| Which Randy Moss will we see in 2012? (US PRESSWIRE) |
Brandon Jacobs is known as much for his ability to run over would-be tacklers as he is for his knack for saying what's on his mind. You could say he plays with a chip on his shoulder. And now he's attributing the motivational tactic to his new teammates. Released by the Giants this spring, Jacobs signed with the 49ers, where he'll join Mario Manningham, A.J. Jenkins and Randy Moss as new faces brought in to bring some dynamism to the offense.
During an appearance Tuesday on ROME (you can watch weeknights at 6 p.m. ET on the CBS Sports Network!), Jacobs talked about what why he left the Giants ("it was just money"), his thoughts on new coach Jim Harbaugh ("he's the man") and what we can expect from Moss, who didn't play last season.
“His motivation level is high,” Jacobs told Rome. “I think Moss has a chip on his shoulder. I’ve spoken to him a lot, and he starts off everything with, ‘Just wait.’ He’s got a chip on his shoulder, he’s ready to go out there and show everybody that he can play still.” (The 49ers should invite Ray Lewis to speak to the team. The man's a motivational marvel.)
San Francisco coach Jim Harbaugh said earlier this week that Moss was the team's top wideout.
“This offseason he's been incredible.” Harbaugh told Sirius XM NFL radio host Rich Gannon.
This is as much a commentary on the lack of progress by Michael Crabtree and rookie first-rounder A.J. Jenkins as it is about a 35-year-old who last played in January 2011. But as we mentioned on the last Pick-6 Podcast (embedded below for your listening convenience), it's unfair to lay all the blame on Crabtree, the team's 2009 first-rounder, or Jenkins, who has yet to put on pads.
Don't forget, the 49ers have had a revolving door at offensive coordinator for almost all of quarterback Alex Smith's career and that has certainly hindered any collective progress. (It was so bad that Smith was benched for Troy Smith during the 2010 season).
Although Moss has proven his critics wrong before -- in a huge way in '07 with 23 touchdowns with the Patriots after everyone wrote him off following two forgettable years in Oakland -- he looked old and slow with the Titans three years later. Moss is most effective stretching the field, which means that he can be neutralized if opponents take away the deep route.
Put differently: What happens if the 49ers' o-line doesn't give Smith enough time to let the deep routes develop and Moss gets frustrated? Would he take plays off? We've seen it happen before.
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