Getty New York Jets linebacker CJ Mosley staring off into the distance during a 2019 preseason game.
It all started a few weeks ago when the New York Jets made their first free-agent addition of the offseason.
On March 17, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that the Jets and former Detroit Lions first-round pick Jarrad Davis had agreed to a one-year deal.
Shortly after the news became official, ESPN New York Jets reporter Rich Cimini raised questions about the future of Cj Mosley citing that both players aligned at the same position as mike linebacker.
Jarrad Davis primarily a MLB for the Lions. #Jets have C.J. Mosley under contract at MLB. This raises questions about his future. Jets could look to trade him, but $14M in GTD money is huge obstacle. Stay tuned.
In the 4-3 defense there are three linebackers on the field at the same time: Mike, Will, and Sam. Both Mosley and Davis have experience playing the “Mike” position.
The idea of trading Mosley is absolutely ridiculous.
Even if they play the same position, which they do, why would the New York Jets trade linebacker Cj Mosley?
They’re super thin at the position.
The three projected starters that are currently on the roster are all littered with question marks.
The newest addition to the team Jarrad Davis disappointed as a former first-round draft choice in Detroit. Blake Cashman, a former fifth-round pick has shown flashes, but ultimately the injury bug from college followed him throughout his young NFL career. In two professional seasons, he has already missed 21 games out of 32.
While Mosley hasn’t played football in two years. In 2019, his first year with the team, he played a handful of snaps in parts of two games, but was injured for the other 14 games. Then last season he chose to opt-out for “family considerations.”
This brings us to the next point, the Jets are already elbow-deep in Mosley’s contract. Back in March of 2019, the green and white signed him to a record-breaking five-year $85M contract with $43M of that guaranteed at signing.
There is still $22M in guarantees remaining on his contract, per NFL insider Tom Pelissero. That would make any potential trade this offseason difficult.
In other words, if the Jets traded Mosley, it would be for relative peanuts. No sane NFL team would trade anything of significant value for a linebacker that hasn’t played football in two calendar years.
There are two main reasons why this Cj Mosley trade talk is ludicrous.
Anytime someone wants a person fired or wants to trade/cut a player, my follow-up question is who are you replacing him with?
The New York Jets have enough holes as it is on the roster right now, why would they create more holes?
Secondly the money factor.
Since the Jets are already committed to Mosley financially, they might as well see if he can return to All-Pro form. That’s a much better idea than trading him away for a late conditional draft choice that’ll ultimately result in nothing.
Will Mosley become the player he once was at 29 years of age this season? Seems unlikely, but stranger things have happened in the NFL. That appears to be a much better gamble to take as opposed to trading him away and creating another void on the roster.
The important thing to remember is to trust the process.
Robert Saleh, the head coach of the Jets, is a defensive mastermind. Even if Mosley and Davis play the same position, you can trust that he’ll make it work.