Tag: CJ Mosley

WATCH: CJ Mosley destroys Melvin Gordon to save a TD

Former Tide LB CJ Mosley absolutely destroys Broncos RB Melvin Gordon to deny a TD at the goal line!

Former Crimson Tide linebacker CJ Mosley of the New York Jets delivered a boom heard throughout the stadium Sunday against Melvin Gordon of the Denver Broncos.

Known for his punishing hits in his time at the Capstone, it’s obvious that he hasn’t lost his hard punch after seven years in the NFL.

On the Broncos offensive drive down the field, they marched their way down near the goal line. The handoff on the aforementioned play went to Gordon, who looked for a hole in the defense to punch it into the end zone.

Mosley came in to deny the touchdown, delivering a punishing blow that reverberated through the stands.

Stay tuned to Roll Tide Wire for continued coverage of Alabama alumni in the NFL.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Layne Gerbig on Twitter @LayneG_29

Alabama football countdown: 32 days until kickoff

We are 32 days from Alabama football kicking off its season on the road against the Missouri Tigers to start a 10-game, SEC only schedule.

There has been a lot of uncertainty surrounding college football over the last couple of weeks, but as of right now, the season still looks like it’s a go for the SEC, ACC and Big 12.

So, what does that mean? It means that we can continue the Countdown to Kickoff en route to the Crimson Tide — and the rest of the SEC — getting things underway on Sept. 26.

With it now being Aug. 25, we are officially 32 days away from the start!

Standout inside linebacker Dylan Moses currently wears the No. 32 for Alabama. After returning from a torn ACL that ended his third season in Tuscaloosa could get started, the 6-foot-3, 240-pound defender is ready to take his rightful place amongst college football’s top off-ball linebackers in 2020.

Moses isn’t the only former Crimson Tide standout linebacker to wear the number, however. During the Nick Saban era, other players such as C.J. Mosley and Rashaan Evans have also donned the No. 32 uniform, and both players ended up being first-round draft picks.

Expect Moses to follow suite, as long as he can stay healthy this season!

Dylan Moses
January 7, 2019; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Clemson Tigers wide receiver Justyn Ross (8) runs against Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Dylan Moses (32) during the third quarter of the 2019 College Football Playoff Championship game at Levi’s Stadium. Clemson defeated Alabama 44-16. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

2020 Alabama football schedule

  • Sept. 26 at Missouri (Columbia, Mizz.)
  • Oct. 3 vs. Texas A&M (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
  • Oct. 10 at Ole Miss (Oxford, Miss.)
  • Oct. 17 vs. Georgia (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
  • Oct. 24 at Tennessee (Knoxville, Tenn.)
  • Oct. 31 vs. Miss State (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
  • Nov. 14 at LSU (Baton Rouge, La.)
  • No. 21 vs. Kentucky (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
  • Nov. 28 vs. Auburn (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
  • Dec. 5 at Arkansas (Fayetteville, Ark.)

Stay tuned for more updates from Roll Tide Wire, part of the USA TODAY Sports College Wire network!

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Best of AFC East: Do the Bills lead the way at linebacker?

2020 Best of AFC East: Bills lead the way at linebacker

Linebackers have taken on a much greater role over the past decade with the multitude of sets and hybrid schemes that defensive coordinators expect of this group. They have to stuff the run, get after the quarterback, and drop into coverage.

The Bills are a perfect example of this. Sean McDermott’s defensive scheme calls for mainly two linebackers. Others in the AFC East could have groupings of three or four.

Nevertheless, this analysis will explore the divisional units as a whole. Here’s Bills Wire’s rankings of the linebacker groups across the AFC East:

Bills outside linebacker Matt Milano. (AP Photo/Ron Schwane)

1. Buffalo Bills

There’s a growing theme of the Bills having the best defensive roster in the division. Tremaine Edmunds is growing into a larger force, and it’s only in time that the NFL will give him more praise. He was selected to his first Pro Bowl last year, and more accolades are bound to fall on his shoulders. Edmunds recorded 115 tackles, 1.5 sacks, an interception, safety, and nine passes defensed in 2019. He’s following the Luke Kuechly path of linebacker development in McDermott’s defense.

