Where Does Santana Moss Rank All-Time As A Redskins WR?

I know how the stats stack up, and Moss does rank third on Washington’s all-time list in receptions, fourth in yards, seventh in touchdown receptions, and it’s Art Monk and Charley Taylor topping the list in many of those categories. But, I only saw Monk play, and have to rely on newspaper archives, books and the stories from my dad and granddaddy on exactly how good Charley Taylor was. I wouldn’t say that Moss was right up there on the same level as Monk and Taylor.

But, I decided to pick the brain of the great Thomas Boswell for his take on this. He ranks Bobby Mitchell above both Monk and Taylor, and says he’s terribly underrated and overlooked. Boz pointed out that from 1959 to ’67, Mitchell averaged 81 yards a game from scrimmage (receiving and running). That would translate into 1,296 yards in a 16-game season. During that span, Mitchell, who boasted world-class speed, also scored eight touchdowns on returns (kickoff returns of 98, 90, 91, 92 and 92 yards, and punt returns of 68, 78 and 64 yards). So, you can understand Boz’s case for Mitchell as No. 1. And then, you’d have to put his fellow Hall of Fame wide receivers Monk and Taylor on the list right after him.

Then, you have Moss and Gary Clark there among the franchise’s statistical leaders. Clark ranks third on the receiving-yards list, just one spot ahead of Moss. Both led their team in receiving yards in six seasons. Moss was probably more talented than Clark, and he racked up his yardage without the benefit of having a Hall of Fame talent lined up opposite him, like Clark did. Moss wasn’t on many winning teams. Clark, meanwhile, was part of the franchise’s golden years, helped Washington win two Super Bowls and also reached the Pro Bowl four times and earned all-pro honors three times. What would have happened if you swapped out Clark and put Moss in his situation, and Clark in Moss’s place? I don’t know. But, I think we can agree that those two belong high up on the list, just behind the three Hall of Famers.


(washingtonpost.com)