Jets’ decision to sign Morgan Moses looks even wiser with Mekhi Becton hurt
Joe Douglas spent the offseason scouring the free agent market looking for ways to improve the Jets’ offensive line. He missed out on Joe Thuney in free agency, but he received a nice consolation prize just before the beginning of training camp in July.
Morgan Moses was waived by Washington in May after it failed to find a trade partner for the veteran offensive tackle. Moses was a mainstay on Washington’s offensive line from 2014-2021, but parting ways with the veteran to freed over $7 million in salary cap space.
Moses languished on the free agent market for a while before Douglas and Jets came calling with a one-year, $3.6 million deal. Starting caliber offensive linemen are seldom available for the taking as late in the offseason as Moses was, making him a gift from the football gods for a team in desperate need of quality depth.
That gift became all the more valuable when Mekhi Becton sustained a dislocated kneecap in New York’s season opener against the Panthers. Instead of turning to an inexperienced backup, the Jets plugged in a veteran who has been there and done that throughout his career.
It’s nearly impossible to replace a player like Becton. Offensive tackles of his size and athleticism don’t exactly grow on trees and the Jets were counting on him to keep Zach Wilson clean early in his rookie year. That won’t happen for at least the next month, but softening the blow of losing Becton is Morgan, the elder statesman of New York’s offensive line room.
Wilson’s protection in Week 1 was underwhelming, to say the least. It likely would have gotten even worse without Becton if Moses was not in the building. If the Jets never picked Moses up, they would have been left with Grant Hermanns, Elijah Nkansah, Ross Pierschbacher and Isaiah Williams — all former undrafted free agents — to plug into the starting lineup.
None of those options inspire any sort of confidence.
Robert Saleh won’t have to worry about much with Moses in the starting lineup. Yes, New York has a lot to clean up in the trenches after a disastrous performance to begin the season, but Moses profiles as part of the solution moving forward.
Washington’s trash is now arguably the Jets’ most valuable treasure. Moses might not be the high-caliber offensive tackle he was back in his prime, but having him as one of Wilson’s blockers sure beats trotting out a player who isn’t a starter at the highest level.
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4 things to know about new Jets OT Morgan Moses
