Randy Moss and the Detroit Lions

Moss just announced his intention to come out of retirement and play again in the NFL. Near as I can tell, he's an unrestricted free agent and can pretty much entertain any and all offers from various teams.

No doubt, many are wondering if Moss still has anything left in his "tank" to once again compete at that level. After all, he just turned 35 years old -- not exactly still in his prime -- but what if he's still got it?

Few would question that back in his day, Moss was the freak of all freaks when it came to the wide receiver position. He had speed, length, athleticism, hands of glue, toughness/durability, and definitely big play capability on any given down. Sure, he had his mood swings, but as a pure talent as a receiver on the field, I can't think of anyone who was a bigger nightmare for defensive coordinators, let alone defensive backs. Calvin Johnson of the Lions? I'll get back to that.

Assuming Moss still has a couple of good years left in him, it's likely he wouldn't play for just anybody. He'd want to go someplace where a team was "on the rise", not quite Super Bowl ready yet, but perhaps he could put them over the top and get them there. What better way to cement his legacy then going out on top with a "ring"?

That's why I think the Lions' brain trust should think long and hard about this guy. The least they could do would be ask him in for a workout, and if he's still showing some of the old magic, float a one or two year contract offer.

Look at it from Randy's possible point of view. The Lions are pretty good, getting closer to championship caliber, and will likely get better. In Matthew Stafford, he'd have a QB that can make all the throws, and certainly isn't shy about doing so. Though Detroit as a city may have it's shortcomings, the football fans there remain fanatical and have been craving a winner for seemingly eons. If he's the guy that gets them to promised land -- he'd become an icon.

But the best thing? Another freak named Calvin Johnson would be lined up on the other side of the field.

It's a numbers reality. One of them would certainly draw double coverage, but the other would be licking his chops in one-on-one. Zones? Wouldn't matter. The corners and safeties have to commit to a certain area. Throw in a third or fourth receiver, possibly a tight end running a pattern, and maybe a running back coming out of the backfield -- and somebody's going to be wide open somewhere.

Matthew Stafford has enough experience under his belt where he would quickly figure that out. He threw for over 5000 yards last year -- which puts him in elite company. He can get it done. Other than Johnson, most of that was accomplished with an underwhelming group of wide receivers.

Imagine if he had another freak in his arsenal, if only for a year or two.

People can talk all they want about rebuilding this and future draft choices that, but let's not kid ourselves. In pro sports, nothing else matters except winning championships. Sometimes the window is only open for a short while to get a title, and then it closes. Some teams throw caution to the wind and go for it NOW. Others are more conservative and hope their building blocks pay dividends in the future. Many times that future never comes.

Here's an example. Remember that so-called trouble making locker room cancer that Joe Dumars of the Pistons took a wild gamble on about a decade ago? His name was Rasheed Wallace. He put them over the top and the Pistons won a world championship.

So why not Moss? Go for it NOW. What do they have to lose?