Washington Redskins: Santana Moss career retrospective

The Washington Redskins have had a number of skilled wide receivers suit up for them over the years. Players like Art Monk, Charley Taylor and Gary Clark created a blueprint for future wideouts, and undoubtedly earned their place in Redskins history. The three legendary players I mentioned are the best the franchise has ever fielded; Monk and Clark dominated throughout the 80s and early 90s, while Taylor did a majority of his damage in the 60s and 70s.

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Although the three wideouts had outstanding careers, a lot of younger fans and spectators may not recognize their names or accomplishments. This isn’t an insult, as many fans simply aren’t well-informed about the players that trudged along the gridiron in generations past.

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While Monk, Taylor and Clark defined their careers in the years prior to the new millennium, one player made a name for himself in the burgundy & gold long after the Washington greats ended their careers: the player I’m referring to, of course, is Santana Moss.

The Redskins acquired Moss in unconventional fashion, as they shipped fellow wideout Laveranues Coles to the New York Jets in a rarely seen same-position swap. At the time, the move was viewed as a slight risk due to the amount of wasted cap on Coles’ contract and Moss’ injury-plagued, young career.

In the seasons leading up to the 2005 season (the first year Moss would spend in Washington), Coles easily outplayed Moss, and the statistics prove it. Coles already surpassed the 1,000-yard mark twice, and fell only 50 yards short of the mark in 2004 (the year after his back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons). At this point in time, Moss eclipsed 1,000 yards only once in his professional career, so the worry among fans and analysts was well-warranted.

“Moss, 25, was the Jets’ first-round choice in the 2001 draft and has been a productive playmaker when healthy,” ESPN’s Len Pasquarelli wrote at the time of the trade. “Moss has missed time, however, with hamstring and knee injuries. In four seasons, he had 29 starts in 51 appearances, with 151 receptions for 2,416 yards and 19 touchdowns.”

The numbers that Moss had accumulated in his four seasons with the Jets were solid, but clearly weren’t on par with Coles’. During that same four year time span, Coles accounted for more receptions (320) and yards (4,286), while recording the same amount of touchdowns (19) as Moss.

On paper, the Jets were receiving the better deal. They were receiving a sure thing in Coles, while the Redskins were banking on the speed and potential of Moss. Looking back now, Washington is the clear cut winner of the receiver-for-receiver trade, as the speed and potential that Moss brought to the table paid immediate dividends.

In his first season dawning the burgundy & gold, Santana Moss had his best season as a member of the Washington Redskins, as he accounted for 84 receptions for 1,483 yards and nine touchdowns. His introductory season proved that he had the skills to flourish as a number one option, something that he did for six straight seasons.

Over the years, Moss proved time and time again that he possessed lethal speed, regularly outrunning defenders for deep balls and lengthy touchdowns. His most memorable scores, in my opinion, came during his first season with the team in a matchup against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football.

The Redskins had trailed all game long, and struggled to muster any sort of offensive production worth noting. The Cowboys, with a 14-0 lead with three minutes and 46 seconds remaining, had all but secured a victory on their home turf. That quickly changed when veteran quarterback Mark Brunell connected with Moss on a 39-yard desperation touchdown heave. All of a sudden, Washington was back in the game as Dallas’ lead shrank to six with just minutes remaining in the contest.

After a quick and unsuccessful drive by the Cowboys, the Redskins were once again in possession of the football. Only two minutes and 52 seconds remained, and Washington desperately needed more late game

magic

heroics if they wanted to leave Dallas with the victory. Luckily for them, Moss was more than up to the challenge, as he outran the Dallas secondary for yet another late-game touchdown bomb – this one for 70 yards.

Over the course of the next few seasons, Moss would establish himself as one of the games most electrifying playmakers. His speed and elusiveness made him a constant threat to score, which forced defensive coordinators and players to constantly know his whereabouts.

While his explosive play and game breaking speed unquestionably elevated Washington’s offense, it was his leadership and level of maturity that made him a truly great asset. This is a trait that is often overlooked; it’s something that cannot only extend a players career, but also improve the young players around him. Being a student of the game often leads to becoming a teacher of the game, and I believe that’s something that Santana Moss took very seriously throughout his storied career.

When Moss first joined the Redskins, he was a burner. Pure and simple. Over time, he became much more than that, though. He improved his game in all facets; he bettered his route running, catching and mental aspects of the game. All of this hard work led to him becoming a true number one wideout, and a player that the team could rely on.

This is important because, like I mentioned earlier, being a teacher/savvy veteran is something that can extend a players career. And that is absolutely the case with Moss. Based purely on production, the Redskins likely would have moved on from him if he wasn’t such a great asset to the younger players on the team.

Prior to the start of the 2014 season, ESPN’s John Keim reported the following statement from Redskins head coach Jay Gruden, “He’s got energy, he’s a great leader. If he drops a pass he holds himself accountable. If the quarterback misses him he’s like, ‘Let’s get onto the next one, man.’ He’s a great guy to have for these young guys to learn from. He’s working out hard. He’s the first one out there today again. I like having guys like that, veteran guys who are great examples for rookies and also can help you win in big games.”

The statement from Gruden lines up very well with my opinion on Moss. He was always the type of player to go out there and give it his all. For his coaches, teammates and fans – regardless of the score or who was throwing him the football – he always left it all on the football field.

Moss’ career kind of sputtered down the stretch, but make no mistake about it, he was truly the most talented wideout of this generation for the Redskins. Moss has yet to officially retire, but if he does, he will have finished his career with 732 receptions for 10,283 yards and 66 touchdowns.

As of right now, he’s third in franchise history in receptions, fourth in receiving yards and seventh in touchdown grabs. Moss deserves to recognized as one of the best receivers to ever wear burgundy & gold, and should go down in Washington Redskins history as one the of greats along side Art Monk, Charley Taylor and Gary Clark.

Next: Washington Redskins: Gruden on the hot seat

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