Moss, Armstrong seek a return to bigger roles

ASHBURN -- They wanted to go back a couple years. Santana Moss decided one way to get there was losing weight. Anthony Armstrong didn't need to do that. But he has another weapon that could help turn his game around: Robert Griffin III.

Moss and Armstrong know the Redskins signed veteran free agents in Pierre Garcon and Josh Morgan. They also know they must improve on 2011 if they want a prominent role this fall. And that's one reason why Moss lost 15 pounds. During Monday's organized team activity workout, Moss looked quicker off the line and in his breaks.

"Every year is a threat to me," said Moss, who turns 33 next week and, for the first time in his Redskins tenure, isn't guaranteed a roster spot. "[But] I don't play worried about something."

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Moss caught 46 passes for 584 yards in 12 games last season -- he missed four games because of a broken left hand. Two years ago he caught 93 passes for 1,115 yards. Last season he averaged 4.1 yards after the catch, but as a slot receiver, many of his catches should result in more -- as they did in 2010 when he averaged 5.4. Coaches wanted to see Moss return in better shape, and he has.

"I just want 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."

For Armstrong, Griffin's strong arm and deep-ball accuracy should benefit him. After all, he earned a reputation two years ago as a deep threat, averaging 19.8 yards per catch.

Naturally, 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 caught 44 passes for 878 yards. Last season he caught seven passes for 103 yards.

"It was very frustrating," Armstrong said. "You can't wait to get on the field and showcase your skills again."

jkeim@washingtonexaminer.com