Yesterday, Finhead83 posted a Fan Shot discussing free agent wide receiver Randy Moss attempting to make a come back in the NFL next year. With the Dolphins looking to improve after three straight losing seasons, could Moss make sense for the Dolphins?
The most common answer is going to be no. A very emphatic no, even. But, I think there's one reason why Moss could make sense in Miami next season.
Peyton Manning.
Normally I would not be interested in looking at a 35-year old wide receiver who had sat out an entire season. A wide receiver who could not find a job in the NFL. A wide receiver who burned through three teams in his final season. But, the Miami Dolphins signing Peyton Manning is not normal.
So, rewind on the dismissal of Randy Moss. Think about it for just a second.
Moss was simply a decoy the last time we saw him on a field. He was no where near the wide receiver that Randy Moss was. He was normal. But, after a year of rest, maybe, just maybe, there's something left.
And, if there is anything at all left, maybe, just maybe, the Dolphins need to investigate.
Manning is not going to come to Miami looking to develop the team around him. Jeff Ireland and Stephen Ross aren't going to go get Manning expecting to build the Dolphins for three years before making a run. If Manning comes to Miami, it's win time. And, they have to win now.
Moss could assist in that. If there's any gas left in the tank, Moss could be an asset. If he can stretch the field at all, he can at least serve to free up Brandon Marshall some.
When you take into account the state of the Dolphins' wide receiver corps, maybe Moss has a chance to make the team. Behind Marshall, there is Davone Bess and Brian Hartline. After those three, the Dolphins have Clyde Gates, Marlon Moore, and Roberto Wallace. Assuming the Dolphins are not going to give up on Gates after just one season, Moss would be competing against Moore and Wallace for a roster position.
If there is any bit of the old Moss left, could be replace one of those two on the roster, and help Miami win now?
Moss will not be commanding the type of money he once was. There's not going to be much of a market for Moss. Miami could get in cheap, with little to no guaranteed money, and see what happens during training camp. If he does not make the roster, the team will cut him and move on. If he makes the roster, then you have a once great wide receiver, who could be playing to prove himself, as your fourth, fifth, or sixth wide out.
And, if the Dolphins are looking to use Manning's competitive nature, and need to prove something, to make a run at their first Super Bowl championship since 1973, could a wide receiver trying to prove something be that far out of the realm of the possible?