Report: Jets LB C.J. Mosley expects to be ready for training camp

C.J. Mosley’s groin still isn’t fully healed, but the Jets inside linebacker feels good about where he is with his recovery.

Jets linebacker C.J. Mosley is still recovering from season-ending groin surgery, but things are going well.

Mosley is on pace to return for training camp, despite not being fully healed just yet, according to ESPN’s Rich Cimini.

“I wouldn’t say it’s 100 percent,” Mosley said, regarding his groin. “I haven’t made those (cutting) movements, but I feel good. Mentally and physically, I feel great. It’s just a matter of getting on the field and doing it.”

Mosley suffered a groin injury in the Jets’ 2019 season opener and returned in Week 7 before his injury was fully healed. A nightmare season ended prematurely when he finally opted to get the surgery in December.

The Jets never put an exact timetable on Mosley’s return, but he was shooting for spring OTAs. In January, six weeks removed from surgery, Mosley told SNY’s Jeane Coakley that he expected to be an active participant during spring workouts. With those workouts being shifted to the virtual world due to the coronavirus pandemic, Mosley has an opportunity to fully heal before he steps back on the field.

Mosley played just two games in his first season in green and white after signing an $85 million contract over five years, which includes $51 million in guaranteed money. It’s fair to say that New York will be extra careful with Mosley’s recovery this time around, making sure his groin is completely healthy before he returns to patrolling the middle of the field.

Former Ravens scout Daniel Jeremiah’s mock draft gives Ravens a top-15 player

The Baltimore Ravens find their replacement for C.J. Mosley a year after his departure, getting LSU LB Patrick Queen in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Daniel Jeremiah is one of the NFL Network’s draft analysts but his qualifications come a little stronger than that. As a former scout for the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles, Jeremiah has been in the thick of the actual draft world like few other analysts. When Jeremiah makes a mock draft, his thoughts about who the Ravens will pick should garner a certain amount of respect.

With his fourth and final mock ahead of the 2020 NFL Draft, Jeremiah has Baltimore picking LSU linebacker Patrick Queen, who he calls a “steal” as a top-15 rated player.

It’s hard to argue with that logic. The Ravens have a desperate need for a starting inside linebacker right now. Though Baltimore has L.J. Fort and recently signed Jake Ryan, neither is an obvious starter and there’s no one remotely proven behind either of them. Queen has been widely considered the second-best linebacker in this draft, capable of coming up in run support or dropping back into coverage. He’d fit in nicely with what the Ravens do and be a Week 1 starter on Baltimore’s defense.

The Ravens have been trying to find a suitable replacement for C.J. Mosley after his departure in free agency last offseason. Mosley ended up being too costly for Baltimore, signing a massive contract with the New York Jets. While the Ravens looked to their own roster for a starter, linebacker Patrick Onwuasor struggled in the role and was eventually replaced by midseason free-agent signing Josh Bynes.

Inside linebacker is really the last major piece of the puzzle for the Ravens on defense. They have Pro Bowl starters at cornerback, safety, outside linebacker and on the defensive line. By adding in a clear cut No. 1 inside linebacker, Baltimore would be fielding one of the most fearsome defenses in the league this upcoming season. When combined with 2019 NFL MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson and the Ravens’ highest-scoring offense, that could be enough to make a real run at Super Bowl LV.

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Joe Douglas and the Jets can’t afford to mess up the 2020 draft

Jets Wire breaks down why Joe Douglas and company cannot afford to mess up this year’s draft.

To say the Jets have a lot riding on the 2020 NFL Draft would be an understatement.

Joe Douglas did a nice job filling holes and addressing needs in free agency, but there is still plenty of work to be done in order for the Jets to rise to contender status as soon as next season. Numerous positions still have gaping holes, while others are in need of depth.

Fortunately for Douglas and the Jets, this year’s draft class is loaded. It’s not a class that is top-heavy, either. From the first round to the seventh round, there will be talent available for the taking. That should be music to New York’s ears considering the need for an influx of youth.

All the Jets have to do is avoid messing up and picking the wrong players — something they cannot afford to do. That easier said than done, of course, and is rarely accomplished when it comes to Gang Green and the draft.

