Randy Moss: Should the Dallas Cowboys Sign Him? Why Not?

I probably don’t have to revisit the long history involving semi-retired wide receiver Randy Moss and the Dallas Cowboys. I can’t think of any other player so often mentioned or discussed in association with any team that he never even played for.

Some feel, and I tend to agree, that as recently as two years ago owner/general manager Jerry Jones was still wrestling with the demons brought about by not having signed one of the greatest wide receivers to ever play professional football.

In case you’re not familiar with this long, drawn out story and why it still has legs, then do your own research or simply check out this B/R story I wrote over a year ago.   

The fact that Jones traded up in the 2010 NFL Draft to select receiver Dez Bryant from Oklahoma State offers solid evidence of theory that Jones didn’t want another highly touted receiver prospect to slip through his fingers.

The similarities between Moss and Bryant are similar in that both slid much farther in the first round of their respective drafts that they should have. Both had some salty history coming out of college and they were considered potential risks.

Another common denominator is the fact that both were regarded as the best prospects to come along in years.

Moss delivered everything expected and more, especially against Dallas.   

Bryant has also proven to be a highly gifted pass catcher that definitely has the potential to lead a passing game to a Super Bowl.

Moss holds the single season record for touchdown passes set in 2007 with the almost undefeated New England Patriots, who ended up losing their first Super Bowl to the New York Giants. The Patriots got their money’s worth out of Moss and released the then 13-year-veteran after just four games in 2010.

Moss would play for two more teams in 2010, which included the very team that drafted him in 1998, the Minnesota Vikings. When this failed the Tennessee Titans jumped on board but this move produced absolutely nothing and Moss hasn’t been heard from since—until today, his 35^th birthday.

According to SI.com, Moss is hitting the social media circuit as he states his intentions to play professional football in 2012.

And somebody will give him a shot.

Why not the Cowboys?

Last time I checked the Dallas roster wasn’t exactly overflowing with depth at the wide receiver position, especially with the uncertainty surrounding the future of 2011 surprise Laurent Robinson, who came out of nowhere to lead Dallas pass catchers in touchdowns.

Robinson’s return is highly questionable seeing as he’ll be playing for, perhaps the only significant contract he may ever get in professional football, and I’m not at all sure Dallas can afford this expenditure.

But even if Robinson is retained, you can’t say that a wide receiver corps consisting of Bryant, Miles Austin, Robinson and Moss would be bad thing.

It’s not like Kevin Ogletree did a thing to make the Cowboys believe that he’s a big part of the future.

Has Jesse Holley solidified himself as a future piece of the puzzle? I’m not sure that’s true at all, despite the fact he made a game winning play at San Francisco in Week 2 last season and he’s a solid special teams player.

Unless you believe that somewhere between Dwayne Harris, Andre Holmes, Raymond Radway and Teddy Williams that there is a solid third or fourth receiver, the idea of having Moss on the roster for a season or two shouldn’t be scoffed at.

Unlike Terrell Owens, another polarizing diva wide receiver who is still barking about wanting to play in the NFL again, Moss is likely able to do so.

Remember that the Cowboys would hold all the cards in this scenario as I’d bet money that I don’t have that Dallas is a place that Moss would love to play for. He wanted to coming out of Marshall as a draft prospect, and it’s clear that he was pretty scorned when the Cowboys passed on him.

Sure, 19 other franchises also passed on Moss before he was finally chosen with the 21^st pick by Minnesota.

But those other franchises are not the Dallas Cowboys, plain and simple.

Perhaps there is some poetic irony that could lie ahead for the Cowboys that makes for another overblown and saturated story that may, or may not, conclude with a sixth Lombardi Trophy being displayed at Valley Ranch.

But also remember that Jones is a low risk, high reward type of guy and he also has a glong memory. Moss would come very, very cheap given what he could bring to the table as, at the very least, a tall and rangy possession target that Dallas does not have right now.

And yes, Moss can still get deep even if he no longer possesses the elite speed he had his first nine or 10 seasons in the league. And I wouldn’t let Moss’ final performances of 2010 with two different offenses, following the Patriots, offer any indication that he can no longer play. Jumping into that many different offenses on two bad teams within a month speaks for itself.

No, the Cowboys are not missing just Moss in order to reach a Super Bowl. Dallas has numerous holes to fill and should have adequate resources available to fill most of them in time for the 2012 regular season.

But wide receiver is a somewhat ignored potential weakness, especially after the starting two.

If the price is right there would be no harm at all in signing a talent like Randy Moss.