Matt Milano has been the biggest steal in the 2017 draft. He is strong in coverage and it’s rare to find mistakes on his part. He had a career-high 101 total tackles last year. His ability to do everything well at his position will force the Bills’ hand to get a contract extension moving sooner than later. Like others on Buffalo’s defense, he’s been overlooked for national recognition which will hopefully soon follow.

But the Bills did have one void to fill this offseason behind Edmunds and Milano. While Lorenzo Alexander did not play every defense snap week in and week out like Edmunds and Milano, he did play many different roles that the Bills will use a committee to replace.

Buffalo brought in AJ Klein to fill the void left behind the retirement of Alexander. The Bills could also feature Vosean Joseph and even Corey Thompson in replacing Alexander’s skill set.

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What Jets players go through each day to pass coronavirus protocols

The Jets have a very strict COVID-19 protocol for their players entering team facilities.

Greg Van Roten said it best when he described the Jets’ coronavirus protocols for players trying to get into team facilities for practice.

“It’s a little different from years past when you roll out of bed and walk into the facility,” he said. 

Instead of just simply strolling through the doors of One Jets Drive, players now have to go through a multi-step process to ensure they undergo daily testing for COVID-19 and aren’t exhibiting symptoms of the virus.

The step-by-step process begins with a morning text and ends with a temperature check at the team facility. Here’s how it goes, according to ESPN and the New York Daily News:

  1. Players receive a text message from the team the morning before practice with simple health questions, including if they’ve been in contact with someone who may have COVID-19. 
  2. After they complete the questionnaire, they’ll receive a confirmation code, which they must present to a team official at the facility.
  3. Fill out more paperwork before having their nose swabbed by a technician to test for COVID-19.
  4. Get a temperature check.
  5. Receive a GPS wristband for contact-tracing.
  6. Receive a GPS vest to monitor social distance.

Yeah, that’s a lot different than Van Roten – and the rest of the Jets – are used to when attending training camp. Players are also required to wear masks at all times. More than 60 players chose to opt-out of the 2020 season completely. Three Jets, led most notably by linebacker C.J. Mosley, are among those players who won’t play this season because of concerns over the pandemic. 

The protocols above are how players the Jets are trying to keep players safe at practice, but it’s impossible to completely keep track of players after practice and keep them from exposing themselves. 

Van Roten is confident players will play it safe when it comes to the virus, mostly because they know that availability is key when you want to get paid.

“I believe in the guys to do the things that we need to do so that we can play a full season and earn our full salaries,” he said. “Because you play the game because you love it and because it pays well.”

Linebacker Avery Williamson isn’t so sure, though.

“There’s a lot of guys in this league. A lot of guys do a lot of stupid stuff,” he said Wednesday. “I feel like it’s definitely tough for guys to do the right thing the whole year. That’s just my opinion.”

Sam Darnold made it a point to explain his reasoning for staying away from friends and changing his social life to ensure his football future.

“Coaches can tell us all day not to go out, but at the end of the day, it really comes from the players and the leaders in the locker room,” he said. “It’s just going to be on us to have the patience.

“If some friends are in the city, and I want to go out to the city — I’m just going to have to say no. It’s just going to be the way of the world. There’s new norms now.”

It’s a big change for everyone – not just in sports. But if the NFL wants to make sure its season rolls on without fail, the coaches and players need to do their part to keep everyone safe from exposure. That means strict protocols in-house and even stricter resolve off the field.

“You go about your life in a completely different way right now,” Darnold said. “I guess we’re all just going to have to get used to it.”

Jets LB Blake Cashman in prime position to pick up where he left off

C.J. Mosley won’t play in 2020, which means Blake Cashman could re-assert himself as a starter on the Jets.

Blake Cashman looked buried on the depth chart when the Jets arrived for training camp with eight linebackers on the roster. With starters C.J. Mosley and Avery Williamson back from injury, the free agent signing of Patrick Onwuasor and the retention of Neville Hewitt and James Burgess, Cashman didn’t have a clear path to playing time despite a promising rookie campaign in 2019.

But now that Mosley won’t play in 2020 after opting out, Cashman suddenly has another opportunity to remind his coaches why they promoted him to a starting job in Week 2 last year.

Cashman earned a big role in the Jets defense last season after the team promoted him to starting inside linebacker following injuries the injuries to Williamson and Mosley. He started five of the next six games, averaged 67 snaps and tallied 38 combined tackles, three quarterback hits and half a sack. 