In 1983, the Jets selected Ken O’Brien over Dan Marino. In 1987, they decided it was a good idea to select a fullback in the first round. Three years later, they spent the second overall pick on Blair Thomas, who rushed for only 2,000 yards and five touchdowns in four seasons with the team. In 1995, New York selected tight end Kyle Brady over future Hall of Fame defensive lineman Warren Sapp.

The list of Jets’ draft blunders goes on and on. In fact, there is an entire YouTube video dedicated to the subject. The NFL draft has forever been an imperfect science, but to the Jets, it has been more like rocket science.

One of the main reasons Mike Maccagnan is no longer New York’s general manager is because of his inability to find quality players in the draft. He did well to land Jamal Adams and Sam Darnold, but those two basically fell into his lap. Maccagnan struggled mightily in the middle rounds, with almost all of his selections on days two and three no longer with the Jets.

In his first draft calling the shots as a general manager, Douglas is not only tasked with landing talent to build a winning roster, but also with dispelling the notion that the Jets cannot hire a general manager who understands what the NFL draft is all about. It will take a couple of years to determine the true success of Douglas’ first draft class with the Jets, but if he makes head-scratching decisions right off the bat, people will expect the worst.

The Jets are closer to winning than they might seem. With players like Adams, Darnold, Le’Veon Bell and C.J. Mosley in the mix, New York has its fair share of talented pieces in place. The negatives of the roster simply outweigh the positives at this point in time.

That can all change beginning on Thursday night. As long as Douglas doesn’t mess things up like those before him, the Jets will be heading in the right direction.

4 things to know about new Jets LB Patrick Onwuasor

Here are four things to know about new Jets LB Patrick Onwuasor, who spent his previous for seasons with the Baltimore Ravens.

With Joe Douglas’ latest move in free agency, he reunited a pair of Ravens linebackers.

Douglas signed Patrick Onwuasor to a one-year deal on Wednesday, ensuring that the Portland State product will get to play alongside C.J. Mosley again. The two enjoyed success playing next to each other during the 2018 season. That could happen once again in New York, though it’s unclear what Onwuasor’s role will be.

Adding Onwuasor to the mix means the Jets have six inside linebackers on their depth chart. While someone may have to go, Onwuasor’s versatility allows them to get creative.

With that, let’s get to now the Jets’ newest addition to their defense. Here are four things to know about Onwuasor.

Versatile chess piece

While the Jets now have six inside linebackers on the active roster, Patrick Onwuasor adds a bit of versatility that his position-mates do not.

For the majority of Onwuasor’s career in Baltimore, he played as the weakside linebacker next to C.J. Mosley. Once Mosley signed a lucrative contract with the Jets last offseason, Onwuasor was supposed to be his strongside heir. Instead, he struggled in place of Mosley and was moved back to the weakside.

Over the last three seasons, Onwuasor has recorded 9.5 sacks in addition to creating five turnovers. Not only can Onwuasor rush the passer from the middle of the defense, but he also excels in coverage.

Onwuasor is a versatile chess piece that Gregg Williams could use a number of ways, but his arrival could also allow New York to move some money around. Onwuasor could replace Avery Williamson, who can still end up a cap casualty. Cutting him saves Joe Douglas roughly $6.5 million in cap space.

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Patrick Onwuasor signs with Jets, reunites with C.J. Mosley

Joe Douglas is reuniting a pair of ex-Ravens inside linebackers with his latest move in free agency.

The Jets agreed to a one-year deal with Patrick Onwuasor on Wednesday, according to multiple reports. Onwuasor spent the first four years of his career in Baltimore, where he started up the middle alongside C.J. Mosley. Mosley signed with the Jets last offseason but appeared in just two games during an injury-plagued 2019 campaign.

Onwuasor, 27, went undrafted out of Portland State in 2016, but he spent most of his time on special teams as a rookie. He started 25 games between 2017 and 2018, though, and recorded 9.5 sacks, 152 tackles, 17 for a loss, 19 QB hits and four forced fumbles over the last three years.

