reported early Wednesday morning that the deal was likely to get done within 24 hours, noted that Moss' brother still lives in Minnesota and that Moss has always loved the area.
NESN.com's Jeff Howe noted some interesting behavior Monday night in Miami, noting that Moss and Brandon Marshall exchanged jerseys after the game and autographed them for each other. Howe also said that rookie punter Zoltan Mesko helped a good-spirited Moss put on some jewelry after the game.
All season, for that matter, there have been no reports of Moss causing any problems this year, except for his bizarre postgame news conference following the team's Week 1 win over the Bengals.
By many accounts, Moss was downright jovial after the Patriots beat the Dolphins on Monday, even though he had zero catches. Yet CSNNE's Gary Tanguay reported that "sources say Moss showed up unhappy [Tuesday]. He and [Bill Belichick] had words. He is gone to Vikes if he and Minn work out a new deal."
While everyone is trying, it's clear that nobody has yet figured out exactly what is going on.
