Randy Moss to Saints: Why the Ex-Titans WR Would Look Good in New Orleans

Randy Moss in New Orleans. That would be a win-win situation for both parties. It will also give the Saints the ability to load up on weapons for the new year. 

No, NFL, when I said weapons, I meant... 

See what I'm saying. New Orleans could use a distraction right now like tourist needs to find Bourbon St. at Mardi Gras time. All of this "bounty" talk has taken the glare away from some of the Saints' biggest problems.

The biggest one would be coming up with playmakers at the WR position. Marques Colston and Robert Meachem don't look like they will be second-lining back to the home side of the Superdome any time soon. 

This Moss situation could be a blessing in disguise. It was well known that Sean Payton and Co. kicked the tires on the 6'4" All-Pro receiver last year before the season started. Maybe the shortened lockout offseason caused the front office to be hesitant. Whatever the case may be, the salary-cap-strapped boys from the bayou could land one of the best WR's of all-time for a very discounted price.

Along with being on the cheap side, Moss could help the Saints out with his productivity, his presence on the field and his improved motivation for the resurrection of his career. Imagine getting Jerry Rice on a discount in his latter days with Raiders. He was up in age, discounted by experts as being done, and he came back and had two great years for Oakland.

What's to say Randy can't do the same.... 

Reason No. 1: Price Tag

Randy's price tag has come down faster than Gregg Williams' Bounty paper towel commercial requests. No one is really knocking down his door and throwing $9-million-a-year deals at his feet. It's especially not going to happen after the disastrous 2010 season that he went through: going through three teams and basically dropping out of existence with six catches for 80 yards and no touchdowns in his eight game stay there.

I see Moss' value at Terrell Owens' value at the time of his signing with the Cincinnati Bengals. That figure was a $2 million base salary with another $2 million in incentives that could be earned. Moss' figure would have to start around that ball park.

He would come a lot cheaper than the $7 million a year that Colston is looking for and would be a better value at that price than the inconsistent Robert Meachem. For a team like New Orleans that is strapped for cash, it gives them options. It also gives them leverage if they wanted to bring back Meachem at a lesser salary.

Signing Randy Moss would be a financial gamble worth taking.  

Reason No. 2: Productivity

Everyone knows about the production that this guy puts up. Records fall when this guy comes to play, especially if he has an All-Pro-type quarterback throwing to him. History shows that you put him with a great QB and double-digit touchdown seasons will follow.

In Oakland, Moss scored 11 touchdowns in two years with the likes of Kerry Collins, Andrew Walter and Aaron Brooks throwing to him. All of Who Dat Nation knows how frustrating that last passer can be.

After spending a couple of years in the NFL's Bermuda Triangle, the Marshall product exploded in New England with 47 touchdowns in a three-year period, including an NFL record-breaking 23 in 2007. The reason? A great coaching staff and a great quarterback. Moss stuck to his best behavior as soon as he got there, and it paid off big time.

He was motivated at his tarnished reputation towards the end of the Minnesota era and down in The Black Hole that he even restructured his deal and came in at a discounted price. He wanted to earn his way back to the top of the game, and after a year off, I think he is ready to produce like the old Randy and prove people wrong.

Reason No. 3: Presence on the Field

The last reason that comes to mind when thinking about how well Randy Moss could be as a Saint is his presence on the field sets up other players for big plays. Call it a decoy, but just as Pat Yasinskas, ESPN's NFC South blogger, points out, that with losing Meachem and Colston, Randy Moss could be that big, tall receiver on the Saints offense that takes away pressure from their shorter receivers. 

With Moss and Henderson, another speedster, split out wide, the person who could benefit the most from his arrival is Lance Moore. We all know that Moore, when healthy, is Drew Brees' security blanket, much like Darren Sproles and Jimmy Graham were this year when Lance was out. Moore could do damage in the slot a la Wes Welker when Moss arrived in Boston. 

Speaking of Graham, having Moss out wide would lessen double coverage on him and help him avoid a "sophmore slump." It also means less coverage on him in the red zone with another big, tall target, the defense is going to have to bracket with a couple defenders. With that set up, Moore could have a field day, single covered in the red zone running in and out routes all day. 

Having the defense widened out would open bigger lanes for a rushing attack that's already No. 6 in the NFL. The four-headed monster of Pierre Thomas, Sproles, Chris Ivory and last year's first-round pick, Mark Ingram, could have a bigger impact inside with defenders watching Moss. 

So even though the Saints broke all kinds of records in 2011, with Moss, it looks like the party was just getting started down here in N'awlins.

Conclusion: Moss on Saints = Great Deal

Randy Moss, in his final year in the NFL, was a malcontent and a disruption. He was passed on by three teams and bottomed out harder than his time in Oakland. He took a year off of football, and people wonder where his priorities are at and where his focus is. 

His focus, in my opinion, is that he's back to being his old self. The old Randy that had something to prove back in 2007 when all the doubters were out. Well, they are back out now questioning his desire and his heart. Moss has never been known for that. Just put him on a good team with a great passer and he is content and quiet...and productive.

This is Drew's team. So, the question comes up on how will No. 9 handle a distraction and possible disruption.

That same question was raised when the team brought in Jeremy Shockey from New York. He had pushed Eli around so much towards the end in the offense that the Giants were pleased to drop him off for second and fifth-round draft picks after finishing their Super Bowl XLII run without him.

Shockey came in, knew his role and became a contributor to another Super Bowl team, only this time, he would be able to play in the big game and score a touchdown. Do I think Randy Moss can do that?

Time will tell on which Randy shows up, but one thing's for sure: If he is in NOLA in 2012, Who Dat Nation can count on a whole lot more records being broken.