Washington Redskins wide out Santana Moss might possibly have worn the burgundy and gold for the last time. Becoming a free agent in a little under 48 hours, reports assert that the Redskins are not going to re-sign Moss to a contract this off-season.
This is not good. Not that head coach Mike Shanahan checks in with me every day but, the guy has given too much to let him go without an argument.
Looking back on Moss’s time in Washington, there are plenty of reasons to give him another contract.
1) The state of the NFL. In an off-season that will focus on the lack of a Collective Bargaining Agreement, salaries and cap space will be guarded and even a willing spender like Redskins owner Dan Snyder could keep his cash close at hand.
Santana Moss has renegotiated his contract every year since 2006 to free up salary cap space on the team. It is certainly within his right to test the free agent market but having a productive player who has shown a willingness to help out the team in these uncertain times deserves consideration.
2) Moss works hard. The former Miami Hurricane has only missed six games in nine seasons. He has been consistent for Washington over the years, not complaining and continuing to produce under new coaches and new systems.
Even more importantly to die-hard Redskins fans, Moss always… ALWAYS shows up to play the Dallas Cowboys.
3) Moss has character and gets along with his teammates. He has remained sane and reasonable for the Redskins during seasons fraught with trauma that no fan or coach could have envisioned. His teammates recognize this in him and appreciate it.
"I don't think Santana gets as much credit as he's due," center Casey Rabach said according to David Elfin. "He had that one Pro Bowl season, but he means so much more to this team. He's the go-to guy. He's the big-play guy. A lot of people say maybe he should be the No. 2 guy on another team, but the guy just catches ball after ball and make tremendous plays for us. The guy works hard. He puts in his time. He cares about winning football."
4) Speaking of a 'go-to guy,' Moss can play. In 2010, Moss had a career season, not only playing in all 16 games but catching 1,115 yards worth of passes and scoring 36 points. Those catches and points were a hot commodity given the problems at the quarterback position and a new system. These issues make Moss’s accomplishments even more impressive.
In 2010, he was the number three ranked wide receiver in the NFL behind only Roddy White (Atlanta) and Reggie Wayne (Indianapolis).
For the record, Moss has made five All-Pro teams in his career and a Pro Bowl. He is ranked 63rd in single-season career receiving yards (out of 248 positions).
In his six years in Washington, Moss has played 92 games, starting in all, caught 442 passes for 6,142 yards (13.9 yards-per-catch) and made 33 touchdowns.
5) Despite several losing seasons, Moss wants to stay in Washington. In my opinion, this loyalty is commendable, especially in light of the some of the administrative shenanigans he has witnessed. He must see potential in the new regime and coaching staff, and he considers himself a Washington Redskin.
"I just feel like once I became a Redskin, I felt like it was meant for me to be here," Moss said according to Matt Terl. "Once I got that opportunity to come here, you know, coming into the league in 2001, I heard that's where I was going anyway. The whole week leading up to it, they had me under Washington, Washington, Washington. For whatever reason, the Jets got me. And when I got a chance to come anyway, I was like, hey, maybe it was meant. And when the career has went the way it went here, when it comes to just having the success I've had here, you know, you kind of say, well this must be the team for me."
6) Even with the free agent wide receivers out there: Randy Moss, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Vincent Jackson, Steve Smith and Santonio Holmes to name a few, Moss should still remain with the team. There is room for any one of these guys AND Moss. The Shanahans found him to be as valuable in the slot as he is anywhere else on the field. His route running and ability to separate from defensive backs is a thing of beauty in my humble opinion and even if the Redskins bring in an 8-foot tall receiver, Moss will continue to make important plays on the field.
OK. Cliché time. This is the National Football League. It’s a business, blah, blah, blah. Coaches, general managers, owners, scouts, etc. do what they feel is best for the team when it comes to trading or releasing players. When a veteran player has old injuries that continue to pop up, when a player has done more damage to his relationship with his coach than can be repaired or when a younger player has simply outplayed a veteran to the point where there is not enough room left for that veteran in the same position, well then… trades or releases must be made – obviously.
There have been cuts or trades made in Washington that I have never forgiven. When the Redskins let safety Ryan Clark get away after the 2005 season, I almost left the fold (especially considering what they paid Adam Archuleta and how badly he failed). It is not as if Clark was not playing well. His contributions to the Redskins went beyond intercepting a Donovan McNabb pass late in an important game, helping the Redskins go on to the playoffs. Anyone who knows much about the late Sean Taylor knows the impact Clark had on Taylor’s life, development and maturity.
Dissecting the reasons behind the releasing of former Redskins players like defensive end Renaldo Wynn, defensive tackle Cornelius Griffin, special teams standout/running back Rock Cartwright and quarterback Jason Campbell result in logic that does, in fact, penetrate the brain. The moves were understandable. When cornerback Fred Smoot was cut last year, I understood why but I hated it because Smoot was important to the team in ways that did not always translate on the field.
Santana Moss has it all. Regardless of his 31 years, he should not go the way of Clark, Smoot, Cartwright or Campbell. A player with his talent and experience in the second year of a proven offensive system will be valuable to the team on and off the field. The Redskins should negotiate a contract worthy of him and keep him on the team.
Besides, he looks much better in great in burgundy and gold than say, silver and black.
Hail.
