Randy Moss to 49ers: Legend's Addition Makes Niners Early NFC Favorites

The San Francisco 49ers were already knocking on the door to the Super Bowl; with Randy Moss, they may have just kicked it down.

Niners fans, I do advise you to proceed with caution. Not because Moss may blow up—I think he's past that point in his life—but because other teams aren't done re-tooling yet.

The Bears just landed troubled but ultra-talented receiver Brandon Marshall from the Miami Dolphins. Chicago certainly looks serious going in to the 2012 season, not to mention Green Bay, the New York Giants, Philadelphia and New Orleans.

It won't be easy, but consider the fact that the Niners were 13-3 in 2011. They could have been in the Super Bowl if not for two botched punts by Kyle Williams. Adding a player with Moss' ability is exciting.

I know he hasn't played since 2010, but Moss is a superior athlete that keeps himself in great physical shape. His workouts have seemingly gone great, so there is no doubt in my mind he can and will perform.

Add his presence into a defense that was what I like to call "run-proof," and things look pretty good. The Niners were No. 1 against the run, and they had quality players in the secondary that helped them lead the league in takeaways.

One big issue is that both Dashon Goldson and Carlos Rogers are free agents; this must be addressed. But the Niners simply got stronger on the offensive side of the ball by adding Moss.

A team that averaged only five yards per pass in 2011, which was 23rd in the NFL, just picked up one of the game's premier deep threats over the last 10 years.

Moss has averaged 15.6 yards per reception for his career and led the league in TD catches five times. He is 35, but he has never had a major injury, and as I said, he stays in great shape.

The Niners running game was already top-notch; they rushed for 2,044 yards in 2011. Moss makes sure teams can no longer stack the box to stop Frank Gore. He is another deep threat, along with tight end Vernon Davis, that spreads the defense.

Niners fans, this will be a good year.