Morgan Moses

Jets To Reacquire T Morgan Moses From Ravens

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.

Ravens, T Morgan Moses Agree To Deal

The Ravens are adding a veteran right tackle to the mix. They agreed to terms with Morgan Moses on Tuesday night, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic tweets.

Formerly with Washington and the Jets, Moses will join the Ravens on a three-year deal worth $15MM. This marks a bump for Moses, who found himself a cap casualty midway through the 2021 offseason. He previously played for $3.6MM with the Jets.

Previously a rock in Washington, Moses started every game for the franchise from 2015-20. The Jets enjoyed the set-it-and-forget-it pattern with Moses, starting him in 16 games last season. Following Mekhi Becton‘s Week 1 injury, the Jets used Moses and George Fant at tackle throughout the season. Moses has not missed a game since his rookie 2014 season.

Moses, 31, will come to a Ravens team that has seen some instability disrupt what was one of the NFL’s best tackle tandems. Baltimore traded Orlando Brown Jr. to Kansas City and saw Ronnie Stanley go down with another significant injury. While Stanley is expected to be back to man the Ravens’ left tackle spot, the team just saw Alejandro Villanueva retire.

Moses stands to be a pivotal piece for the next Ravens O-line, which will likely feature the eight-year veteran as its starting right tackle. Patrick Mekari played there primarily for Baltimore in 2021, and although he signed a Ravens extension, the team could move the versatile blocker back inside. The former center may be a candidate there, with Bradley Bozeman a free agent. The Ravens also have Ja’Wuan James, a veteran and injury-prone right tackle whom they stashed as a rehab project last year, as an option. But Moses should be considered the favorite to start opposite Stanley.

The Jets expressed interest in retaining Moses, whose new Ravens contract does not match the five-year, $40MM extension he signed with Washington back in 2017. Gang Green has some options, one being moving Fant to right tackle — his position to start the 2021 season — and trying Becton again on the left side. Becton’s stock has freefallen since his promising rookie season, however. The Jets, who hold the Nos. 4 and 10 picks in next month’s draft, are also a candidate to take a tackle in Round 1.

Jets’ Mekhi Becton, George Fant To Compete For LT Job; Team Seeking Extension For Fant?

Having drafted LT Mekhi Becton with the No. 11 overall pick of the 2020 draft, the Jets were surely hoping that the Louisville product would not be fighting for his job after two seasons in the NFL. But according to head coach Robert Saleh, that’s the situation that Becton finds himself in. Saleh recently told reporters, including Brian Costello of the New York Post, that Becton and George Fant will be competing for the starting left tackle position (Twitter link).

New York signed Fant to a three-year, $27.3MM contract in March 2020, and he had a disappointing first season in New York, playing on the right side of the line and finishing as Pro Football Focus’ 64th-best tackle out of 79 qualifiers. The Jets brought in veteran Morgan Moses last May with the assumption that he would serve as Becton’s bookend and push Fant to a swing tackle role, but Fant put together a good training camp and surprisingly held onto his RT post.

Then, Becton suffered a dislocated knee cap in Week 1 of the 2021 campaign, which forced the Jets to shift Fant to LT. The former Seahawks UDFA thrived, allowing just 18 pressures in his 15 games, third-fewest in the league. Becton, meanwhile, never got back onto the field. Though his injury was a serious one, conditioning problems appeared to complicate his recovery, which was not the first time that Becton had run into weight-related issues.

Becton is listed at 6-7 and 363 pounds, though he reportedly played at a higher weight than that as a rookie. And Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network hears that Becton was actually over 400 pounds by the time the 2021 season ended. Pauline also writes that the competition that Saleh referenced will not be much of a competition at all, and that Fant has been told the job is his to lose.

In fact, Pauline reports that the Jets are working on an extension for Fant, who will turn 30 in July and who is entering his contract year. Another season like the one he put together in 2021 could catapult him to top-tier LT money, and Gang Green may want to lock him in before that happens.

Rich Cimini of ESPN.com, however, says there have been no extension talks with Fant. Cimini does confirm that the organizational concern with Becton is “very real,” and while the Jets are not going to part ways with him at this point, they want to see him committed to dropping weight this offseason. There is a good chance that the club will keep Fant at LT and move Becton to RT — which would perhaps obviate the need to draft a player like Alabama OT Evan Neal — but New York has also not foreclosed the possibility of re-signing Moses.

AFC East Rumors: Patriots, Jets, Phillips

The Patriots‘ quarterback battle will tilt toward Mac Jones this week, by default. Cam Newton will not be permitted to practice with the team until Thursday. A COVID-19 issue will force the veteran quarterback to work virtually, according to the Patriots, who have called this a misunderstanding that stemmed from Newton traveling to a team-approved medical appointment outside Foxborough. Newton has not tested positive for the coronavirus, per the team, but an issue with his testing cadence caused this hiccup. Like Kirk Cousins and Lamar Jackson this month, Newton’s unvaccinated status has complicated matters for his team. Only unvaccinated players are tested daily; vaccinated players also are exempt from five-day isolation periods. One of the practices Newton will miss will be a joint workout with the Giants.

