C.J. Mosley already taking full control of Jets defense

He hasn’t played a regular-season snap for the Gang Green yet, but veteran linebacker C.J. Mosley already has full control of the New York Jets defense.

Despite making four Pro Bowls in five seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, Mosley was allowed to walk in free agency this offseason, and the Jets gladly paid a premium to drop him into the middle of an already promising unit.

A versatile playmaker and by-example leader, Mosley racked up nearly 600 tackles during his tenure in Baltimore, building a reputation as both a physically dominant player and an intelligent strategist.

That combination of brains and brawn is why Jets defensive coordinator Gregg Williams has no problem handing Mosley the keys to the defense in his first season with the team (via team senior reporter Eric Allen):

He told me the first day I’ll be able to control a lot of stuff on the field — not just making the play calls, but the things we can do in certain types of defenses and different stunts we can do and things we can show.

’m the quarterback of the defense and I have to get everybody lined up,” Mosley said. “In this defense, I can make a lot of extra calls, different calls besides what the original call is. With film study and understanding the playbook, I can definitely add on to what I see other than just the call.

The Jets defense already has a young, vocal leader in Pro Bowl safety Jamal Adams, and a stud defensive lineman in Leonard Williams. Throw in No. 3 overall pick Quinnen Williams, and Mosley has plenty of weapons around him to guide.

All the pieces are in place for the Jets to make a huge leap in 2019, and Mosley could be the key to the whole operation.