NY Jets should not trade C.J. Mosley this offseason

Instead of adding in free agency, the NY Jets could be losing one of their best defensive players, as the team has reportedly been fielding trade calls on C.J. Mosley.

It makes sense why opposing teams would call to discuss trade proposals for Mosley, but Jets general manager Joe Douglas should hang up and laugh after every call.

The Jets made a huge splash during free agency in 2019 when they inked Mosley to a five-year, $85 million deal. Since that signing, the 27-year-old has unfortunately only appeared in two games.

During the 2019 season, Mosley made an immediate impact, before suffering a season-long injury and then missed the 2020 campaign after opting-out. Although he’s only appeared in two games in two years, his first career game was one to remember.

Mosley scored a defensive touchdown and looked like a young Ray Lewis.

Speaking of the former Baltimore Ravens great, Lewis had high-praise for Mosley, as told by ESPN’s Jamison Hensley in August of 2018.

“I would love for you to show me a better middle linebacker in the game than C.J. Mosley,….That’s from a pure football instinct level of being a general and always ending up in the right place. Can he get better? Absolutely. Overall, that is what a linebacker looks like, plays like and thinks like. C.J. Mosley, that’s a football player.

Every time I watch him, I’m like, ‘Wow.’ I get super excited when I see him playing football because he’s playing it from a linebacker perspective. He isn’t just trying to tackle you. He’s trying to make you feel him. I think a lot of linebackers now are OK with making tackles. No, the game is about punishment. You want to run the ball against me? That’s a problem.”

If one of the greatest linebackers in NFL history is showing that much love to Mosley, the team should probably think about keeping him.

NY Jets should not trade C.J. Mosley

Mosley is an attractive player for trade suitors because he would only have a $6 million cap hit in 2021 if he were to be traded.

From a Jets perspective, it’s understandable why they would entertain a trade, because the team would free up $1.5 million this season while taking on an additional $6 million in dead cap, in addition to the $51 million he’s owed for the next three years.

Although the team would save a few bucks, they’re not strapped for cash this offseason. They have a ton of cap space and could still spend some serious money in free agency.

The Jets may have bolstered their linebacker position by signing Jarrad Davis to a one-year $7 million contract, but it doesn’t mean they can trade Mosley now.

The team is converting to a 4-3 defense next year, so they’ll need multiple linebackers and Mosley is still one of the best in the NFL. Or at least, he was when he last played.

Mosley’s a four-time Pro Bowler and although he’s yet to show Jets fans what he’s capable of in a full year, it doesn’t mean the team should move on from him.

Mosley is going to be a key part of a hopefully well-improved defense and new head coach Robert Saleh should be screaming at Douglas to keep him.

Saleh loves his middle linebackers as they play a huge role in his defensive structure, so losing Mosley would be a gut-punch to him and the rest of the defense. Mosley has the ability to return to his Pro Bowl form and he should do so as a member of the Jets.

Not somewhere else.