Randy Moss: New Orleans Saints Would Be Foolish to Fish for Semi-Retired WR

Where there's smoke, there's usually fire, which is fitting, considering that Randy Moss would be nothing short of a hazardous addition for Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints.

According to a report by WWLTV in New Orleans, the seven-time Pro Bowler was at the team facility in Metairie, La., on Saturday.

The Saints will be without Marques Colston for the next four weeks after the star wide receiver broke his collarbone in the team's 42-34 season-opening loss to the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night.

Colston's injury further compounds the significance of the absence of Lance Moore, who missed the first game of the season with a groin injury of his own.

The addition of Moss would, presumably, alleviate at least some of the Saints' concerns at the position, though there is still some doubt as to whether Moss was ever in Louisiana to begin with.

ESPN NFL guru Adam Schefter tweeted on Saturday night that Moss had not met with Saints brass. Said GM Mickey Loomis of the Moss-to-Nawlins rumors:

"

"Absolutely no truth to it. It's a made-up story. Zero to it."

"

Whether there is any truth to the rumor does little to change the fact that the Saints should avoid Moss like the plague. So much of New Orleans' success in recent years has been predicated on tremendous team chemistry, built around the bromance between Brees and head coach Sean Payton as well as the connection of the team's biggest stars to the city itself.

Moss, on the other hand, has demonstrated a blatant disregard for the established traditions and best practices on the teams he's played on. That was made clearer than ever last season, when Moss hopped between three teams and proved to be a nuisance on each.

Moss' mischief began in New England, where he quit on the Patriots and demanded a trade after not being offered a contract extension.

He went so far as to complain about feeling "not wanted" by the Pats after piling up double-digit touchdowns and at least 1,000 yards in each of his three previous seasons with them.

Moss was eventually traded to Minnesota, where he began his career, but was cut less than a month after.

Why so soon, you ask? Well, aside from publicly criticizing head coach Brad Childress and his teammates after a loss to the Patriots and berating the team's catering staff for serving food that he "wouldn't feed...to my dog," it's tough to tell.

Moss finished the year with the Tennessee Titans but managed only six catches for 80 yards in eight games in Nashville.

All of this adds up to one simple fact: that Moss is a malcontent, and, at 34 years of age, he's no longer productive enough on the field to warrant any team, much less one as good as the Saints, jeopardizing their chemistry for such a volatile personality.

The Saints are a true team, a group of guys who put the team before themselves. Moss, on the other hand, maintains a "me first" attitude in any and every situation.

Could New Orleans use another wide receiver? Of course.

Do they really need an immediate replacement for Colston right now? In a word, no. The Saints have a relatively easy slate of games on tap for the next month. They'll have the home crowd at the Louisiana Superdome behind them for their next two games, against the Chicago Bears and the Houston Texans.

The Saints will then travel to Jacksonville to take on a Jaguars team whose quarterback situation is shaky at best, followed by a road game against the 2-14 Carolina Panthers.

With the balance they have on offense and Brees' uncanny ability to deliver the ball to whoever, wherever and whenever, the Saints should be able to win at least three out of those four games, with or without Colston.

And certainly without Moss.

So, if there were any fire behind all that smoke about Moss resurfacing in the Bayou, the Saints would be wise to douse it as soon as possible, before it spreads too wildly and sends the whole season up in smoke in New Orleans.

Follow @J0shMart1n