The 49ers were in the market for somebody to stretch the field, and they may have just found the greatest player of all time in terms of that ability. San Francisco was quick to sign wide receiver Randy Moss to a one-year contract after working him out today. Terms were not announced, but I couldn't imagine it being much more than a heavily incentive laden deal.
Let’s begin optimistically. Moss is arguably the most talented receiver in the history of the game. His skill has never been in question. Even at the age of 35, he was still clocked at running a 3.39-3.40 40 yard dash. In need of a coach who can keep him in check while still not upsetting him and causing him to shut it down, there’s not much of a better match than Jim Harbaugh. And if he’s as hungry and motivated as he says he is (and saying that’s a big if would still make it a huge understatement), then the 49ers have just put together a pretty nice piece that really complements the rest of the offense.
Now to the downside. Unless Moss really is out to prove himself this season, it’s more a matter of when and not if he gets tired of having poor passes thrown to him from Alex Smith. And once he shuts it down, we’ve seen that he’s no more than a distraction, as evidence of his -11.7 PFF rating in 2010, which had him finish as the fourth worst WR in the league. And looking at it individually, he’s a very odd fit for an offense that finished with the second least amount of pass attempts last year, and only called pass on 47.5% of their offensive plays.
If Moss can stay motivated, he will no doubt be an integral complementary piece in the 49ers offense. But nobody should be expecting him to be more than a complimentary receiver who spreads the field and is a threat in the redzone. It just won’t happen.
Fantasy Spin:
I’ll set the over/under at Moss’s season at Plaxico Burress’s last year (45 receptions, 612 yards, 8 TDs). He will be a good redzone threat, and hit a homerun or two, but I just can’t see Alex Smith connecting with him consistently, nor will he get enough opportunities in Jim Harbaugh’s conservative offense.
His biggest impact will be giving Alex Smith one more weapon to work with, which should open up a lot more space for Michael Crabtree, Vernon Davis, Frank Gore, and Kendall Hunter to operate in. Unfortunately, the increase in efficiency for those players will be negated by the decrease in targets that are already hard to come by.
Questions and comments are always welcome via Twitter – @Eric_Yeomans
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