Detroit Lions should bring C.J. Mosley back

Now that Ndamukong Suh is on the Miami Dolphins and Nick Fairley is a member of the St. Louis Rams beyond stacked defensive line, the Detroit Lions are left with smart offseason acquisition Haloti Ngata and a host of unproven players at the defensive tackle position. Second-year Princeton product Caraun Reid will be worth watching closely next season, and Tyrunn Walker is currently penciled in as the other starting defensive tackle with Ngata.

More from Detroit Lions

But more is needed for the Lions up front, and that “more” could come in the form of a player who was a solid contributor for the team last season. Per a source close to MLive.com’s Kyle Meinke, the Lions have interest in re-signing C.J. Mosley, who, per Pro Football Focus, took 541 snaps with the Lions last season (including postseason numbers) before being allowed to hit the open market.

Meinke reports that Mosley’s camp is also disputing the story that the tampered with a smoke detector in his hotel room in London during the team’s trip to face off against the Atlanta Falcons. Irrelevant of the weed story, the source informs Meinke that Mosley’s possible marijuana usage isn’t the reason why he remains unsigned, as the Lions and the DT simply haven’t been able to agree to a compromise over the course of “intermittent” talks throughout the duration of the offseason.

Perhaps talks are heating up again as we get closer to the start of training camp, and the Lions would be wise to bring back a solid DT who would immediately start next to Ngata if none of the young players at the position, such as Reid, break out. He earned plenty of plaudits and respect for his steady and underrated work behind Suh and Fairley last season, recording 26 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and plugging up running lanes with his 6’2″, 312-pound frame.

Mosley will be 32 when the season opens up and has been in the league since 2005 (spending time with five different teams, including the last two seasons with the Lions), and he’s obviously looking at a one-year deal. However, based on Meinke’s report, Mosley is looking for more than the league minimum, especially since he has “at least” another team looking into him right now.

If the whole smoke detector/weed thing isn’t an issue (which it shouldn’t be), then I don’t understand why the Lions haven’t re-signed Mosley yet. They clearly need him, because they could use a veteran run-stuffer and a sure-fire commodity with so many unknowns at the position set to take on major rotational roles with Ngata as the star.

According to PFF, Mosley was 26th out of 82 qualifying defensive tackles in Run Stop% last season, and while he certainly had plenty of help from his teammates, he did a great job of filling in for Fairley when injured and is clearly a plus run defender. He won’t offer much as a pass rusher, but at least he isn’t a significant liability in that facet of the game.

Dec 14, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions defensive tackle C.J. Mosley (99) raises his fist in celebration after beating the Minnesota Vikings after the game at Ford Field. Lions win 16-14. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

Mosley is good enough to earn more than the league minimum, so it will be interesting to see if the Detroit Lions are able to give him what he wants.

There’s little risk of them actually overpaying for a valuable DT who could feasibly start for them next year (or at least earn major snaps in the rotation), and he’s someone the young players can learn from.

The Lions have received two quality seasons from him already, so we’ll see if they re-sign him and get a third above-average campaign from a player who would inexpensively fill a need on their roster.

It is worth noting that the Detroit Free Press’s Dave Birkett tweeted last month that the London incident “certainly played a part” in the Lions lack of interest in re-signing Mosley. It appears that both sides are indeed talking, and I have a feeling that what transpired in London should be past both parties.

However, the disagreement regarding financial details is a bigger issue, and it’s likely the one thing preventing a deal that would be beneficial from both sides from a football perspective from getting done. Youngsters Reid and Gabe Wright are talented, but it’s best for the Lions to add a veteran so they don’t have to push those guys too hard.

Next: Detroit Lions 5 Key Stats

More from NFL Spin Zone

Home/Detroit Lions