In their search for new starters on the offensive line, the New York Jets reached into their not-so-distant past, trading for veteran tackle Morgan Moses on Thursday. The Jets sent their fourth and sixth-round picks in the 2024 NFL Draft to the Baltimore Ravens for Moses and a fourth-round pick. The swap of fourth-round picks cost the Jets 22 spots, dropping them from No. 112 overall to No. 134.
Moses will be one of New York’s two new starting tackles in 2024. The 33-year-old is expected to play the right side, next to guard Alijah Vera-Tucker. That’s the spot he held down for the Jets in 2021, when he played in 17 games and started 16. He allowed four sacks and an NFL career-high 49 QB pressures that season, when Zach Wilson was the team's rookie starting quarterback.
No need for a tour guide.
This guy knows his way around. pic.twitter.com/bhnls4vfWh
— New York Jets (@nyjets) March 14, 2024
Now, Moses will be asked to help keep 40-year-old Aaron Rodgers upright. He’ll be joined by Vera-Tucker, center Joe Tippmann and left guard John Simpson, who was signed as a free agent and was Moses’ teammate in Baltimore the past two seasons. The Jets could still sign a left tackle in free agency, though they’re expected to use the No. 10 overall pick in the draft to select their long-term answer at the position.
New York is not bringing back either starting tackle from last season. Mekhi Becton and Duane Brown are both free agents, though Brown may retire. Veteran guard Laken Tomlinson was released after the 2023 season.
That said, let’s grade the Jets’ trade for Moses.
Grading Jets trade for Morgan Moses
Moses has been a quality offensive tackle for 10 NFL seasons, and a durable one, too. He’s played every game in eight of his 10 seasons.
However, there was a bit of a red flag last season, when Moses missed three games with a shoulder injury. He also was subbed out of games in 2023 to lighten his playing load. If the Jets used a similar approach, that would likely mean third-year lineman Max Mitchell or second-year pro Carter Warren could get regular game reps even while Moses remains the starter.
But when on the field, Moses still delivered solid play. Pro Football Focus gave him an overall grade of 77.6, with similar grades for run blocking (77.2) and pass protection (75.9). Those are all in line with his career numbers. Moses allowed five sacks in 2023 and 29 QB pressures. He ranked 20th among tackles with a pass block win rate of 90.3 percent.
If he remains healthy, Moses is a decent one-year stopgap at the position, not to mention an upgrade from last season. He is also a bargain. Moses makes $5.5 million on the final season of his contract, which is important to the Jets, who are up against the salary cap. It could also make it easier for them to pursue a veteran left tackle still in free agency.
All in all, bringing back Moses is not a sexy acquisition, but a decent one.
Grade: B
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