But, like most players on the Jets in 2019, a devastating injury befell the young Cashman and he missed the final nine games of the season with a shoulder tear.

The injury soiled a promising rookie. Now Cashman has to prove himself all over again in his second season – both in his recovery and his ability.

“I understand as a young player, going from Year One to Year Two, you’re expected to make a big leap,” Cashman told the team website in February, “so I definitely want to put myself in the best position possible to do that.”

Nothing is guaranteed for Cashman because he’ll be competing against players with more, starting experience.

Onwuasor has the inside track to take Mosley’s job, mostly because he’s done it before in Baltimore when Mosley signed with the Jets in 2019. Hewitt, too, should be a contender for the second inside linebacker spot after he started 12 games in 2019. Burgess took over for Cashman in Week 7 and started the final 10 games of the season, but he’s currently on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.

Cashman could be the answer, but the more likely scenario is a mix-and-match of these linebackers alongside Williamson in the middle. All four have different strengths and weaknesses so it will be paramount for Gregg Williams to build schemes that align with a player’s skillset. 

Cashman, for example, is a strong coverage linebacker. He excelled in 2019 in defending the pass, allowing only 0.95 yards per cover snap and 6.0 yards per target, according to Michael Nania.

The Jets have a bounty of starting-caliber replacements for Mosley in the middle of the defense. Will it be enough to supplant Mosley’s leadership and production? It’s hard to tell this offseason, but Williams has worked with less in the past – including the 2019 Jets. 

Cashman will likely start behind everyone else as he eases back into play, but he proved in his rookie season he can move up quickly into a starting role.

Avery Williamson doubts players’ self-discipline during pandemic: ‘A lot of guys do a lot of stupid stuff’

The Jets linebacker doesn’t think all players will staff safe during the coronavirus pandemic.

As the NFL barrels closer to the 2020 season, the uncertainty and risk involved with playing in the midst of a global pandemic continue to weigh on players’ minds. Not only have some players tested positive for COVID-19, but more than 50 players have also opted out of the season because of the pandemic.

As of now, however, the plan is to play football.

Since camps opened, 56 players have tested positive for COVID-19 and 107 have tested positive since the offseason, according to the NFL Players Association. Many more players – including four Jets – have been added to the NFL’s Reserve/COVID-19 list – which is reserved for players who either tested positive or were in close contact with someone who tested positive. Those numbers will surely increase as the summer progresses, and it will be up to the players and the teams to be disciplined in limiting their exposure both at home and on the road.

Linebacker Avery Williamson knows this will be tough for players to do year-round, even with the precautions already in place at the federal, state, league and team levels.

“There’s a lot of guys in this league. A lot of guys do a lot of stupid stuff,” he told reporters Wednesday. “I feel like it’s definitely tough for guys to do the right thing the whole year. That’s just my opinion.”

Williamson’s opinion has some merit based on what’s happened in other sports that have already returned.

The NBA built a bubble inside Disney World to isolate players, coaches and staff from the outside world to restart its season. The league hasn’t had a positive case since play restarted on July 30. MLB, however, saw outbreaks on multiple teams and has postponed more than 20 games due to outbreaks on multiple teams. Reports even said that some players broke league protocols by visiting casinos and clubs. 

The NFL can’t have that if it wants to finish its season. But, as Williamson noted, there are a lot of players who do a lot of stupid things – even in the middle of a pandemic. It will take a lot of self-discipline from both the players and teams, which includes a protocol violation hotline, but there are already reports of teams and coaches not following procedures.  

Time will tell if the NFL will be able to keep it’s players, coaches, staff – and season – safe from a virus that has infiltrated almost every aspect of society.

The Jets have a ton of extra cap space. What should they do with it?

The Jets can either upgrade their 2020 roster with their extra cash or save up for next offseason.

Suddenly, Joe Douglas and the Jets find themselves with a lot of extra money.

The Jets have a little more than $30 million in cap space, according to Over The Cap, after C.J. Mosley opted out of the 2020 season and a couple of roster cuts that included guard Brian Winters. There could be more cap casualties to come – don’t expect inside linebacker Avery Williamson to be one – but Douglas now has a lot of financial flexibility to work with.

What Douglas decides to do with that money will be indicative of his thoughts on the Jets’ competitiveness this season. He already said he wasn’t “punting on 2020” after trading safety Jamal Adams, but that was before the Jets also lost their starting inside linebacker and leader of the defense, Mosley. 

