In need at tackle, the Jets will turn to a familiar face. The Ravens are sending Morgan Moses back to the Jets, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Moses, who played for the Jets in 2021, has been the Ravens’ starting right tackle for the past two years. This will be a pick-swap deal. The Jets will receive Moses and a fourth-round pick (No. 135, a compensator), while the Ravens will collect fourth- and sixth-rounders (Nos. 113 and 218).
The Jets entered the offseason unlikely to bring back their primary 2023 tackles — Duane Brown and Mekhi Becton — and their O-line plan in front of Aaron Rodgers has been roundly criticized since the team acquired the future Hall of Fame quarterback. In Moses, the Jets will have a veteran in position to start at right tackle. Moses has made 144 career starts; 16 of those came with the Jets three years ago.
Going into his age-33 season, Moses is going into the final season of the five-year, $15MM contract he signed in 2022. He is due a $5.5MM base salary. With the Jets aiming for Becton to return and George Fant still under contract, they let Moses walk in 2022. Becton did not end up playing that season, leaving the team in a pinch. That produced the late-summer Brown addition. With that contract and Becton’s rookie deal off the books, the Jets need new answers.
Helping the Ravens to the AFC’s No. 1 seed, Moses ranked 20th in pass block win rate last season. The longtime Washington starter continued to display durability in Baltimore, missing only three games in his two-season starter run. Moses played in all 17 Jets games in 2021, initially landing in New York after being a mid-offseason cut. A 2014 third-round pick, Moses is one of the game’s longest-tenured tackle starters. He has been a first-stringer since the start of the 2015 season.
Pro Football Focus was even higher on Moses last season, slotting him 10th among all tackles; PFF ranked Moses 13th in 2022. Despite holding the NFL’s longest playoff drought, the Jets are far from rebuild mode. Adding a soon-to-be 33-year-old tackle adds up on the team’s timeline, with Rodgers — his recent proclamations aside — still probably in year-to-year mode. This Moses rental also would stand to ensure Alijah Vera-Tucker stays at guard, which has been the team’s preference after sliding the 2021 first-round pick over to right tackle — due to injury emergencies — in each of the past two seasons.
This trade will leave only Ronnie Stanley and Tyler Linderbaum as Ravens 2023 O-line starters under contract. The team will keep Stanley on a pay cut but has now lost Moses and left guard John Simpson. The team has swingman Patrick Mekari contracted, but the reigning AFC North champs will have some work to do. That said, Moses and Simpson both arrived before OC Todd Monken. That could be a factor in the team being willing to move on from starters.
More freeing up of cap space to try to keep Clowney?
This is good. It is important for the Jets NOT to be FORCED to fill current holes through the draft. I’m not saying they shouldn’t draft on offensive lineman; but if they can’t get good value when their pick comes around, they should be able to either take the best player available, or trade down.
Moves like this could free them to take Brock Bowers if he’s the BPA.
Perfect example. A number of commentators have said Bowers would be a perfect fit. But it’s not a position of extreme need.
Signing Bakhtiari, though, wouldn’t take them out of the market for a tackle unless they think Warren could develop behind him.
if they do Bakhtiari Icould see them drafting a WR at 10 or a trade back a few spots acquiring a 2nd and drafting a WR and T in first two picks
Great. Not a long term answer, not a stellar answer, but a perfectly competent right tackle. They don’t need five stars up front. They need zero disasters.
Precisely. Nobody should expect a top 5 OL for the Jets next season and it doesn’t even need to be, it just needs to be competent enough to keep Rodgers upright.
The final year of a 5 year contract that was signed in 2022…is it me or does that math not add up?
Off the top of my head, I believe the ravens signed him to a 3/$15 contract. This should be year 3 of the deal
This is a perfectly reasonable and sensible move for the Jets to make. Which is why I’m shocked that they did it.
They didn’t LET him walk, he wanted to play for a winner
At # 10, the Jets should select the “best” OL available. You need a solid line in order to be able to do anything. Didn’t last year show anything in that regard? I don’t think a “luxury” pick like Bowers would be smart. Maybe, if they were more solid up front but they’re not and to be able to get an “anchor” would be much better, imo.