What does a team do when they have a football player with so much talent and skill but always seems to get himself into trouble either opening his mouth or by some crazy on-field celebration.

Do you ignore it and hope that, through some miracle, he will change his ways, or do you do what San Francisco did with Terrell Owens and just trade him?

When should a team start to worry that the player will become a cancer and cause problems in the locker room? Take the Minnesota Vikings, for example. How much more of Randy Moss’s antics should they take?

Some saw the mooning incident in the wild card playoff game against the Green Bay Packers as the last straw. After catching a touchdown pass from Dante Culpepper, Moss ran to the goal post and bent over and acted as if he pulled his pants down and mooned the Packer fans. Moss, who was passed over by 21 NFL teams in the draft before being selected by the Vikings, was known for having a troubled past. Some teams feared he would be un-coach able. Already there are rumors swirling around the NFL that some teams may take a chance on the oft-troubled Moss and possibly trade for the pro-bowl receiver. Some may see this and ask themselves “why would any team want to risk acquiring such a disruptive player?”

Sometimes a change of scenery can do wonders for a player. A team that might be scared at the thought of trying to acquire Moss should look no further than Terrell Owens and the Philadelphia Eagles. Owens has to be the most outspoken and attention-grabbing receiver today in the NFL. I, like many, thought when the Eagles traded for Owens that it was not going to work. All he did was catch 14 touchdown passes and help the Eagles once again win the NFC East. Unfortunately, Owens was hurt in a game against the Dallas Cowboys and will probably not be able to compete in the Super Bowl. Throughout the season, Owens did his share of trash talking and touchdown celebrations. But he never once did anything to put the team in jeopardy and make the Eagles second guess themselves for trading for the Pro Bowl receiver.  

So would a change of scenery and a new head coach make a difference for Moss? Look at Keyshawn Johnson and the Dallas Cowboys. When Johnson was playing in Tampa Bay, he and head coach Jon Gruden often clashed, and some said that Johnson was not a team player. When the receiver was traded to the Dallas Cowboys for receiver Joey Galloway, many in Dallas thought Johnson was going to be a locker room distraction for the Cowboys. This season, Johnson was not distraction and simply played hard and was a productive receiver. So could a new coach and team help Moss?

In the end, it’s going to come down to who wants to take a chance on Moss and how much are they going to be willing to give up for Moss. Some think that to be able to acquire Moss, teams might have to be willing to give up as much at two first-round draft picks, which for one player is a lot to ask for.

Would a team be willing to mortgage their future for such a troubled player?  In today’s NFL, we have learned that anything is possible. Who knows? Next year, we might see Moss in a different uniform.