If Douglas feels confident in the Jets’ ability to win the division or make the playoffs, he should spend some of that cap space on players who will upgrade the Jets at various positions of need. That includes edge rusher, cornerback, wide receiver and possibly replacing Mosley at inside linebacker. Players like edge rushers Jadeveon Clowney and Everson Griffin, defensive back Logan Ryan and wide receiver Paul Richardson are all available but would command more money than Douglas probably wants to spend right now, especially on one-year deals. Signing any of those players would help the Jets in the short-term but at the cost of salary cap this season.

Another possibility Douglas could entertain now that the Jets have more cap space is trading for a player and extending him. Yes, I’m talking about Jaguars edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue, who plans to holdout as he seeks a trade and/or a new contract. Douglas could make the move to bolster the Jets’ pass rush immediately in 2020 and in the future if he trades for and signs Ngakoue to a lucrative extension. They have the money to give Ngakoue at least $20 million per year if that’s the player Douglas wants to pay. There are other players he could be targeting in trades as well, given the Jets’ dearth of talent at various positions and abundance of draft capital. 

The alternative – if Douglas doesn’t think the Jets are good enough to compete in 2020 – is to do nothing with the extra money and hold onto it for next offseason. That seems to be the most likely scenario.

Right now, the Jets are slated to have $76.27 million in cap space in 2021. That number could be even greater if the Douglas cuts players like Le’Veon Bell, Jamison Crowder, Henry Anderson and George Fant, whose releases would add as much as $35.6 million to next year’s cap space. That’s a lot of money to play with, especially if the Jets want to extend Sam Darnold. Since the salary cap could drop to as low as $175 million in 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, holding onto as much money as possible now would make the Jets one of the most cap-flexible teams next year.

Considering how Douglas played his first free agency as the Jets’ GM, it’s more likely than not he won’t make any major moves the rest of this year that could hinder that flexibility in 2021.

He signed players to mostly one-year deals this offseason before the Adams trade, signaling his plan to reevaluate the roster next offseason with even more money. The effects the pandemic will have on the salary cap and Mosley’s opt-out only add to that mentality. While Winters’ cut opens up the possibility Douglas spends more money this offseason, it will probably be smaller contracts for players who fill depth holes on the roster rather than big swings like Clowney, Ryan or trading for Ngakoue.

There is still so much uncertainty with this season – between player opt-outs, how games will actually be played and the financial implications of some fan-less stadiums – so it would be a waste of money to pay top-dollar for players on one-year deals just to not make the playoffs again and if Douglas doesn’t plan on extending them next offseason. 

The more prudent measure is to sit on the cash and reevaluate the NFL landscape in a post-pandemic world. This seems to be Douglas’ approach during his year-plus tenure as general manager, so it wouldn’t be surprising for that to continue as the 2020 season draws closer.

C.J. Mosley explains why he chose to opt out of 2020 season

Mosley made it clear during an interview with the Wounded Warrior Project “virtual chalk talk,” as to why he chose to opt out.

On Saturday, the fourth former Crimson Tide football player to opt out of playing in the 2020 season was current New York Jets linebacker CJ Mosley.

Mosley made it clear during an interview with the Wounded Warrior Project “virtual chalk talk,” as to why he chose to opt out:

“As of two days ago, I chose to opt out of this season. So I mean that’s probably the biggest football decision I’ve made in a long time, probably since I picked what college I was going to.

That’s a book I’ve got to start writing pretty soon, figure out what’s the next step because there’s a lot of negative things people can say as far as me not playing two years, and there’s a lot of positive things that we can say.

Because of Covid-19, my family is my support system with my son, so I didn’t want to risk that. It’s a full team sport, but sometimes people got to get better on their own. They got to look out for — we’re in a different situation — but I’ve got to look out for my family, too, so sometimes you got to make that small sacrifice that some people might not understand right now. But when you come out on top, everybody’s going to be on your side cheering for you.”

Mosley also shared how he was going to use this time to work on bettering his skills and how he plans to keep training in the offseason:

“I’m out a whole year. So I’ve got all this time to mentally get better, physically get better, kind of readjust and kind of find that flame again. … I think just looking at the big picture, just for me, I want to make sure I’m mentally and physically the best person I can be so I can be that leader I know I can be.”

