So Randy Moss is back, but what does that mean? The man who bumped a police traffic officer with his car, who was the prima donna wide receiver on an average team, who seemed to care more about himself than the rest of the team — that guy, he's gone, or at least I think so.

Moss has been to Oakland and back again. And he's been a part of a team that went 18-1. There's a lot Randy Moss could have learned in the past 6 years.

Or has it been nothing at all?

ProFootballTalk.com is reporting that Moss was becoming a distraction in New England before the Patriots traded him. That is, New England, the mecca of 21st century professional football. Moss cleaned up his act when he got there — to win — and if the report is true, what does that say about him now?

Moss certainly isn't the same player he used to be. He's lost a bit of his ability — he's not the same freak. Moss used to be the 'Adrian Peterson' of wide receivers. He was someone you had to game plan for. Mike Tice even had the Randy Ratio. There's no way that's coming back.

But Moss is the missing piece that this offense needed: a reliable deep threat. That's what Randy does best: throw the ball up and watch Moss go get it.

I'm salivating at the possibilities right now. Think of it, especially when Sidney Rice returns — Rice, Moss and Percy Harvin; that sounds like a pretty dangerous group.

If Moss does step in and play like he has the past few years in New England, that's all the Vikings can expect. And that's a pretty good NFL wide receiver. He's averaged 83 catches for 1255 yards and 15 touchdowns during the past three seasons as a Patriot. I'm sure he still has two to three good years left in him that he can play at a high level.

The question that remains to be seen is whether or not Moss can reignite the magic in the Vikings' offense. Can the man who wore that No. 84 jersey, who jumped higher and ran faster than everybody and who made those plays you'll never forget, can he do it all again?

I think he can. Brett Favre will fall in love with Moss the first time Favre throws him one of those go-routes that the gunslinger connected on with Rice so many times last year. Moss just has to be a piece in the continuous puzzle — the best part is that he's a dangerous complementary piece to have.

Favre already had Visanthe Shiancoe and Harvin. Adding Moss adds a whole new dimension — a vertical dimension. That's what Bernard Berrian was supposed to do and what Rice did at times in 2009. Moss has averaged over 15 yards per reception throughout his career.

The problem is still lurking though. What about his prima-donna attitude? Maybe Moss has just suppressed it for all of these years. Deep down he wants the ball and he wants to be 'the guy.' But there are too many talented players in this offense to think that way. Rice made the Pro Bowl in a breakout 2009 season, Peterson is one of the best backs in football, and Brett Favre is Brett Favre.

I'm not a psychologist, but my guess is that Moss' reported problems arose because he was taking a backseat in the New England offense. That wasn't a problem when Tom Brady threw 50 touchdown passes in 2007, but Moss probably didn't like being just a face in the crowd of Patriot wide receivers.

That won't be a problem in Minnesota, he's going to have to step in and step up quickly for this Vikings team.

Everything's going to be different this time around. This Minnesota team has a veteran core of players on both sides of the ball. This isn't all about Moss. This is about making it to the Super Bowl — giving it, maybe, one last run.

I do think this is a different Moss though, different from the one who donned that purple and gold years ago. Randy now has a chance to be the savior, not the villain. He has the opportunity to erase all of the off-the-field stuff that never really mattered, but still hovered around. He can make his legacy all about the game. And all we'll remember is the good times. We'll forget the murky past, but give us a reason to — just win, baby.

Who would've thought that Favre and Moss would ever play on the same team? This might just be crazy enough to work. You'll see a streak of purple dashing down the sideline — wiry arms flapping at his side. The white 8-4 zooms past the cornerback and catches the ball in stride, smooth as can be. I can see it now.

At the end of the season, he will be Vikings' leader in receiving yards — I guarantee it. You can take that to the bank.

Straight cash homie.