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New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas isn’t playing games.
On Friday, June 25 he put his money where his mouth was by adding a premier talent in the form of veteran offensive tackle Morgan Moses.
The news was first reported by Sam Fortier of the Washington Post.
This has been a move that was widely speculated over the last few weeks and it finally came to fruition. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN had reported that the Chicago Bears and the Jets had shown the most interest.
Last week it seemed imminent that the Jets and Moses would agree to a multi-year deal, but the agreement was delayed. There was a thought that the veteran wasn’t pleased with what Gang Green was offering and his agent was trying to drum up other interests around the league to increase the Jets’ offer.
This will be a one-year deal for Moses who was released by Washington back on May 20. It’ll be a $3.6M base but can be worth as much as $5.3M with playing time incentives (playing 80 percent or more of the snaps), per NFL Insider Ian Rapoport.
Moses reportedly turned down a “significant two-year offer” from the Jets to keep his options open in the future. Now he’ll get to prove himself for a year in New York.
Douglas deserves a lot of credit for how he played this. Not every NFL team could’ve made this move, but the head honcho of Gang Green was patient in his approach and it paid off in a major way.
You can also think of it this way: the money Douglas saved from veteran wide receiver Jamison Crowder taking a pay cut (going from $10M to $5M) was essentially used to add Moses to the fold. The rest of the NFL is playing checkers while the Jets GM is playing chess.
What Does This All Mean?
With Moses entering the fold for the Jets, he’ll likely suit up as the brand new starting right tackle for the green and white.
The veteran has started 96 consecutive games on the right side over the last six seasons. This is an immediate upgrade over George Fant who started 14 games last year.
This will provide rookie quarterback Zach Wilson with one of the top offensive tackle tandems in the NFL. On one side you have Moses who has been a consistent presence since taking over the starting gig in Washington in 2015.
While on the other side you have a budding superstar in second-year left tackle Mekhi Becton. When healthy he’s proven to be one of the most imposing physical specimens in all of football.
Also what Moses provides is an insurance policy for the Jets.
Becton has been dealing with plantar fasciitis this offseason. While he’s expected to be ready for Jets training camp in late July, if he’s unable, Gang Green has a proven commodity to plug-and-play if needed.
Moses doesn’t have a ton of experience at left tackle, but he has shown he can step in if needed.
What a Difference a Year Makes?
2020 starting offensive line:
- Mekhi Becton, left tackle
- Alex Lewis, left guard
- Connor McGovern, center
- Greg Van Roten, right guard
- George Fant, right tackle
2021 projected starting offensive line:
- Becton, left tackle
- Alijah Vera-Tucker, left guard
- McGovern, center
- Roten, right guard
- Morgan Moses, right tackle
There’s still a chance Fant could kick inside to right guard, although he’s never played on the interior during his NFL career to date. More likely he’ll become an expensive swing tackle that can step in on a moment’s notice and/or be involved in jumbo packages.
The difference between the 2020 and 2021 starting offensive line is literally night and day. On top of the fact that Becton should be even better as he continues to develop. Plus McGovern should be a better player with improved talent around him.
The weakest spot on the offensive line is still right guard which is a major question mark heading into training camp. One player the Jets could look at is former Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro David Decastro who was released earlier this week.
The former first-rounder is scheduled to have additional ankle surgery this offseason and is pondering retirement. Although when healthy he’s been one of the best right guards in all of football.
How big of an addition was this for the Jets? Reach us anytime on Facebook @HeavyOnJets, or Twitter @BoyGreen25 and @obermuller_nyj.
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