With Randy Moss now suiting up for the Vikings, it was only a matter of time before the rumors started up on a potential deal that would net the Patriots a young playmaking wide receiver in return.

The one name that made the most sense, given the circumstances, was Vincent Jackson, who’s been embroiled in a fight with the Chargers front office throughout the entire off-season and the first four weeks of the year.

Obviously, New England would never be okay with meeting the absurd asking price that San Diego general manager A.J. Smith has set on Jackson, but they may have the one chip in their pocket that no other suitor for Jackson has: a Pro Bowl offensive lineman in the midst of his own contract drama, in the form of Logan Mankins.

According to Tom Curran of CSN Northeast, the Patriots have begun preliminary discussions with the Chargers for Jackson’s services, and while there hasn’t been much movement as of yet on that front, indications are that head coach Bill Belichick is willing to include Mankins in the deal if need be.

Given that both players are adamant in their refusal to ever suit up again for their respective clubs, a swap of the two may be in the best interest of both teams, with New England getting a top flight receiver to stretch the field, and San Diego obtaining a premier interior blocker to pave the way for rookie running back Ryan Mathews.

There’s a ton of hurdles that would have to be cleared in order to make such a deal work for both teams, but anything’s possible at this point, and there’s still plenty of time to make it happen.

As always, we’ll keep you posted.

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1. Jackson ends holdout, returning to Chargers