Is Randy Moss Worth It?

by Spencer Loomis

With Randy Moss entering the final year of his 3-year, $27 million contract extension with the New England Patriots, the question is how much longer can his productivity continue and are his ongoing off the field issues worth another hefty extension?

Moss signed his previous contract extension following his record breaking 2007 season and while his numbers haven’t slumped (83 catches; 1,264 yards; 13 touchdowns in 2009), he did turn 33 on February 13^th and his ability to continue to produce at a historically high level can only last so long.

Moss has established himself as possibly the greatest wide receiver of his generation with his ability to effortlessly outrun and out leap opposing defensive backs. He has been a freak of an athlete his whole life and as a result, has had a huge ego that has affected his behavior from a young age.

In high school, Randy Moss dreamed of playing for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Former Notre Dame Head Coach Lou Holtz was quoted as saying, “Randy Moss was the best high school football player I’ve ever seen.” Moss signed a letter of intent to play at Notre Dame but then his off the field actions got in the way. At his high school, Moss was involved in a racially-charged fight that left one person hospitalized. As a result, Notre Dame denied Moss enrollment leaving Moss to pursue a college career elsewhere.

Bobby Bowden and the Florida State Seminoles had a long history of bringing in gifted players with off the field troubles and molding them into model individuals on and off the field. Bowden said of Moss, “He was as good as Deion Sanders. Deion’s my measuring stick for athletic ability, and this kid was just a bigger Deion.” In 1995, Moss red-shirted with the Seminoles where he recorded a 4.25 second 40 yard dash, second fastest in team history only to Deion Sanders who ran a 4.23 while at FSU.

Before he ever got the chance to play at FSU, Moss violated the terms of his probation by testing positive for marijuana and was forced to serve 60 days in jail as a result. Bowden and Florida State dismissed the gifted wide out and Moss was forced to transfer to Division I-AA Marshall.

Moss and QB Chad Pennington elevated Marshall to an undefeated 1996 season which bolstered the school to the Division I-A level. Marshall took a chance on Moss and it paid off for them. Moss went on to lead Marshall to the 1997 Mid-American Conference Championship while breaking the Division I-A record for touchdowns in a season, winning the Fred Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top wide receiver, and was a Heisman Trophy finalist.

While the statistics clearly illustrated Moss’ production on the field, all of his off-the-field issues continued to have a negative impact on his perceived value.   This was evident when he entered the 1998 NFL Draft.

Moss was projected as a high first round pick but teams concerned with his past legal troubles opted to pass on the amazing talent leaving Moss to fall to the Minnesota Vikings with the 21^st pick. Moss was selected behind wide receiver Kevin Dyson, who was selected 16^th overall by Tennessee.   Moss went on to win Offensive Rookie of the Year and started in the Pro Bowl as a rookie.   Dyson went on to accumulate 178 receptions for 2,325 yards and 18 touchdowns in 59 games across 6 NFL seasons.   In his 12 NFL seasons, Randy Moss has 926 receptions for 14,465 yards and 148 touchdowns over 186 games.   Clearly Tennessee missed out on a wealth of production.

However statistics aren’t the only thing Tennessee missed out on.   In 2001, Moss tested positive for marijuana although he didn’t miss any playing time.   Then in 2002, Moss was arrested for 2^nd degree assault after hitting and injuring a female traffic officer while making an illegal U-turn in Minneapolis.   The resulting search of the vehicle turned up a joint butt, which Moss claimed must have been from friends he had lent the car to.

On the field, Moss’ ego also became a problem as well.   He had been criticized his entire career for taking plays off when he was not the focal point of the offense and the issue truly came to a head in 2004 when Moss left the field with two seconds left as the Vikings were attempting an onside kick in the final game of the season.

Critics declared that Moss had quit on his teammates.   The straw that broke the Vikings back was during a 2005 wild-card playoff game against the rival Green Bay Packers.  Following his second touchdown of the day, Moss simulated mooning the Lambeau crowd resulting in a $10,000 fine from the NFL for “unsportsmanlike” and “offensive” actions.

Moss was an ongoing distraction in Minnesota and for all of his productivity, the Vikings still failed to reach the Super Bowl. The Vikings, fed up with his behavior, traded Moss to the Oakland Raiders in March of 2005.

Moss had been critical at times of his quarterback, Daunte Culpepper in Minnesota, but in Oakland he had to work with far less talented quarterbacks.  After two lackluster seasons full of complaints about being stuck in Oakland, Moss was traded to the Patriots.

While his attitude improved along with his numbers in New England, his behavior hasn’t been perfect. Since arriving in New England, Moss has been accused of dating violence (although not convicted), sent home from the team facilities for being late, and accused by opponents of quitting on his team in losing efforts.

So New England fans, do you want him back after this year and at what cost?