C.J. Mosley opts out: Where do the Jets go from here?
By Dustin Baker
Where do the New York Jets go from here after C.J. Mosley has opted out for 2020?
Four-time Pro Bowl linebacker C.J. Mosley will not be playing for the New York Jets in 2020, citing COVID-19 and family health concerns behind his decision to opt-out. The pejorative facet of this news for the Jets is self-evident: Mosley is a Swiss-army knife force when active — and a disruptive one.
The “good” news for New York is that the scenario is essentially a 2019 redux. The Jets have seen this movie before. Last year, Mosley was injured in the season-opener, tried return in Week 7 against the New England Patriots and later opted for season-ending surgery. All told, Mosley appeared in just two games during his maiden voyage with the Jets.
Without Mosley, the Jets were a middle-of-the-road defensive unit in 2019. The team ranked 16th in points allowed (22 per game), which was an impressive improvement from the 2018 campaign when the squad finished 29th in the NFL via points allowed.
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Notably, New York was outstanding versus the run. They ranked second in the business in rushing yards allowed and were only bested by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. As for the pass, the team was average with the league’s 17th-best secondary in terms of passing yards allowed.
Although Mosley’s abstinence from football in the 2020 NFL season is a detriment to Adam Gase’s team, it does not have to be a doomsday plot. The team was serviceable last season and will now pick up the pieces from the Jamal Adams trade on June 25.
Who will take over for C.J. Mosley on the Jets depth chart?
There is no ironclad solution for replacing Mosley as training camp heats up. The Jets do have quite a bit of depth at the linebacker position but none of the potential replacements flaunt four Pro Bowls to their respective names.
The most likely suitor to the inside linebacker position is Avery Williamson, a 28-year-old alumnus of Kentucky and former Tennesse Titan. Williamson, too, has battled injury; he missed the entire 2019 season with torn ACL that he injured one year ago during the preseason.
Prior to that, though, Williamson was rather formidable. In 2018 with the Jets, he recorded 120 total tackles which were the most on the Jets and 17th-best in the all of the NFL. So, Williamson has got it in him. It’s a matter now of how well he will bounce back from a sometimes career-altering injury.
The other option for New York is Mosley’s former teammate with the Baltimore Ravens, Patrick Onwuasor. He signed on with the Jets via free agency in March. The former Portland State Viking enters his fifth season in NFL this year. He was the type of player that made an impact with the Ravens — while playing about half of all defensive snaps throughout the last three seasons.
Baltimore is a blitz-heavy team and Onwusaor was sent in this capacity 63 times last season. The only concern for this fill-in-for-Mosley situation and Onwuasor is that he is more naturally an outside linebacker than an inside one. And an inside linebacker is what the Jets will need in Mosley’s absence.
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Assuming a clean bill of health, the edge in Mosley’s replacement search probably goes to Avery Williamson. Training camp, however, will offer more clarity on the matter. The Jets kick off the 2020 season on Sept. 13 at the Buffalo Bills.