Santana Moss would like to return to his 2010 form. He felt that losing weight would help him move toward his goal. Anthony Armstrong does not have a weight issue. He feels that Robert Griffin III is the key to getting his game turned around.
Moss and Armstrong are well aware that the Redskins signed veteran free agents in Josh Morgan and Pierre Garcon. In addition, they're aware that they must improve on the 2011 season if they want to play a more prominent role in 2012. That's one reason why Moss lost 15 pounds. During last week's organized team activities workout, Moss looked quicker off the ball and faster coming out of his breaks.
"Every year is a threat to me," said Moss, who turns 33 this week and for the first time as a Redskin, his roster spot isn't guaranteed. "But I don't play worried about something."
Moss played in 12 games last season, catching 46 passes for 584 yards. He missed four games due to a broken left hand. In 2010, he caught 93 passes for 1,115 yards. Last year he averaged 4.1 yards after the catch, however, as a slot receiver, many of his receptions should result in more yardage, as they did two years ago when he averaged 5.4. The coaching staff wanted to see Moss return in better shape, and he has done just that.
"I just wanted to get back to what I do," Moss said. The last four years I played a little heavier than I've been. Yes, I played at a certain level, but I can tell that there are certain things I wasn't doing, and I wanted to get back to that."
Griffin's strong arm and deep-ball accuracy should benefit Armstrong. Two years ago, Armstrong earned a reputation as a deep threat, averaging 19.8 yards per catch.
Of course, when Armstrong first met Griffin, he said he told him, "Put the ball on the goal line. He said just keep running. I said that works. We'll have a pretty good relationship if we can do that. I'm excited to get big plays again."
In 2010, he had 44 catches for 878 yards. Last year he had seven receptions for 108 yards.
"It was very frustrating," Armstrong said. "You can't wait to get on the field and showcase your skills again."
