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A couple of days ago, Randy Moss expressed an interest in coming back to the NFL, but only if it were to play for a few select quarterbacks. He turned down an offer from the Seattle Seahawks to replace Percy Harvin, so Russell Wilson wasn't one of those few select guys. Peyton Manning was.
On Fox Sports' "The Peter Schrager Podcast" on October 30th, Moss said, "I’m gonna tell you this, for me to come out of retirement for a player such as Peyton Manning, I would consider that. I really would consider it. I’m still in great shape, I can still run. I’m not the most old, but just by looking at the things I see on Sundays, I can still go out there and catch some passes and catch some touchdowns."
What would this kind of move mean for the Denver Broncos? Probably nothing, actually. Randy Moss was arguably the greatest wide receiver talent in the history of the NFL, but he squandered more years than he took advantage of in his career. Instead of being the irrefutable greatest wide receiver ever, he may or may not make it into the Hall of Fame candidate despite six Pro Bowls and being a 4-time First-Team All-Pro. Some think he'll make it into the Hall eventually, but he will likely have to wait.
That all said, his stats are quite impressive.
YEAR | TEAM | GMS | REC | YDS | Y/R | TD |
1998 | MIN | 16 | 69 | 1313 | 19.0 | 17 |
1999 | MIN | 16 | 80 | 1413 | 17.7 | 11 |
2000 | MIN | 16 | 77 | 1437 | 18.7 | 15 |
2001 | MIN | 16 | 82 | 1233 | 15.0 | 10 |
2002 | MIN | 16 | 106 | 1347 | 12.7 | 7 |
2003 | MIN | 16 | 111 | 1632 | 14.7 | 17 |
2004 | MIN | 13 | 49 | 767 | 15.7 | 13 |
2005 | OAK | 16 | 60 | 1005 | 16.8 | 8 |
2006 | OAK | 13 | 42 | 553 | 13.2 | 3 |
2007 | NE | 16 | 98 | 1493 | 15.2 | 23 |
2008 | NE | 16 | 69 | 1008 | 14.6 | 11 |
2009 | NE | 16 | 83 | 1264 | 15.2 | 13 |
2010 | NE/TEN/MIN | 16 | 28 | 393 | 14.0 | 5 |
2012 | SF | 16 | 28 | 434 | 15.5 | 3 |
Career | 218 | 982 | 15292 | 15.6 | 156 |
The question really boils down, would he be a game changer even if he were the Randy Moss who tries hard? I think not. The Broncos already have two legitimate deep threats in Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas and both of those guys can also run routes all over the field. Adding Moss could be interesting, if only because Wes Welker has disappeared from this offense, but then what would the Broncos do with Julius Thomas?
Now, if a guy like Sanders or one of the two Thomases goes down for any extended length of time, then it might make sense to give a guy like Moss a call. A Peyton Manning-led offense relies on precision and adjustments on the line, which would be limited by a guy new to the system. Which leads me to believe that bringing Randy Moss in would only make sense in the most desperate of situations.
What did you think of these comments from Moss, Broncos Country?