It's been a week since Randy Moss announced the end of his brief retirement, but there's still plenty of discussion about whether or not the six-time Pro Bowl selection deserves an NFL home in 2012.
Warren Sapp, who played with Moss during the receiver's dark ages in Oakland, echoed recent comments by another former teammate, Cris Carter, saying that Moss' effort level is a serious problem.
"I've already played with Moss. ... I just called Randy a front-runner," Sapp, an NFL Network analyst, said on 'The Dan Patrick Show.' "I didn't want to say that he had quit him, but that's pretty much what it is."
"When everything is good, it's wonderful, it's great," Sapp went on. "But when a little adversity hits, it's uh uh, no-no-no don't ask me to help us come out of this."
Though there isn't much to support the speculation, some believe the Patriots represent Moss' best chance to return to the league.
Retired fullback Heath Evans was a teammate of Moss' in 2007, the season he set an NFL record with 23 receiving touchdowns. Now an NFL Network analyst, Evans told the Boston Herald a deterioration of skills or issues with effort were not what cost Moss his job in New England.
"The bottom line, his work ethic, or his route-running ability, or taking plays off wasn't what got him traded," Evans said. "What got him traded was breaking the Patriots code. He ran his mouth in the media and handled things the wrong way. I don't know if Bill (Belichick) can find it in his heart to forgive him and trust him again."
There would be plenty of forgiveness and trust to go around if Belichick thought Moss could improve the Patriots' offense. But Belichick dumped Moss to Minnesota for 10 cents on the dollar two seasons ago, and then passed on a chance to bring him back in free agency last summer.
Short of un-following Moss on Twitter, we're not sure how much more clear Belichick can make himself.
