So with receiver Randy Moss shipped from New England to Minnesota, the Patriots could use a receiver.

And amid reports that the Pats could be pulling a Randy Moss with Deion Branch, whom they traded away in 2006 and could re-acquire from the Seahawks, Tom Curran of CSNNE.com reports that the Patriots have "looked into the possibility" of trading for Chargers receiver Vincent Jackson.

Per Curran, preliminary discussions have involved the possibility of Jackson, an unsigned restricted free agent, being swapped for holdout guard Logan Mankins, another unsigned restricted free agent.

The asking price, according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune (via Curran) is a second-round pick and a third-round pick for an NFC team, and a first-round pick and a second-round pick for an AFC team.

Curiously, any team could have signed Jackson to an offer sheet in March and April, giving up only a first-round pick and a third-round pick as compensation, if the Chargers had opted not to match.