Is Moss the greatest receiver ever? Just ask him

NEW ORLEANS -- Is Randy Moss the greatest receiver in NFL history?

Probably not, but he's close. And he's definitely the only one brave enough to sit in a 49ers jersey at Super Bowl media day and proclaim that he is.

"I really do think I'm the greatest receiver to ever play this game," he said Tuesday during media day.

Somewhere, Jerry Rice had to be wondering if Moss realizes he's more likely to rank No. 2 all-time on his own current TEAM.

Rice works as an ESPN analyst (who doesn't?). So he had this to say: "I let my career speak for itself."

This is new ground for Rice, although this isn't the first time Moss has said he thinks he's the best receiver to play the game. Since the late 80s, it's been pretty much universally accepted that Rice is the best receiver in NFL history.

Moss wasn't disrespectful to Rice. He was engaging, honest and entertaining while answering more than 70 questions during the one-hour interview period.

That included his reasoning for thinking he's had a bigger impact on the game than Rice. Moss is generally credited for the evolution of the two-deep safety alignment that's been termed the "Tampa 2."

"I think back to when Jerry was playing -- and no disrespect to Jerry Rice because he's arguably the greatest -- but for me to revolutionize the game, that's what I really put my hat on," Moss said.

I asked Hall of Fame receiver James Lofton, now a member of the media, how Moss will be remembered. He said Moss was the best "deep" threat in NFL history, but puts him in his top five in no particular order, other than somewhere behind Rice.