Until Monday, Jones had lined up with the Pats’ second-team offense, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com notes. This week certainly represents an opportunity for the first-round pick to gain ground. Both Newton and Jones played well in New England’s second preseason game, and OC Josh McDaniels said the 32-year-old incumbent remains the starter. The Pats have not named a Week 1 starter, however. Here is the latest from the AFC East:

  • Rather than give Jamal Adams a top-market contract, the Jets moved on via a blockbuster trade. It turns out, they were involved in a similar negotiation barely a year ago. Adams wanted to be the Jets’ highest-paid player and sought the $17.5MM-per-year figure — which would have surpassed C.J. Mosley‘s $17MM AAV — that he ended up getting from the Seahawks, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com notes. With the Broncos having yet to move Justin Simmons past the $15MM-AAV barrier, Adams’ ask was even farther beyond the safety salary range in 2020. Adams landing his Seattle extension last week, however, stands to benefit Marcus Maye in 2022. The Jets and Maye were not close on terms at July’s franchise tag deadline, pushing Adams’ former sidekick toward free agency next year.
  • Morgan Moses has not locked up the Jets’ right tackle job just yet, with Cimini adding that incumbent George Fant has pushed the longtime Washington starter. Fant has split first-team reps with Moses, with the team listing each as a starter on its depth chart. Fant started 14 Jets games at right tackle last year; Moses started every Washington game for the past six years at the position. Despite Moses’ superior resume, Fant is attached to a $9.1MM-per-year deal while Moses signed a one-year, $3.6MM pact after his Washington release. This is an interesting issue for the Jets to have, given their struggles up front over the past few years.
  • Bills defensive tackle Harrison Phillips seems to have both avoided a serious injury and run into a potentially problematic issue. The fourth-year D-lineman left Buffalo’s second preseason game with an injury NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport classified as not serious (Twitter link). Sean McDermott, however, said the injury is to the same knee that required ACL surgery in 2019. It does not look like Phillips is in danger of missing too much time, per McDermott, but this will be an issue for the Bills to monitor ahead of the rotational lineman’s contract year.
  • The Patriots attempted to interview Packers executive Chad Brinker this offseason, but Albert Breer of SI.com notes Green Bay blocked the move. The Pats wanted to meet with Brinker about a job helping manage their salary cap. Brinker would have rejoined ex-Packers exec Eliot Wolf in New England. Instead, the Packers promoted him.

Jets To Start Morgan Moses At RT, Tyler Kroft Could Start At TE?

On a quiet Tuesday afternoon, we’ve got news on a couple of Jets position battles to pass along. New York just signed tackle Morgan Moses on Friday, and the initial assumption was that he might compete with George Fant to be the Jets’ right tackle opposite Mekhi Becton.

Apparently, it won’t be much of a competition. “Even if the Jets tout this as a competition, Moses is the starting right tackle,” Brian Costello of the New York Post writes. He says the team “might try to sell this as a competition in training camp to soothe Fant’s ego and also avoid the embarrassing questions about paying a backup tackle an $8.5 million salary,” but that Moses will be the starter when it’s all said and done.

Moses got a $3.6MM base with incentives up to $5.3MM on his one-year deal. He was cut by Washington last month after not missing a start in six straight seasons for them. Meanwhile, Costello writes in a separate piece that Tyler Kroft may end up as the team’s starting tight end.

He says Kroft “has been one of the bigger surprises of the spring,” has received plenty of reps with the first-team in practices, and “could beat out Chris Herndon for the job if Herndon does not shake out of the funk he was in last year.”

The Jets didn’t get much from the position last year, (Herndon had 31/287/3 in 16 games), so it’s not shocking they’re considering other options. Kroft didn’t do too much with Buffalo the last couple years, but he had 42/404/7 when he was last a starter with the Bengals in 2017. He signed a one-year deal with the Jets back in March.

Bears Had Talks With OT Morgan Moses

It sounds like the Bears are in the market for a starting left tackle. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo tweets that Chicago “had fruitful talks” with Morgan Moses.

[RELATED: Jets To Sign Morgan Moses]

The Bears intended to play Moses at left tackle. Garafolo notes that Moses is more comfortable playing right tackle, and the veteran will ultimately play that position with the Jets.

It’s not a huge surprise that the Bears are looking for some reinforcement at offensive tackle. The organization moved on from veterans Charles Leno Jr. and Bobby Massie this past offseason, and Moses would have provided some experience to an offensive tackle corps that has appeared in a total of 10 career games. The team drafted Teven Jenkins in the second round of this past year’s draft, but even if the team throws him into the starting lineup, they could still use some extra depth.

If the Bears can’t secure a starting offensive tackle during training camp or preseason, they’ll presumably want to add an experienced backup. Jenkins and Elijah Wilkinson are slotted in at the starting offensive tackle spots at the moment, meaning any of fifth-round rookie Larry Borom, 2020 seventh-round pick Lachavious Simmons, and 2020 undrafted free agent Badara Traore could find themselves playing significant snaps.

