Before Red McCombs is going to be willing to pay Randy Moss as the highest paid player in the NFL, Moss will probably have to show that he is that valuable — as an all-around resource, not just a talented player. So far, he hasn't.

By Bob Lurtsema

So wide receiver Randy Moss and the Vikings are no longer talking. Should it surprise anyone? Probably not.

Vikings owner Red McCombs is a strong businessman, so you can bet if he is going to sign off on a contract making Moss the highest paid player in the league, McCombs is going to want a whole lot of return on his investment. So far, Moss has shown he is the best receiver in the NFL. But he hasn’t shown he is the most valuable player and he hasn’t shown positive leadership qualities.

Moss commands respects for his talent, and he should. There isn’t a more gifted player in the league. He gets respect for his talent. However, his commitment and leadership are completely different issues.

Publicly, he shows no commitment, saying he thought it would be difficult for the Vikings to ever win a Super Bowl and the vibe he gives is that he doesn’t care where he plays. His playing organized basketball might be overplayed now, but it also indicates that he is going to do what he wants, when he wants -- even while he is hunting for the largest contract in NFL history.

Leadership: He displayed none on the field in the NFC Championship game, when he appeared to give up well before the game was out of reach. On the practice field at minicamp, he made no attempt to take part in team stretches. Instead, he displayed an air of separatism from the team while he stood over other players that were taking part in the team stretch and joking with them. Only one player didn’t take part in the team stretch.

Few deny Moss has the physical ability to be considered the most talented player in the league. But he isn’t among the top leaders in the game. And football is a team game, not a game of one individual and, oh yeah, 10 others who are playing as a team. If Moss expects to eat up one-fifth of a team’s salary cap, the return on that investment has to go deeper. That could be why McCombs and Moss are no longer talking contract … for now, anyway.

This could be McCombs’ way of letting Moss know that there is more to winning a Super Bowl than one very talented wide receiver. The old-timers saying used to be "40 (players) for 60 (minutes)." The last time we checked it was still 46 for 60, not one for however long he feels like.