In the wake of Randy Moss being waived by the Vikings last night, there is much speculation as to which team will take a chance on acquiring the services of Moss after Minny's shocking move. Adam Schefter of ESPN tweeted his five best guesses and I wanted to break down each of those teams.
1) St. Louis Rams
On paper, this would seem like a perfect move for a team that has a chance to make it into the post-season in a weak NFC West Division and is in desperate need of a wide receiver for rookie Sam Bradford because of numerous injuries suffered this season.
However, I can't see this happening because of the baggage that he would bring to the table. I know, great insight into the Moss situation, Phil...I get it, but hear me out first. The Rams have a good, young nucleus that's forming quicker than anyone would have predicted. They don't need a surly veteran to come in and possibly disrupt the chemistry being formed in that locker room amongst a young core of players that will be together for years. It's not worth the risk.
2) Oakland Raiders
Just like the Rams, it seems like a good fit on paper because Moss would give the Raiders the deep threat they would need to complement the newly-found running game led by Darren McFadden. It might just put them over the top in the race to win the AFC West.
However, two things work against this theory. The obvious one is that he's already come and gone with this franchise once before. I understand that most people don't like to give Al Davis credit for anything, but I'm certain that he knows the old adage, "Fool me one, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." The second thing is that the timing doesn't work since the Raiders are coming off two impressive weeks offensively where they scored a combined 92 points in win vs. Denver and Seattle.
3) Washington Redskins
Of course, the Redskins would be a favourite to pick up his services. It's well-documented how much owner Daniel Snyder loves his big-name, big-ticket free-agent acquisitions and Moss would fit that bill.
A couple of things hinder this. First off, Snyder has now forced himself to make all football decisions through Mike Shanahan, so if Shanahan doesn't want him on the team, then he's not going to be a Redskin. Second, the Redskins find themselves too far back to realistically look at the playoffs. Why bother adding more payroll to a team that is going nowhere?
4) Seattle Seahawks
Now we're getting into teams that make a lot of sense. This to me is the best suggestion out of the 5 for a few reasons. The Seahawks need all the help they can get despite being a division leader and being over 500. They've been really fortunate yet again to be a member of the weakest division in football.
They may have found a 1-2 running back tandem with Marshawn Lynch and Justin Forsett, but Moss would represent a deep threat that this team just doesn't have right now with the receivers they have in place. Secondly, head coach Pete Carroll has plenty of experience in coaching egotistical guys like Moss from his days back at USC. As long as he feels comfortable with Moss, I have full belief that he could get the most out of Moss.
5) Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs make sense to me as well because Moss would give them the aerial threat that they just don't possess right now. They have a great running back tandem in Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones, but Matt Cassel doesn't have a consistent receiver to throw to.
They also have a great trio of coaches that can help get the most out of Moss on the field and keep him in check off the field. Head Coach Todd Haley has done a great job with this team with the help of offensive co-ordinator Charlie Weis and defensive co-ordinator Romeo Crennel.