Getting one of the best receivers of all time in Randy Moss would have been tricky for the New England Patriots. Not for former head coach Bill Belichick.

Belichick recalled the time when he pulled off the trade for Moss on the Pat McAfee Show. He said the negotiations lasted for two months, finalizing the deal as they sent a fourth-round pick to then-Oakland Raiders.

“Probably the most interesting trade was the Randy Moss trade after the draft, the first day of the draft. We’ve been trying to trade for Randy Moss for two months, unlike childbirth, I mean, it’s after the first day of the draft. I talked to Mr. Davis. I said, ‘are we gonna make a deal or not?’ He said, ‘Yeah, we’ll do it,’” Belichick said.

“‘We’ll do it for your fourth,’ and I think we were picking like seventh in the fourth round. I said, ‘Well, we gotta get the guy for physical we can’t take his contract. We’re gonna have to renegotiate his contract.’ And Mr. Davis said, ‘Well, that’s your problem. You want to trade for him, then you get it done.’”

Bill Belichick’s trade for Randy Moss remains historic

The Randy Moss trade continues to be one of Bill Belichick’s defining moments as head coach of the New England Patriots.

After a down season with Oakland in 2006, Moss bounced back by having a remarkable 2007 campaign with the Patriots. In 16 regular-season games, he made 98 catches for 1,493 yards and a career-high 23 touchdowns.

Moss played a big role in helping the Patriots go undefeated in the regular season with a 16-0 record. He also scored a touchdown in the team’s playoff run to the Super Bowl, scoring against the Giants before losing in a 17-14 stunner.

Moss went on to play three more seasons with the Patriots, cementing his status as one of the greatest players to have represented the franchise.