The Washington Redskins wanted more help at tight end, so they turned to a Hall of Fame family.
The Redskins will sign former LSU tight end Thaddeus Moss, the son of former NFL great and current ESPN analyst Randy Moss, as an undrafted free agent, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The move was confirmed Saturday night by Redskins vice president of player personnel Kyle Smith in his availability following the conclusion of the 2020 NFL draft.
While Randy Moss made the Hall of Fame as a wide receiver and was a first-round pick out of Marshall in 1998, his son will travel a different, more difficult path. But Thaddeus Moss, coming off a national championship with the Tigers, will join a team that needs more talent at tight end. The Redskins don't have a front-line starter at the position but did sign Logan Thomas and Richard Rodgers in free agency.
The good news for Moss is that he's coming off his best season. He transferred to LSU in 2017 but sat out a year. He missed the following season after breaking the fifth metatarsal in his foot before the season. After two surgeries, he was able to play all 14 games this past season en route to the national title.
Moss caught 47 passes for 570 yards and four touchdowns, including two in the championship game victory over Clemson.
"Thaddeus was a productive guy," Smith said. "It was really a no-brainer to sign him."
Smith said the team doesn't have any medical concerns after Moss was unable to work out at the scouting combine because of a broken bone in his right foot that required surgery.
Health issues aside, the LSU staff was pleased with what it saw in Moss this season. Earlier this week, LSU coach Ed Orgeron told ESPN's Michael Triplett that Moss' transformation was "night and day."
"It was one of the best transformations I've ever seen in a young man," Orgeron said. "You know, he made a decision that he was gonna get in tremendous shape and he was gonna commit himself totally into football. And look at the year he had. Great young man, great team guy. Him and Joe [Burrow] became best buddies. Before that, Thaddeus had [injuries], but I don't think he missed one practice last year. He became a great team guy and enjoyed playing football."
Moss started his college career at NC State, but after catching six passes his freshman season he transferred to LSU.
It's not as though his father didn't understand a rough journey. Randy Moss dropped in the 1998 NFL draft because of well-documented off-the-field problems and lasted until the 21st pick to Minnesota. But he quickly made his mark with 69 catches and 17 touchdowns as a rookie.
Randy Moss retired after the 2012 season with 982 receptions and 156 for touchdowns. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018.