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Jets linebacker C.J. Mosley compared the team to a mattress.
“Now that we’ve got a new little mix-up, got some new people around and some new faces, we’re all eager and we’re all ready,” Mosley told the Jets in-house website. “We know the whole NFL is sleeping on the Jets, so we’re ready to prove them wrong.”
The whole NFL is “sleeping on the Jets.” So they’re like a mattress. Get it.
As you all know, I’m not into preseason predictions from players or the media.
We talked the other day about Avery Williamson’s feeling that the Jets can have a “top five defense.”
As Gregg Williams said, “One of the things about measurables as I talk to the young men daily about this; when you put a quantifiable score on something like ‘I want to be the best in the world that’s ever played this game’ – why can’t you just be the best you can be today. Why can’t we just be the best we can be today. Why can’t we just be the best that day we are playing and after the year we will get all the measurables later? It’s about improvement.”
The Jets have a lot of work to do. Defensively, they need much better cornerback play. They also need to establish an edge-rush. Offensively, their promising young QB has to learn a new offense and avoid a sophomore slump. So often young quarterbacks, who start as rookies, struggle in their second year because opposing defensive coordinators have tape of them to break down in the off-season to pick up on tendencies and weaknesses. Maybe Darnold can avoid this, especially since the Jets totally changed their offense, so they are going to be running some different plays.
“I think we’re eager,” Mosley said. “Definitely young, and we know that. But as a group and collectively, we already know the people that have been here, the coaches that have been here and all they’ve heard since they’ve been here is we’ll lose.”
I’m not sure who the people are who are saying the Jets will “lose.” I personally have no idea how they’re going to do. They should be better this year than last due to improved talent, better game plans and what looks like an easier schedule.
Mosley said helping turn the Jets into winners is one of the reasons he signed with them.
“That’s another reason I came here, I’m always about great tradition and what better city and what better state to come in and turn a great organization around and be champions,” Mosley said.
That isn’t why Mosley signed with the Jets. He signed with the Jets because they made him rich beyond his wildest dreams.
The Baltimore Ravens wanted him back, and he liked playing there, but the Jets offer was so much better, he couldn’t leave that kind of money on the table.
The Jets gave Mosley $17 million-a-year with $51 million guaranteed.
The Ravens were looking more in the $13-14 million range.
And that is what Adam Gase wanted to pay according to an announcement by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
“I was told Gase didn’t want to pay more than about $13 million (for Mosley),” Rapoport said. “So the disagreements on the price were something that were clearly issues.”
Mosley was a terrific signing by the Jets. He’s a four-time Pro Bowler and will improve their defense, especially their leaky run defense up the middle which was a problem last year.
And hey, I know the team’s website needs content, but it might be time to chill with the proclamations from players about how good they can be.
They have a lot of work to do.
July 2, 2019
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