The most talented wide receiver ever to wear an NFL uniform
Written by Sean Salisbury, Tuesday June 07 2011
Being labeled the most talented receiver we’ve ever seen doesn’t mean being the best. That label belongs to Jerry Rice. But since the future Hall of Fame wide receiver announced his retirement, I’ve been peppered with the question: Where does Randy Moss rank among the all-time greats?
While Moss will never be #1, he belongs in the argument for who’s #2. In my mind, and in the minds of most experts who know football, there’s never been a wide receiver who has come into the NFL with a better combination of size, speed, leaping ability, big-play ability and football IQ than Randy Moss. And for some, the one knock – no bigger pain in the ass!
I, for one, have always held Randy Moss’ football ability in high regard because he always seems to rise to the occasion when the lights are shining the brightest, and from a QB standpoint, the shear fear he put in the minds and hearts of defenses was enough to make a difference. One of the very few who can dominate a game without having a bunch of catches, yards or touchdowns, because Moss’ ability forces teams to roll coverage and double-team him, which enabled others to rear their ugly heads.
Randy Moss was one of those receivers who would force a defensive back to mysteriously grab his hamstring or come down with the flu during pregame.
When Randy Moss decided he wanted to take over a game, no one outside the QB position could do it better. Hell, retired defensive backs were pissing down their leg at the thought of covering Moss. And we sure as heck know Randy had no problem giving us a quote “Straight cash Homie,” and he was cash money on the field.
Part of how I judge players is how teammates feel about them. Teammates liked Randy Moss. Now, you’re thinking, “That sounds like the greatest player of all time.” And I understand, but there were some negatives to Randy’s game. If the QB didn’t get him involved early in the game, he tended to disappear. The best of all-time never disappears. Some questioned his attitude at times, and rightfully so. But the best of all-time doesn’t have an attitude problem. Some question his selfishness, but the best of all-time are only concerned with winning. Some said he took plays off, which he did, but the best of all-time never act as decoy.
And to me, those are the only reasons why he was never able to reach Jerry Rice status, because he was more talented than Rice. I’m sure Randy has some regrets about his career, but he shouldn’t have too many, because even with some of those weaknesses, his strengths blew those out of the water.
Careers were ruined because of Randy Moss, and so-called “draft experts” sure screwed the pooch for passing on him and making him a late first-round pick.
Moss is the type of receiver QBs want on their team because the team is just flat-out better. So to answer the question, where does Moss fit in among the all-time greats? He will never, on my list, fall out of the top five. That being said, let’s hold off the final chapter of this story to see if Randy is REALLY retired.
Sean Salisbury, former NFL quarterback and NFL analyst for ESPN, covers sports for www.playerpress.com. Follow him on Twitter @SeanUnfiltered.
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