A Brilliant Move For The Vikings

Finally...no more Randy Moss.

According to Moss' agent, the troubled superstar will be out of our hair, causing problems for the Oakland Raiders this fall instead of the Vikings. We can move on. We can field a team. With Moss gone, we can even compete for a Super Bowl.

Nothing But Trouble

No one can doubt Moss' ability. He's not the "super freak" for nothing. He does things on the football field that others only dream of, and his stats show it. He's the only receiver in the history of the game to start his career with six 1,000-yard seasons. He's approaching the 100 touchdown mark and 10,000 receiving yards after just seven seasons. Every defensive back in the league knows he's overmatched when Moss lines up across from him.

Still, I've never been so excited about my home team losing a player.

His misbehavior has been well documented. What hasn't been considered is the escalation of his misbehavior. It started in 1999 with his first fine for yelling at an official. The next season he upgraded to squirting an official with water. Later the same year, he was fined for touching an official. Mix in some taunting, yelling at innocent sponsors and a little mooning here and there (which, in fairness, was harmless), and you have a nice resume of wrong doing. Not to mention his little run-in with the traffic cop, which was his most serious offense by far.

Moss believes he is above the law. In many respects, he is. But it won't be long before he takes it too far. Minnesota was the best place for him. It's relatively calm, the fans are understanding and for the most part he could stay out of trouble. Oakland will be little more than a trap. I wouldn't be surprised to see him in Jamal Lewis' position sometime soon: trying to negotiate jail-time around the football season.

An Overrated Asset

Not only is Moss trouble, he's also not as big of an asset on the football field as most people automatically assume. I acknowledge his stats, but the lack of winning he so readily blames on others can be tracked right back to him.

Who else on the team takes plays off, much less defiantly admits to it? Who else gets in Daunte's face in the middle of a game, demanding the ball? Who else leaves the field while the game is still being played? Who else has such little respect for his teammates that he won't accept responsibility for his role in the losing and watches silently while his quarterback willingly carries the blame by himself? This line of questioning could go on for days.

Not only are the Vikings going to benefit from Moss' departure, they will also be better because of what they get in return. Napoleon Harris is a young linebacker with speed, decent size and sure tackling ability. He proved what he is capable of during the 2003 season, when he racked up 109 tackles, 79 of them solos. Harris will help fill the void we have at the linebacker position while Kevin Williams and Kenechi Udeze lead an improving defensive line. If Antoine Winfield stays healthy and the secondary holds its own, the defense could be okay. Along with Harris, the Vikings will reportedly received the seventh pick overall in this year's draft. They could either draft another linebacker or a defensive back, or they could opt to fill Moss' roll on the team with someone like Michigan's Braylon Edwards.

This team could be good. This team really could become a winner. And it's all because they got smart and got rid of Randy Moss.