Randy Moss: What kind of year will he have with the 49ers? [Poll]
Randy Moss is a 49er. No, that does not refer to the number of teams he’s played for (although it was kind of starting to seem that way in 2009). He signed a one-year deal with San Francisco on Monday after spending all of 2010 away from football and the previous year on three different teams.
In Moss, the 49ers are getting a veteran receiver who has been one of the all-time greats in the NFL when motivated. He had an NFL-record 23 touchdown receptions when paired with quarterback Tom Brady on the New England Patriots back in 2007. He is tied for second all-time with 153 touchdown receptions and is fifth in receiving yards (14,858) and ninth in receptions (954).
But the 49ers are also getting a guy who didn’t always seem to be giving it his all during stints in Minnesota, Oakland and Tennessee, and has even admitted to taking plays off. While Moss said he didn’t want to get into past history, he seemed to imply that Coach Jim Harbaugh would not be getting that guy.
“The thing about me being here is they’ve done their research on me. When it comes to the worldwide sports media, I’ve gotten a bad rap,” Moss said. “They’ve done their homework on me or they wouldn’t have brought me in here .… [The questions were] more of me not being a team player and things like that. I don’t want to get into that.”
The 49ers certainly could use a guy like the old, motivated Moss. They took the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants into overtime during the NFC Championship, and did so while getting just one catch for three yards from a receiver. Plus, they cut ties with Braylon Edwards back in December and Joshua Morgan and Ted Ginn Jr. may not be coming back either.
How do you think Moss will do at age 35 after a year out of the game? Can he return to his record-setting form of 2007 (although keep in mind quarterback Alex Smith -- assuming the 49ers can re-sign him -- is no Brady), or at least to a seventh Pro Bowl? Will he at least have a decent year and help fill San Francisco’s void at receiver? Or will he be back up to his old shenanigans and find himself looking for yet another employer at the end of the season (or sooner)?
Vote in the poll, then leave a comment letting us know why you voted the way you did.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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