Should The Redskins Have Claimed Randy Moss, Yes Or No?

Only one NFL team, the Tennessee Titans, claimed wide receiver Randy Moss off waivers this week. The Washington Redskins need more help at that position. They are also renowned for collecting famous veteran players. Yet the new Mike Shanahan-Bruce Allen regime took a pass. Right decision? Redskins Hog Heaven analysts Greg Trippiedi and Anthony Brown debate the issue.

Greg Trippiedi: The Redskins should have claimed Randy Moss

The way Randy Moss is playing, he offers only a little reward to a team that acquires him, and of course, Moss always offers a ton of risk for a team that can’t manage him, in that once he’s unhappy, it takes a lot to appease him.

With all of that said, the Redskins really needed to take that risk.

The last time the Redskins receivers were playing this well, Antwaan Randle El was having a breakout 2007 and Santana Moss was healthy and getting open across from him.  But Moss would have complemented Anthony Armstrong and Santana Moss quite well, in that the Redskins are clearly a vertical offense which fits the strengths of Moss.

Acquiring Moss would have effectively buried Fred Davis for the rest of the year. Unfortunately, I don’t have any faith in the offensive coaching staff now that Moss isn’t here that we can devise a plan to use Fred Davis.  All three of Davis’ targets last week came without Chris Cooley on the field.  Like we saw from Jim Zorn, that two TE base package is just a lot of hot air.  Kyle Shanahan needs a fullback like Mike Sellers to call his offense.

This is another reason that Randy Moss would have added an irreplaceable dimension to the offense.  Santana Moss has flourished in an underneath-only role out of the slot, and Randy would have added another downfield option, which would have complemented Anthony Armstrong.

And above all, it would have kept Joey Galloway off the field.  Although I imagine that’s ultimately the reason that Randy isn’t here: our coaches love Galloway for some reason.

Anthony Brown: The Redskins made the correct call on Randy Moss

The Washington Redskins have one, and only one, wide receiver who figures to beat Antwaan Randle El’s 2009 performance of 50 receptions for 530 yards and zero touchdowns. Santana Moss, healthy at last, has 48 receptions for 604 yards and two touchdowns in eight games.

Rookie wide-out Anthony Armstrong is a nice story. At mid-year, he has 17 receptions for 368 yards and a score. He also has the attention of every defensive coordinator on the Redskins’ schedule. How close he gets to 51 catches and another score is a question. Whether his 5 ft. 11 in., 182 pound frame can survive a big safety hit is another.

So it must have been tempting for the Redskins to pick up the legendary Randy Moss off waivers. They chose not to do so and I support that decision.

The good Randy Moss has the measurables (6-4, 210 lbs.) and performance (2009: 83 receptions, 13 TDs) that should make any team drool…as long as Moss wants to play for that team. Moss this year has shown that he only wants to play for the New England Patriots.

The Redskins (and their fans) should look at Randy’s 2005-’06 Oakland Raiders performance to assess how well he would have contributed here. It’s clear Moss wanted out in his last days in Oakland. When his leadership and stabilizing influence was most needed, it was least delivered.

Randy Moss versus Mike and Kyle Shanahan is a dust-up we don’t need. The Redskins are not so close to the Super Bowl that Randy is the “one last piece” needed. Renting Randy for eight games is not a solution to any problem on this team.

Point after: Just when you think Randy Moss is out of our schedule (Vikings November 28), somebody pulls him back in (Titans, November 21). Both Trippiedi and Brown held their noses when weighing in on Randy. How dangerous Randy will be that day depends on how he feels about the game and his role in it. For my money, Santana will be the best Moss on the field.