The Ravens have lost a third former Pro Bowl player on their top-ranked defense from a year ago.
According to NFL Network, inside linebacker C.J. Mosley will receive a massive five-year, $85 million deal from the New York Jets that includes $51 million guaranteed. The deal makes the four-time Pro Bowl selection the highest-paid inside linebacker in NFL history and shatters the eyebrow-raising four-year, $54 million contract San Francisco awarded veteran linebacker Kwon Alexander on Monday. The Ravens had deemed keeping Mosley a priority and the 2014 first-round pick had repeatedly expressed his desire to stay despite the sides being slow to engage in extension talks last year, but general manager Eric DeCosta was not willing to go as high as the Jets’ lucrative final offer.
DeCosta will now be tasked with rebuilding a Baltimore defense that has already said goodbye to seven-time Pro Bowl outside linebacker Terrell Suggs and six-time Pro Bowl safety Eric Weddle. Those two were well into their 30s and nearing the end of their respective careers, but the loss of the 26-year-old Mosley represents uncharted territory for the Ravens, who had never lost a multi-time Pro Bowl selection in his mid-20s. Baltimore also lost 2018 sack leader Za’Darius Smith, who agreed to a deal with the Green Bay Packers later on Tuesday.
Despite suffering a knee injury in Week 2 that cost him nearly two full games this past season, Mosley played in 15 games and led the Ravens with 105 tackles. His lone interception of 2018 came in the closing moments of the regular-season finale to seal a 26-24 win over Cleveland and Baltimore’s first AFC North championship since 2012.
Selected with the 17th overall pick of the 2014 draft out of Alabama, Mosley was tabbed as the successor to Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis, who had retired the previous offseason. That responsiblity was one Mosley took seriously, but it led to unfair expectations for some of his critics who were quick to point out his relative deficiencies, particularly in pass coverage. Mosley missed only three games in five seasons and concludes his run with the Ravens fifth on their all-time tackles list behind only Lewis, Suggs, Kelly Gregg, and Ed Reed.
How the Ravens replace Mosley’s presence in the middle of the defense remains to be seen, but weak-side inside linebackers Patrick Onwuasor and Kenny Young are both in line for increased responsibilities. The young duo combined to play fewer snaps (803) than Mosley (875) last year, but the Ravens could also look to add a cheaper veteran or another inside linebacker in April’s draft.