After starting just six games last season, it’s unclear what Onwuasor’s role will be in New York. Avery Williamson is penciled in as a starter next to Mosley, but there’s still a chance he becomes a cap cut. The Jets also re-signed Neville Hewitt and James Burgess.

Jets re-signing LB Neville Hewitt to 1-year deal

The Jets have re-signed inside linebacker Neville Hewitt to a one-year deal worth $2 million.

After finally getting the chance to be a full-time starter, Neville Hewitt has earned his way back onto the Jets.

According to multiple reports, the Jets and Hewitt have agreed to terms on a new contract. It’s a one-year deal worth $2 million, according to ESPN’s Rich Cimini.

Hewitt stepped in for the injured Avery Williamson last season at inside linebacker. Then, after C.J. Mosley went down with a groin injury, Hewitt became the mic of the defense and played well.

In 12 games, Hewitt had 44 total tackles, three sacks, five pass defenses and two interceptions.

It took a few years for Hewitt to come into his own. Originally undrafted out of Marshall, Hewitt joined the Dolphins in 2015. He was primarily a backup in Miami, but did make seven starts in three years.

After not being re-signed by the Dolphins in 2018, Hewitt signed with the Jets. Hewitt didn’t see much playing time in the beginning of the 2018 season, but finished strong with 26 total tackles and 1.5 sacks.

Hewitt is a good depth piece for the Jets. New York still hasn’t made a decision on Williamson’s future, so Hewitt could be a backup once again. However, if the Jets decide to move on from Williamson, Hewitt has enough starting experience that it wouldn’t be a big drop off.

Ravens earn 2 compensatory picks in 2020 NFL Draft

The Baltimore Ravens lost a wealth of talent last offseason and only get a third- and fourth-round compensatory picks in the 2020 NFL Draft

We now have the full 2020 NFL Draft order after the league announced the list of compensatory picks handed out. The Baltimore Ravens continued their tradition of gaming the system to get extra draft picks, earning third- and fourth-round selections in this year’s draft.

Per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Ravens will gain the No. 106 (No. 42 in the third round) and the No. 143 (No. 37 in the fourth round) overall picks in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Though the Ravens earned two additional selections in the 2020 NFL Draft, it’s hard to see Baltimore as winners here.

The Ravens lost a lot of upper-end talent last offseason, seeing C.J. Mosley, Za’Darius Smith, Terrell Suggs and John Brown all leave in free agency. Both Mosley and Smith signed massive deals Baltimore simply couldn’t come close to matching, leaving huge holes on their defense that had to ultimately be filled with mid-season free-agent additions. Even though the Ravens finished with a 14-2 record, the lack of consistency at inside linebacker and any pass rush plagued the defense all season long.

Signing safety Earl Thomas and running back Mark Ingram canceled out two of their four losses on the compensatory pick formula. But there was hope Baltimore would still be in the running for at least one third-round selection to recoup from the massive losses of Smith and Mosley. However, Mosley missed all but two games last season with a groin injury, sending him to injured reserve in December.

It will be interesting to see if Baltimore changes its philosophy on compensatory picks after such a rough offseason. General manager Eric DeCosta has a tough decision with outside linebacker Matthew Judon, much like he had last offseason. After getting burned on comp picks, it could push DeCosta and the Ravens to trade Judon for a guaranteed pick if they feel they won’t be able to re-sign him instead of trying to match his value on the free-agent market. Of course, the franchise tag is also in play this offseason for Judon, which might give Baltimore enough leverage to re-sign him instead of letting it play out on the open market or through a trade.

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Jets have no compensatory picks for 2020 NFL Draft

The Jets will be without any compensatory picks for the 2020 NFL Draft.

The NFL is about set to hand out compensatory picks for the 2020 NFL Draft, but the Jets will not be receiving any this year.

Compensatory picks are based on free agent additions and subtractions. The Jets have a few players that they signed during free agency last offseason who created compensatory picks for their previous team.

Those players include Le’Veon Bell, C.J. Mosley and Jamison Crowder. In Bell’s case, the Steelers will receive a third-round pick. The Ravens will get a fourth-round pick for Mosley, as will the Redskins for Crowder.

