Santana Moss has high hopes for Skins in '13

With OTAs set to begin in less than two weeks and all but one starter returning, wide receiver Santana Moss says he believes the Redskins are well positioned to build on last year’s 10-6 season and take that next step.

“I think the key is just to go out there and continue to do what we’re doing,” Moss said during a guest appearance Tuesday morning on NFL Network. “I think last year was one of those years where we showed everybody who we can be.”

“Coach [Mike] Shanahan has been trying to build this team to get all the core guys that he wanted,” the 12-year-veteran continued. “I think last year was the first year we can honestly say he has those guys.”

Indeed, the Redskins retained 21 of the 22 starters from last season’s NFC East championship squad, despite an NFL-imposed $18 million salary cap penalty. And the one position where there is an opening – safety – was bolstered in last week’s draft when the team selected a pair of promising prospects in Phillip Thomas and Bacarri Rambo. 

“It’s time to just build from what had last year and go out there and just do it,” Moss said. “There’s nothing to really talk about; you have to go out there and just want it.”

Moss is coming off a season in which he embraced a reduced role but still managed to lead the Redskins in receiving touchdowns (8), rank second in receiving yards (573) and third in catches (41).

The soon-to-be 34-year-old also joined fellow veterans Brandon Meriweather, Adam Carriker and Josh Wilson in accepting pay cuts this offseason. And while the moves were no doubt motivated in part by self-preservation, it’s hard to ignore the fact that four established vets took less individually in the hopes of achieving more collectively.

Asked if he believes the Redskins have enough talent to make a Super Bowl run in 2013, Moss said he views last year’s disappointing loss to Seattle in the first round of the playoffs as a necessary part of that process.

“I think we have a bunch of guys that’s eager and that’s ready to have that experience,” he said. “You play in this league for so long, and you get close, you get close, you get close, that’s kind of in the past. You want to go out there and live that moment.”

Moss added: “Last year was our first chance feeling like we can really live that moment. But we fell short in the first playoff game. With that in mind, we have that taste in our mouth now. We can take something from that and learn and know how to attack that moment next time around. The only way we can experience that moment is by experiencing what we experienced last year, so hopefully we can build on that.”


(csnwashington.com)