When the 49ers agreed to a one-year deal with Randy Moss on Monday, they agreed to take in his worst enemy along with him—the “anti-Moss,” if you will.

It has been with Randy in Minnesota, Oakland, New England, Minnesota (again) and Tennessee. It was in-house to see the jaw-breaking air-show in The Metrodome, and it played its role in Moss’s fallout with the Vikings. It stood by as the term “Mossed” was coined, and was there on the receiver’s shoulder as he gave a whole new meaning to that term by abandoning his Minnesota teammates and walking off the field early. It sat back and watched Moss reel in 23 regular-season receiving touchdowns as a Patriot, and helped make toxic the relationship between Randy and the Oakland Raiders. It whispered in Randy’s ear as he inexplicably praised the Patriots organization in a post-game press conference as a Viking, and it seemingly hid Moss behind a curtain of irrelevance in Tennessee.

Ultimately, the anti-Moss drove the future hall-of-fame receiver from the NFL altogether. Expressed or unexpressed, inert or active, there is a demon inside Randy Moss; one that chooses, every so often, to turn this freak of nature into a proverbial, unmotivated superstar whose narcissistic self-indulgences rob each and every football fan of the chance to witness greatness.

But who is this demon? And how the heck does it find its way into Randy’s suitcase every time he transfers cities and teams? Well, there’s but one answer to this question.

It’s not a riddle. It’s not a complex theory that needs breaking down. It’s not a multi-step function that needs simplifying. It’s just Randy . . . Randy Moss.

He is his own worst enemy, and the greatest coach, GM, president, owner, mentor, or teammate has no power to change that. It’s up to Randy Moss, himself. The situation will always be black or white: If he wants to produce, he will. If not, he’ll merely show up, collect his game checks and pay his fines in “straight cash.” There’s no gray area. Simple as that.

Don’t think a change in scenery is the antidote to Moss’s anomaly of a career. We’ve followed him through that experiment four times before. He has been subject to every coaching style. There’s been Green, Tice, Turner, Belichick, Childress, and Fisher. And with Moss, you can bet they’ve seen it all. So now, Jim Harbaugh has earnestly accepted Randy Moss onto his revamped Niners team, which is fresh off its first winning-season and playoff appearance in nine years.

With the same old Randy, there is something different this time around. It is unchartered territory for the 35-year-old receiver.

- This was the first time he was required to work out for a team since the ’98 NFL combine.

- He hasn’t played in a football contest in over a year.

- The 49ers are his fourth team in his last two active seasons.

- He’s entering into a Niners offensive system that is run first, pass second, pass downfield third.

- He is now part of a franchise and culture that has seen the polar opposite of his ability and selfishness: Jerry Rice’s ability and humility (And note that Moss also trails Rice in numerous NFL receiving records.)

Yes, the 2012 season will be a test to Randy Moss’s character and patience—even more so than 2010 was, because now Randy is coming back. Rather than turning a chapter in the same old book, he has set it down and picked up a new one. He realized how quickly and how easily he was forgotten over the course of one absent season, and it obviously didn’t sit well with him.

I do believe Randy had some matters to straighten out in his life, but I believe with much more conviction that selfishness is still the primary motivating factor for his return to the league—a healthy selfishness. He now realizes that there is something new for him to prove, and he has a fresh opportunity in front of him.

We have seen this great football talent invent excuses over the course of his career. Now he’s technically in a contract year, and has no choice but to suppress his unhealthy demon and perform. Moss feels quite the same.

"I accept the challenge and I'm ready to bring the fans out to the seats. I like what I can do for the NFL,” said Moss.
I’m not satisfied with these lines we’ve all heard before. I’m not satisfied with the notion that Randy Moss has reprioritized his life. I’m not satisfied with a workout in which Jim Harbaugh was the quarterback. But I will be satisfied with some form of measurable productivity, come September.