General manager Joe Douglas is big on compensatory picks. His former team, the Ravens, have had the most compensatory picks in the league since 1994 with 50. Meanwhile, the Jets are 30th in the league in compensatory picks with 14 since 1994.

However, Douglas has said that he’s not going to worry about obtaining compensatory picks. That could mean that he’s going to spend a lot of money in free agency not only on his own guys, but other free agents as well.

The Jets should have about $80 million in cap space this offseason once they cut a handful of players from the roster. It’ll be interesting who Douglas targets given the holes on the offensive line in addition to cornerback and edge rusher.

For at least this year though, Douglas will not be able to fix the Jets’ problems with any compensatory picks.

Todd McShay mock draft 3.0: Post-combine mock has Ravens still taking ILB

After the 2020 NFL Combine, ESPN’s Todd McShay has the Baltimore Ravens taking LSU linebacker Patrick Queen to replace C.J. Mosley.

The 2020 NFL Combine has finished, which means a new wave of mock drafts are incoming. ESPN’s Todd McShay has one of those — his third of this offseason. In his last mock draft, McShay handed the Baltimore Ravens an inside linebacker to replace C.J. Mosley, who left in free agency last offseason. This time around, McShay is still mocking Baltimore an inside linebacker but a different name.

In his third mock draft, McShay has the Ravens taking LSU linebacker Patrick Queen at No. 28.

Either Queen or Oklahoma’s Kenneth Murray make sense for the Ravens here, but I give the slight edge to Queen at the moment. He has 4.50 speed and posted 85 tackles, including 12.5 for loss, last season with the national champion Tigers. A playmaking linebacker in the middle of the defense could take the unit to a whole other level in 2020 — Baltimore never really replaced C.J. Mosley in that role. Josh Bynes and Patrick Onwuasor are both free agents, so landing Queen at No. 28 would be a perfect marriage of talent, value and need for a Baltimore team that will again be contending for the Super Bowl.

Inside linebacker is one of Baltimore’s biggest glaring needs. There was hope Patrick Onwuasor was going to be able to step up into the role but it only took a few weeks before he lost his communication helmet and his starting job to midseason free-agent acquisitions.

The Ravens also need to find help at pass rusher, even if they’re able to retain outside linebacker Matthew Judon. However, names we’ve seen mocked to Baltimore in the past were already gone. Penn State’s Yetur Gross-Matos, Iowa’s A.J. Epenesa and LSU’s K’Lavon Chaisson had already been selected, leaving Alabama’s Terrell Lewis, Boise State’s Curtis Weaver and Notre Dame’s Julian Okwara as potential second-round options.

Wide receiver is another position many fans are excited about. But in McShay’s mock draft, six wide receivers were taken before Baltimore got on the clock, including some pretty big reaches. It would make more sense in that case for the Ravens to sit tight and grab someone in the second or third round rather than waste a first-round pick by taking a second-round player.

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6 takeaways from Adam Gase, Joe Douglas combine pressers

Here are six takeaways from Adam Gase and Joe Douglas’s press conference at the NFL Combine.

Jets general manager Joe Douglas and head coach Adam Gase spoke at the NFL Combine on Tuesday, and the duo covered plenty of ground.

The topics of note included Le’Veon Bell’s status with the team, Jamal Adams’ potential contract extension and Robby Anderson’s impending free agency. Additionally, both men were asked about the state of the offensive line, injuries and the continuity of the Jets offense.

Let’s see what Douglas and Gase had to say about these topics in their NFL Combine pressers.

Le’Veon Bell

Le’Veon Bell is more than likely going to be a Jet in 2020.

Douglas said he is not going to initiate any trade talks for Bell and is planning on him being with the team next season. Douglas didn’t think his play declined despite subpar numbers in 2019, but rather blamed the offensive line for not creating enough open holes for Bell in the running game.

As for how soon we’ll see Bell back in action, Gase is not sure if he will attend the voluntary program in the spring. He worked out on his own last season — something he also did in Pittsburgh — but Gase doesn’t see it as a “huge deal.”

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