https://sports.yahoo.com/stay-jets-sign-morgan-moses-143028866.html
The offensive line might not be the flashiest position group in football, but it’s among the most important. Even the most high-powered of offenses can be derailed by poor offensive line play. So getting the line right, particularly the all-important tackle positions, is paramount.
The Jets’ offensive line appears fairly set in stone. Tyron Smith likely won’t return, meaning the torch has been passed to last year’s first-round pick Olu Fashanu as the starting left tackle. From there, John Simpson, Joe Tippmann, and Alijah Vera-Tucker fill the starting spots from left guard to right guard, leaving right tackle as the only potential question mark.
Morgan Moses locked down the right tackle spot for the Jets in 2024, as Gang Green traded to re-acquire the veteran for a second stint after he played for the club in 2021. But now the soon-to-be 34-year-old is a free agent, leaving the Jets with a question to answer at right tackle.
Should Moses, who could also be considering retirement, be back with the Jets in 2025?
Let’s dig in…
Why Moses should be back
Finding dependable offensive linemen is no easy task. And while offensive linemen will never contribute much in the stat category, perhaps the number one attribute for any O-lineman is availability, and Moses is as durable as they get.
In 11 seasons as a pro, Moses has played in 166 of a possible 180 games, and eight of those missed games came during his rookie season in Washington when a Lisfranc injury kept him off the field. Since then, Moses has been a model of consistency, playing every possible game from 2015 to 2022. That’s unheard of for an offensive linemen. So many things can happen in the trenches, yet Moses has managed to stay healthy.
The last two seasons, though, Moses has missed a total of six games, and that number would be much higher if he didn’t play through a handful of ailments. This past season, Moses suffered an MCL sprain and bone bruise in his knee, along with meniscus damage and a small fracture. He missed just two games. When he came back, there were other games in which the veteran would miss a few plays here and there, but Moses, considered one of the tougher players in the Jets’ locker room, found a way to play through the pain.
Moses has never been a Pro Bowler, but he’s been as dependable as they get at the tackle spot, and if Fashanu does indeed take over at left tackle, having someone like Moses mentor the youngster in his first season as a starter could go a long way. Moses is also a better option for the Jets at right tackle than Max Mitchell and Carter Warren, who have been given opportunities but haven’t proven themselves as capable starters.
Why Moses should not be back
If Moses plays in 2025, he’ll be 34 years old, and his production in 2024 could be an indication that his play is declining, as the veteran had the lowest run-blocking grade of his career, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.
Plus, this offseason’s crop of draft players and free agents is very strong along the offensive line. This may not be a great draft for quarterbacks, but there are some really good linemen available, such as Texas’ Kelvin Banks Jr., LSU’s Will Campbell, and Ohio State’s Josh Simmons, just to name a few.
The Jets could get younger – and cheaper (Moses made $5.5 million last season) – along the offensive line by going with a rookie at right tackle. It’s a risk for sure, but it would be in line with the rest of the youth movement the Jets have gone with up front.
Verdict
There’s a chance that Moses decides to call it a career, but if he wants to play in 2025, he gives the Jets an interesting decision to make. They could bring him back on another one-year deal, likely for around the same as the $5.5 million he made in 2024, which would provide some needed veteran leadership along the offensive line.
On the flip side of that coin, the Jets could go young at right tackle, either taking a player in the first few rounds of the draft or signing a free agent.
The prediction here is that the Jets, who will have a new offensive system to implement in 2025, will want to have a leader in the room, and if Moses agrees to stay on a modest one-year deal, he should be back.
https://sports.yahoo.com/stay-jets-sign-morgan-moses-143028866.html
