Getty Former New York Jets offensive tackle Morgan Moses walking off of the football field after a tough NFL game.
The New York Jets received a gift from the Gods last year in the middle of their offseason.
The artist formerly known as the Washington Football Team surprisingly released their veteran right tackle Morgan Moses who had started 96 consecutive games for the franchise.
He ended up signing with Gang Green and was rock solid playing in all 17 games, starting in 16 of those contests. Sadly Moses won’t be returning to the Jets in 2022 as he signed a nice three-year deal for $15 million to join the Baltimore Ravens in free agency.
Now the Jets are ready to find his replacement between now and the start of training camp.
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On the Prowl
On the Flight Deck Podcast, Rich Cimini of ESPN answered a question in his mailbag about the current status at offensive tackle and whether or not there is a Moses type out there?
“They need a veteran swing tackle because Fant and Becton are going to be the starters. Let’s face it how much confidence do you have in Becton who is coming off of knee surgery and has had weight issues?”
Cimini then highlighted some of the options that are available in free agency with Eric Fisher and Duane Brown.
Fisher is 31 years old and is coming off of his first season with the Indianapolis Colts after spending the first eight years of his career with the Kansas City Chiefs.
He played in 15 games this past season and had an okay campaign according to the Pro Football Focus advanced metrics:
- Overall 68.2 grade
- 61 pass-blocking grade
- 73.3 run-blocking grade
While Brown is significantly older at 36 (will be 37 by the start of the 2022 season), he also brings more stability per the PFF advanced stats:
- Overall 71.5 grade
- 69.9 pass-blocking grade
- 69.6 run-blocking grade
Either option would bring a wealth of experience and add some much-needed insurance just in case something happens.
Critically Important Piece to the Puzzle
There is no other way to put it the Jets got incredibly lucky last year that Moses suddenly became available.
If he never did the Jets were comfortable going into the season with the combination of Mekhi Becton and George Fant.
As we all know Becton was lost Week 1 and would never return. Fant would flip over to the blindside and likely Conor McDermott would’ve had to step up if Moses wasn’t on the roster.
Who knows what kind of ripple effects that could’ve had on the entire offense let alone a rookie quarterback in Zach Wilson.
While the Jets selected an intriguing swing tackle on the third day of the draft (Max Mitchell), that hardly inspires much confidence.
This week general manager Joe Douglas appeared on the ‘Tiki and Tierney’ show and confirmed that Becton is “still rehabbing” from last year’s surgery and “he is on a good course right now to be ready for training camp.”
#Jets GM Joe Douglas confirmed to @BrandonTierney that Mekhi Becton ‘is still rehabbing’ from last years surgery + ‘he is on a good course right now to be ready for training camp’: 🎥 @TikiAndTierney @WFAN660 #TakeFlight #JetsCamp #NFL @TikiBarber
That is incredibly concerning news, despite how good Becton has looked in Instagram workout videos this offseason. If for some reason Becton is compromised in any way, the Jets could be screwed.
With all that in mind, it is of the utmost importance for the Jets to secure a reliable veteran tackle ahead of camp that can step in at a moment’s notice.
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