The Morgan Moses addition in late June was a huge move by the New York Jets to improve their offensive line heading into 2021.
How big of an addition was it?
“This has been an offensive line that general manager Joe Douglas has been aggressively trying to upgrade and trying to make in the future a top-12 unit instead of a middle-of-the-pack unit,” Connor Rogers on the Badlands feed.
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The Trenches Suddenly Look a Lot Different
What kind of man are the @nyjets getting on & off the field w/ the addition of OT Morgan Moses? I asked @Sam4TR of @washingtonpost who broke the story last week: #Jets #TakeFlight #Washington
On paper, this is one of the best offensive lines the Jets have had since the AFC Championship runs over a decade ago.
Mekhi Becton is only 22 years of age (if you can believe it) and appears to be the future of the position. Alijah Vera-Tucker is highly regarded coming out of the college ranks as a first-rounder.
Connor McGovern is a proven veteran with over 52 games of starting experience. The right guard spot is a mystery with a slew of players duking it out for the gig. While the aforementioned Moses is a towering presence who should bring stability to the offensive tackle position.
The level of play in the trenches directly correlates to your win total on the gridiron. Quite frankly whoever has been playing quarterback for the green and white simply hasn’t had a fair shake.
If the current passer, Zach Wilson, struggles it won’t be because of the lackluster offensive line play.
A top-12 unit would place Gang Green in the upper echelon of the NFL and put them in a position to do whatever they want to offensively.
How Big of an Upgrade Was It Really?
A lot of people have asked that question since Moses has signed with Gang Green: how big of an upgrade is this really?
“This was a really nice signing by the Jets this late in the offseason.” Connor Rogers on the Badlands feed. “You just don’t see a lot of, not only starters picked up this late in the offseason, but upgrades. I think that’s what stands out. George Fant was a middle-of-the-pack right tackle last year which was better than I thought he was going to be and Moses is an above average starting right tackle.”
Fant was an average starting offensive tackle in 2020, which was a pleasant surprise for most. The Jets’ plan was to ride that momentum heading into next season with a brand new scheme that would accentuate his impressive athletic traits.
Although the Washington Football Team caught them by surprise when they straight up released Moses back in late May. When unexpected things happen, you have to adapt to the situation.
That’s exactly what Douglas did by calling an audible at the line of scrimmage. While initially, he was fine having Fant as his starting right tackle in 2021, the thought of adding Moses was too good to pass up.
Is the former Washington stud really an upgrade?
We can dive into the film or break down the analytics to really answer that question, but let’s make it a lot simpler.
Moses has started 96 consecutive games in a row over the last six years. Do you know how many games Fant has started in a row? Five.
Last season the former Seattle Seahawks offensive lineman played in 14 games, but was inactive for two including on November 29 vs the Miami Dolphins.
Moses is better and has been doing it longer than Fant. He deserves to be the team’s new starting right tackle.
Some fans have suggested that adding Moses this late in the process could disrupt the flow and chemistry of the locker room similar to what transpired two years ago.
The #Jets and C Ryan Kalil have agreed to terms on a 1-year deal worth $8.4M, source said. A hefty payday and worth it for NYJ. Huge lift for that line and for QB Sam Darnold.
Back on August 1, 2019, Joe Douglas made a bold move by convincing retired center Ryan Kalil to return to the NFL. It was a creative tactic to attempt to add some star power to the Jets’ offensive line.
The move was an epic flop not only on the field but off of it.
Kalil took the starting job away from Jonotthan Harrison and rubbed a lot of his new teammates the wrong way. The former Carolina Panthers stud only ended up suiting up for seven games in his one and only season with Gang Green.
While nothing is guaranteed, here’s a reason to believe this time will be different with Moses:
“He’s the sort of guy that invested in his house to the point where he put 30 yards of artificial turf in his basement. Moses got an infrared sauna and built an entire NFL caliber weight room,” Sam Fortier of the Washington Post on the kind of man Jets fans are getting in Moses. “When COVID was at its’ height last year Morgan had his entire offensive line and other teammates at his place to work out because his place was the closest thing you could get to an NFL strength and training room.”
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Morgan Moses Makes Jets OL Arguably ‘a Top 12 Unit’ in the NFL