/cdn.vox-cdn.com/photo_images/3543187/107783934.jpg)
In a move that shocked no one, wide receiver Randy Moss has decided to end his retirement and make a return to the NFL. Moss announced he was planning his return during a web chat on Monday, saying: "I just wanna go to a team and play some football. Faith, family and football, that's my M.O., bro. Your boy be back for the upcoming season." So a team that is in dire need of receivers, should the Jaguars consider Moss? I say yes, the Jaguars should consider bringing Moss in, find out why after the jump!
The keyword in this scenario is consider. The team should consider bringing him in, weigh all of the options first. Let's see what he has to offer and see if he's serious about this comeback before signing him to a overpriced contract. In this very hypothetical scenario, it should be noted that I believe the team should only consider a one-year deal.
Moss believes that he's ready to come right back and continue at the level we saw from him before retiring, maybe not the last year, but you get the idea. Moss told NFL Network analyst, Heath Evans, that he is still able to run a 40-yard dash under 4.4 seconds.
"I texted my buddy, Randy Moss, and I asked him ... 'If you had to run a 40 right now, what would you run?' And he texted back, explicitly, '4.35 to 4.38,' " Evans said. So a guy who just sat out an entire season can still run a sub 4.4 40? Evans went on Moss' side and said, "I trained with this guy in the offseason. He is a nightmare to work out with. Many guys came in and out of those workouts, and they never showed up again. This guy knows how t get it done."
Since this is all hypothetical, let's say Moss can, in fact, run a 40 in under 4.4 seconds. That would be better than current Jaguars receivers Jarrett Dilliard (4.57), Kassim Osgood (4.68), Taylor Price (4.41), Cecil Shorts III (4.49), and Chastin West (4.59). That leaves only Mike Thomas whose 40 time isn't better, it just ties that of Moss.
The Jaguars have no wide receivers eligible for free agency this offseason (according to Pro Football Weekly), so it is unclear who will be on the Opening Day roster next season. So if the Jaguars choose to build through the draft or through free agency, Moss could still be an option. As it stands everyone with the exception of Osgood has three years or less of experience. Could the Jaguars count on Moss to mentor those guys?
What kind of effect would signing Moss have on a quarterback just coming off of his rookie season? Moss could bring an element to the team that it hasn't seen in years - a threat down the field. Throughout his career Moss has always been that deep threat, often staying out of the middle of the field and staying at the edge of the field. Moss is a kind of guy that quarterback Blaine Gabbert could look to in pressure situations, and count on him to make the catch. In situations like that, it could bring Gabbert's confidence up on those late-game drives. Moss is 6'4" and would be the second-tallest wide out on the team, behind Osgood, who isn't much of a down field threat.
On the flip side, signing Moss will be sure to bring the circus along with it. He'll likely get the same treatment as Terrell Owens, not getting seriously looked at by many teams due to his past. But at some point don't you have to overlook that and see what he's accomplished on the field and take a chance?