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Tuesday’s question of the day: If you were an NFL coach, would you want Randy Moss on your team?

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Reporters from around the Tribune family tackle the question of the day, then you get a chance to chime in and tell them why they are wrong.

Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times

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Would I want Randy Moss on my team? Is there any question? He’s one of the best receivers in NFL history and an incredible playmaker. Yes, he’s had his lapses in motivation and that’s not ideal. But listen to the way Bill Belichick has defended him. Listen to Tom Brady talk about him. Listen to Tedy Bruschi. Moss was a huge factor in the Patriots going 16-0 in 2007 and the fact the Patriots got him from the Raiders for a fourth-round pick makes him the steal of the decade. But the biggest reason I would want him playing for me? So he wouldn’t be playing for the other guys.

Dom Amore, Hartford Courant

Vince Lombardi, the legend goes, would tell a player, ‘I’ll put up with you - until I can find someone to replace you.’ Or words to that effect. Both halves of that sentence carry equal weight; if you’re a football coach and you don’t want, say, Randy Moss on your team, you’d better have a suitable alternative. And in this case, that would be ...? Part of the challenge of coaching at the highest level is learning what makes players tick, finding creative ways to enforce discipline and getting the most difficult ones to perform. Moss is still one of the most effective receivers in football, and if Bill Belichick must occasionally overlook a bad effort, or maybe defend Moss when he’d rather not, he’s a smart enough coach to do that. A professional coach’s priority is to win, and he would want any player who can help him win - tolerating the flaws until someone as good or better comes along.

Ken Murray, Baltimore Sun

I would because he still has the ability to change a game by himself. Because there are issues with Moss, it would have to be with certain conditions attached. The team would have to be a legitimate playoff contender, to keep him committed. The quarterback would have to be established, someone Moss can respect. There would have to be other veteran leaders, so Moss’ voice blends in, not drones on. Ravens wide receiver Kelley Washington said recently he learned to be a professional during the two seasons he spent in New England. Watching Moss prepare weekly for games, Washington learned the value of having a good rapport with the quarterback, the benefits of taking care of his body, and the importance of tape study. So Moss can serve as a role model. But it’s important to keep him interested and on board. Minus that commitment, it’s not worth the effort.

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