Insight from bloggers of teams Randy Moss used to play for

Whenever the Titans add a quality free agent to their roster, it’s my usual habit to reach out to friends and colleagues across the blogosphere to get their thoughts on the player and a scouting report of sorts. Since we’re all well aware of the type of player Randy Moss is, I’ve foregone the scouting report portion of that and instead simply asked for thoughts on Moss and for any advice they’d have for Titans fans in regard to expectations they may have.

Writers who cover the Vikings, Patriots and Raiders — the three teams Moss has played for — have been kind enough to share their thoughts with us.

I have also included things they have written about Moss, both in the last several days, and in early October, following the Moss-to-Vikings trade. We proceed in chronological order, after the break.

When Moss was released by the Vikings, Purple Jesus Diaries, a Minnesota Vikings site here on Bloguin, was critical of the move in this rant about coach Brad Childress. CAUTION: Do not click that link if you are offended by excessive cursing. The short version is this: PJD believes Moss should have stayed and Childress is the one who needed to leave.

Also following Moss’ release, Hanson wrote here he hoped Moss would return to the Patriots.

“Let’s bring Randy back!  He got a taste of what it’s like to be back on a losing team and will probably stay in line for the rest of the year.  Here’s hoping the other 31 teams decide to stay away so the Pats can pick him up off waivers…”

When the Titans claimed Moss, Hanson wrote he would not only help the Titans, but also indirectly help the Patriots:

“Moss strengthens Tennessee, who still has games against Miami, KC, Indy twice, and Houston twice.  A Titans win in any of those games only helps to strengthen the Patriots’ playoff positioning.”

And now some general thoughts on Moss. First up is Levi Damien of the Raiders site Thoughts From the Dark Side:

“In Moss’ first year with the Raiders he was on his best behavior. He seemed happy to be a Raider and was liked among his teammates. He reverted back to his old self in his second season and began pulling his usual crap he had become known for which led to his first departure from Minnesota. Moss values two things 1) his numbers 2) winning. In that order. He was happy in New England when both were happening. But his numbers started to slip and it wasn’t long before he started saying he knew he wouldn’t be a Patriot past this season.

“What this means for the Titans is he will play well for them the rest of this season. He has said that the Titans were among the few teams to which he would welcome a waiver claim. That should be enough to keep him content this season. Winning would certainly help as well. However, it is an utmost certainty that, should the Titans decide to re-sign him, he will take the team down as early as next season. He will start with Vince Young. Moss prefers pocket passers and has made that fact well known before. VY likes to make plays with his legs which means that Moss not only isn’t getting the ball but he may actually have to block.  VY is known for having a somewhat fragile psyche and once Moss starts in with his nonsense, it could be quite damaging. But, like I said, I think for the rest of this season, he should be a nice addition. Then just pray the team is content with Britt and Washington over Moss’ attitude and declining numbers.”

And finally, some general thoughts from Hanson:

“I have a hard time predicting what the Titans will get out of Randy Moss.  This season has clearly been his worst year since 2006.  There’s been several games for both the Patriots and Vikings where he was held to a single small catch, or even went receptionless.  However, I think those games were more of a reflection of his attitude and teamwork as opposed to his athletic ability.  When Moss wants to play, he’s shown signs that he still can turn on the Jets.  He had a fantastic preseason, perhaps his best ever in New England.  Back in August, I believe his mindset was that he was going to work his tail off with the hope of cashing in next season with a big free-agent contract.  He looked phenomenal.  However, once it became clear that the Patriots’ offensive framework had changed and that his touches were going to become more limited, I believe he became disgruntled.  He saw the shift in strategy as a detriment to his future earning potential.

“On the same note, it’s hard for me to truly believe that Moss was ever happy in Minnesota.  I don’t think he respected Childress at all, and he probably became disenchanted with Favre after all the dumb throws in Green Bay and the way he was hobbled against the Patriots.  Watching his former teammates celebrate and have success last week, while he wasted away on a team bound for nowhere that wasn’t helping his contract situation either, probably set the stage for his epic post-game tirade.

“Can Moss turn things around?  Definitely.  His one-handed TD grab against Darrelle Revis in Week 2 was proof that he’s still a freak of nature who can do things no other player can do.  Will he?  As a fan of Moss, I’d like to think so.  I think he knows that if he blows it with a third team this season, he can kiss any type of decent contract goodbye.  If he puts up some good numbers and helps Tennessee fight for a playoff spot, there will be some chance at redemption.  Hopefully that’s enough motivation for him to make the Titans’ gamble pay off.”

Thanks once again to these guys for sharing their thoughts with us. As fans and bloggers of the teams Randy Moss used to play for, their insight is very much appreciated. Please check out their sites here on Bloguin for more on the Patriots, Raiders and Vikings.