Jets To Sign Morgan Moses

The Jets got their man. On Friday, Gang Green agreed to a one-year, $3.6MM deal with offensive tackle Morgan Moses (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Meanwhile, Moses can reach up to $5.3MM via incentives, including 80% or more playing time.

The two sides were said to be discussing a multi-year deal earlier this month. Ideally, Moses would have liked a more substantial payday, but this is a solid outcome for both parties. Already backed by plenty of starting experience, Moses could cash in all over again in the spring if he plays up to par. It’s a solid move by the Jets, too, scoring one of the best free agents left in June.

Moses went six straight seasons without missing a game for the Washington Football Team and earned a lucrative re-up in 2017. However, Washington opted to revamp their tackle group this year by drafting Samuel Cosmi in the second round and signing longtime Bears left tackle Charles Leno.

According to the advanced metrics, 2020 might have been Moses’ best year yet as he placed top-20 for tackles, per Pro Football Focus. Before that, the advanced metrics framed him as a middle-of-the-road blocker from 2017 through 2019. The Jets are expected to slot him in as their starting right tackle, supplanting George Fant and Chuma Edoga as Mekhi Becton‘s bookend.

Jets, Morgan Moses Nearing Deal

The Jets and offensive tackle Morgan Moses are making progress on a multi-year deal, according to a source who spoke with ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler (on Twitter). Other teams have been in the mix, but it sounds like the Jets are the frontrunners for the seven-year vet. 

[RELATED: Jets Rework Crowder’s Contract]

Moses went six straight seasons without missing a game for the Washington Football Team and earned a lucrative re-up in 2017. However, Washington opted to revamp their tackle group this year by drafting Samuel Cosmi in the second round and signing longtime Bears left tackle Charles Leno.

Last year, Pro Football Focus graded Moses as a top-20 tackle. However, the advanced metrics framed him as a middle-of-the-road tackle from 2017 through 2019. For the Jets, he’d be a solid choice for their right tackle job, where George Fant and Chuma Edoga are currently duking it out to start opposite of Mekhi Becton.

Meanwhile, they have the dollars available to add Moses after convincing wide receiver Jamison Crowder to take a pay cut. Originally set to make $10MM this year, it’s believed that Crowder will earn something in the neighborhood of $5MM.

Jets Want Jamison Crowder To Take 50% Pay Cut

We heard earlier this month that the Jets want slot receiver Jamison Crowder — who is entering the final year of his contract — to take a significant pay cut. Today, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports that New York wants to reduce Crowder’s 2021 salary by at least 50%.

The soon-to-be 28-year-old receiver is due to make a non-guaranteed $10MM this year, and the Jets want to pay him a maximum of $5MM instead. And it appears that Gang Green has plenty of leverage. At this point in the year, most teams don’t have a ton of money to spend, so it would be hard to imagine another club paying Crowder more than $5MM for the 2021 campaign. Plus, the Jets could clear over $10MM of cap space with a minimal dead money hit if they were to release Crowder, and New York reportedly feels comfortable with its receiving corps even without him in the picture.

According to Cimini, second-round rookie Elijah Moore — another slot receiver — was one of the best players on the field during OTAs, and fellow slot man Braxton Berrios also looked good. Of course, the Jets made a big-money free agent addition to the WR room in Corey Davis, and they also brought in Keelan Cole, so they’re content to play hardball with Crowder.

On the other hand, the team has plenty of cap space as is and will deploy rookie QB Zach Wilson under center. Even if there is some redundancy in the slot, it would be understandable if the Jets wanted to keep an established veteran like Crowder just in case Moore isn’t quite ready to shoulder the load. But since GM Joe Douglas doled out $80MM in guaranteed money in free agency, the club might prefer to save some cash, especially since it remains interested in free agent OT Morgan Moses (who recently visited with the Jets).

Cimini suggests that Crowder and the club could agree to a restructure, though such a maneuver wouldn’t preclude the Jets from trading Crowder if Moore continues to perform well in training camp and the preseason.

Bears, Jets Meet With Morgan Moses

Morgan Moses is a busy man. On Wednesday, the former Washington tackle will meet with the Bears, as ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. Meanwhile, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link) hears that he also visited the Jets last week. 

There could be even more visits on the docket for Moses, who stands as one of the best offensive lineman left on the market. Washington gave Moses permission to seek trades earlier this month, but there were no takers. Ultimately, they released him to save $7.74MM against the 2021 salary cap.

Moses was re-upped by WFT in 2017 and went six straight seasons without missing a game. He’s durable, but not a world-beater, so Washington revamped their tackle group by drafting Samuel Cosmi in the second round and signing longtime Bears left tackle Charles Leno.

For what it’s worth, Pro Football Focus graded Moses as a top-20 tackle last season. But, previous to that, the advanced metrics framed him as a middle-of-the-road tackle from 2017 through 2019.

The Jets are set at left tackle with second-year pro Mekhi Becton, but their right tackle spot is still up in the air. For now, George Fant and Chuma Edoga stand as their top RT options. Meanwhile, the Bears could slot Moses ahead of Germain Ifedi on the right side with second-round rookie Teven Jenkins on the left.