The Randy Moss Cycle

Randy Moss is settling in well with his new team, as he always does.

Four months into his tenure with the 49ers, the rave reviews for Randy Moss keep pouring out of San Francisco. His quarterback has said he looks like the Randy of old. His defensive captain has called him "unbelievable." And earlier this week, his head coach called him his "best receiver right now" and a great role model for San Francisco's young receivers. So far, Moss is a consummate teammate and a team leader. I'm not surprised, and I'm not buying it. 

This has been a common theme in Moss' career. To reflect on how his previous five NFL stops unfolded, let's take a trip on The Randy Moss Cycle:

Step 1: Moss arrives in a new city and dazzles his coaches with his acrobatics. Like in Oakland, where Raiders head coach Norv Turner called Moss' first practice "outstanding."

Step 2: Teammates, excited by Moss' arrival, compliment his character and either question or ignore the reports of his checkered past. Like in Tennessee, where Chris Johnson lobbied the Titans to sign him and Kerry Collins called him a "great teammate."

Step 3: Moss in turn proclaims his love for his new team. Like in Minnesota, where he told head coach Brad Childress that he was "just glad to be coming home" for a second stint with the Vikings.

 

Step 4: Commentators see Moss laughing with young receivers on the sidelines, usually during a lopsided win, and announce that he's become a team leader. Like in New England, where the 2008 Patriots blew out the Broncos 41-7 on a Monday Night. Upon seeing him with his arm around Matt Cassel, the ESPN crew said that Moss had filled the leadership void left by Tom Brady's injury.

Step 5: His team encounters adversity and Moss starts quitting on plays. Like his first stint in Minnesota, when the Vikings suffered a 41-0 loss to the Giants in the 2000 NFC Championship game and Moss jogged through his routes in the 4th quarter.

Step 6: Rumors and video emerge of Moss screaming at his coaches, reportedly because he wasn't getting the ball enough. Like in New England, where he blew up at quarterbacks coach Bill O'Brien after he only had one pass target in the first half of a game.

Step 7: More rumors emerge of Moss' insubordinate behavior off the field. Like in Minnesota, when he insulted a local caterer at a team lunch and announced, "I wouldn't feed this [food] to my dog."

Step 8: The team parts ways with Moss, deciding that his talent no longer outweighs his headaches. Despite his production, Moss has been traded thrice and released once.

Step 9: Another team signs Moss, and he dazzles them with his acrobatics. And the cycle repeats.

Randy Moss is a future Hall of Famer. He's the most gifted wide receiver we've ever seen. Last year, a panel of experts named him the 65th greatest NFL player of all-time, which is where he deserves to be. But despite all that talent, he's forced five teams to give up on him. And I'm skeptical that he's changed his ways for the sixth.

On one Sunday in September, Moss will reach Step 4 of his cycle. He'll stand next to Jim Harbaugh in the 4th quarter with a smile on his face after decimating yet another secondary. And those with a short-term memory will wonder why other teams didn't take a chance on Moss. But then the 49ers will reach a point where their backs are against the wall, and Moss will be nowhere to be found. Those summer stories about his leadership will seem like a lifetime ago. 

Try as I might, I don't see how this ends well for the 49ers. When it comes to The Randy Moss Cycle, it never does.

We're getting back into the swing of things as training camp approaches. Keep checking into the blog for more updates, and follow my daily NFL-related musings on @BostonGiant.

Image found here.