All this to say, the Jets will be without Mosley for the second year in a row.

In 2019, Mosley only played in just 2 games before missing 14 games with a groin injury.

While at Alabama, Mosley quickly became a defensive leader. Not only did he help lead Alabama to 2 national championships, he also finished his career at Alabama with 317 total tackles, 6.5 sacks, 5 interceptions, 3 defensive TDs, 17 passes deflected and 1 forced fumble.

Mosley was drafted as the 17th overall pick by the Baltimore Ravens of the 2014 NFL Draft where he played from 2014-2018.

While in Baltimore, he recorded 579 total tackles, 8.5 sacks, 9 interceptions, 1 touchdown, 6 forced fumbles and 5 fumble recoveries.

In 2019, Mosley signed a five-year, $85 million deal with the New York Jets. Last season, he recorded 9 tackles, 1 interception, and 1 touchdown.

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How does Jets LB CJ Mosley’s opt-out impact the Dolphins?

How does Jets LB CJ Mosley’s opt-out impact the Dolphins?

The AFC East was already going to be one of the more drastically different landscapes in all of football this fall. The Dolphins welcomed a slew of players, including CB Byron Jones and LB Kyle Van Noy, where as the Patriots bid farewell to more starters (including Tom Brady) than you can count on one hand and the New York Jets just finishing bidding farewell to star safety Jamal Adams. But this is something else entirely. As the NFL began to welcome NFL teams back to training camps, a slew of COVID-19 opt-outs hit the New England Patriots square between the eyes — the team lost safety Patrick Chung, tackle Marcus Cannon and linebacker Dont’a Hightower in a span of a day or two.

And now the New York Jets have lost linebacker CJ Mosley for the same reason — his opt-out of the 2020 season was reported yesterday afternoon.

How does this impact the Dolphins?

To be completely honest, Miami was well positioned to win both of these football games anyway. The Dolphins have enjoyed recent success against the Jets (they’re 4-2 against New York over the last three seasons) and hold a significant advantage over New York in the coaching department this season. The Dolphins are a more improved roster as well — which means the expectations for Miami should start with a handful of wins over the Jets this season.

That expectation is only further reinforced with the news of Mosley’s opt-out — the Jets have now lost arguably their two best players on the roster in a span of a few days between Mosley and Adams. In a perfect world, perhaps the Dolphins play the Jets earlier in the season to take advantage of the losses before the Jets hit their stride in adjusting — but that won’t change unless the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic prompts the NFL to shuffle the schedule around. Instead, the loss of Mosley only serves as further motivation of what we already thought to know: the Dolphins are well positioned to outpace the Jets this season, but the expectation of claiming two wins against New York now grows as a result of this latest news.

REPORT: CJ Mosley will opt out of the 2020 season

Now, the fourth former Crimson Tide football player to opt out of playing in the 2020 season is current New York Jets linebacker CJ Mosley. 

First, it was former Alabama offensive guard Chance Warmack, who is with the Seattle Seahawks. Then it was former Alabama linebacker Dont’a Hightower, who is a part of the New England Patriots defense. After Hightower was former Alabama and current Baltimore Ravens offensive lineman Andre Smith who also opted out of playing for the 2020 season.

Now, the fourth former Crimson Tide football player to opt out of playing in the 2020 season is current New York Jets linebacker CJ Mosley.

According to reports, “Linebacker C.J. Mosley has opted out of playing in the 2020 season due to family health concerns surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to NJ Advance Media”

The Jets will be without Mosley for the second year in a row.

In 2019, Mosley only played in just 2 games before missing 14 games with a groin injury.

While at Alabama, Mosley quickly became a defensive leader. Not only did he help lead Alabama to 2 national championships, he also finished his career at Alabama with 317 total tackles, 6.5 sacks, 5 interceptions, 3 defensive TDs, 17 passes deflected and 1 forced fumble.

Mosley was drafted as the 17th overall pick by the Baltimore Ravens of the 2014 NFL Draft where he played from 2014-2018.

While in Baltimore, he recorded 579 total tackles, 8.5 sacks, 9 interceptions, 1 touchdown, 6 forced fumbles and 5 fumble recoveries.

In 2019, Mosley signed a five-year, $85 million deal with the New York Jets. Last season, he recorded 9 tackles, 1 interception, and 1 touchdown.

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