NY Jets 'have made strides' toward signing OT Morgan Moses

The NY Jets "remain interested" in free agent offensive tackle Morgan Moses after the veteran visited with the team last month. And "interested" might be underselling the situation a little.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported on Tuesday that both the Jets and Chicago Bears "have made strides" toward signing Moses, but no decision has been made just yet.

It seems as though the Jets and Bears might be the two frontrunners for Moses, and that's good news for a Jets team that has significantly more cap space than their counterparts.

The Jets are currently second in the NFL in cap space with over $27 million remaining. The Bears, on the other hand, have a little over $8 million left in cap space.

If the Jets want Moses, they should be able to outbid Chicago.

The NY Jets might be close to a deal for Morgan Moses

It's a little surprising that the Jets are this invested in Moses' market, but by no means is that a bad thing.

General manager Joe Douglas has made attempts to revamp the Jets' offensive line over the last two years with the additions of Mekhi Becton and Alijah Vera-Tucker in the last two drafts being the most notable.

But the remainder of the line remains very much a work in progress. Moses might not be a long-term answer, but it's hard to argue he wouldn't be a short-term upgrade.

The 30-year-old has started 96 consecutive games at right tackle and has been the model of consistency over the last half-decade.

He's coming off one of the better years of his career too as his 79.9 Pro Football Focus grade in 2020 was good for 18th out of all offensive tackles. Only six players received a run-block grade higher than his 84.7 grade.

Moses is an above-average starter even at age 30. As for the Jets' incumbent starting right tackle, George Fant, the team does believe that he will fare better in their new scheme under offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur.

Fant was fine in 2020, but nowhere near the player Moses was. His 61.6 PFF grade was good for 64th best at his position, a far cry from Moses' No. 18 ranking.

If the Jets sign Moses, it's unclear what the future would hold for Fant. It's possible the Jets could cut him, but he's already been guaranteed more than half of his 2021 salary.

The better option would likely be to keep him as an excellent swing tackle, a proposition that seems even more appealing following Mekhi Becton's foot injury.

The Jets continue to be aggressive in their pursuit of Morgan Moses. Now let's see if they could close the deal and make a significant offensive line upgrade in mid-June.