After sitting out the 2011 season wide receiver Randy Moss signed with the San Francisco 49ers, and even after sitting out an entire year there appears to be no rust.
In the 49ers first formal practice, Moss looked sharp to starting quarterback Alex Smith.
“It’s tough to tell that he missed a year of football. I certainly don’t see any rust,” Smith said. “He’s running well, catching well. No surprise, he’s a pro and already has a good understanding of the playbook.”
Hearing a veteran pretty much knowing the playbook isn’t surprising, as many teams use different versions of the same plays as Moss has played under a variety of different offenses. The only difference between one team and another is the terminology that a team uses to call plays.
One person who can tell what kind of shape Moss is in is teammate and strong safety Donte Whitner, who used to face Moss twice a year when Whitner was a Buffalo Bill and Moss a New England Patriot.
“He still looks the same. He never, ever since he’s been playing football has looked like he’s been running fast,” said Whitner. “But he’s a long strider, and when you actually run against him, he’s really running really fast. He’s running the same as he’s always run. His body looks like a younger Randy Moss, so I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do on the football field.”
The concerns for Moss have always been when a football isn’t coming his way during a game, that he won’t run his route as hard. The real testament to where Moss is will come week one of the regular season.
