Randy Moss may show how desperate Washington Redskins coach Mike Shanahan is this season.
Moss ended his one-year retirement on Monday. A 35-year-old receiver whose last productive season was in 2009 will surely find few suitors. If the Redskins want Moss, they can get him.
In the past, Moss would be a perfect Dan Snyder-Vinny Cerrato signing. He’s a probable Pro Football Hall of Famer who will sell jerseys and attract fans. For all his unsportsmanlike acts off the field – like nudging a police officer with his car – Moss has usually been worth the drama.
But Shanahan isn’t big on problem players. Then again, neither is New England coach Bill Belichick, who coaxed three straight 1,000-yard seasons from Moss before cutting him loose after four games in 2010. Moss played best under hard-nose coaches and Shanahan’s honker is made of steel. Just ask Albert Haynesworth.
Would Shanahan risk signing a disruptive player after a quiet 2011 offseason? Maybe if the Redskins get quarterback Peyton Manning, too. If Washington invests in an aging passer, the Redskins will need better targets than the current roster of supporting players.
If Washington goes for a rookie quarterback, then Moss isn’t a good fit. He’ll want more than the newbie can deliver and cause problems. Moss wasn’t the most productive person in the locker room.
Signing Moss might indicate Shanahan is nervous over his job. Two awful years can’t stretch to three without Snyder suddenly wondering if Shanahan’s the right person to rebuild the franchise. Five-year plans come when coaches fail early. Shanahan knows his money is secure even if he’s fired, but a collapse this season might end his coaching career at age 60.
The Redskins certainly need someone like Moss, only what he was a few years ago for New England and Minnesota, not the 2010 quixotic receiver who caught 28 passes for three teams. That season was a mess and led to his 2011 “retirement.”
Moss says he can still run 40 yards in 4.35 seconds, but speed was never his chief asset. Moss was a warrior on the field. He owned opponents. It’s a rare trait, something a Redskins receiver hasn’t delivered since Gary Clark a quarter century ago.
Moss certainly wouldn’t mind another 46 catches to reach 1,000 in his career. He seems like a Hall of Famer, but Cris Carter keeps waiting for Canton’s call despite retiring with 1,101 receptions.
Signing Moss is a salary cap risk because he won’t take a minimum deal. At least not without a seven-figure signing bonus. If Moss is a miss, the Redskins will burn some money.
It wouldn’t be the first free agent bust for Washington, though. But it would foretell where Shanahan’s future lies.
Examiner columnist Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more on Twitter @Snide_Remarks or email [email protected].
