C.J. Mosley played out his five-year rookie contract with the Ravens, and the sides are discussing a second deal. But the Ravens may not be willing to shell out a monster pact to keep one of their top players.
“Yeah, you’d rather have C.J. back,” John Harbaugh said, via Jonas Shaffer of the Baltimore Sun. “There’s always the give and take, of course. There are limitations with money, but C.J. wants to be back and we want him back. I think that’s a really good formula for a player coming back.
“I’m just not even going to entertain the possibility right now that that wouldn’t happen. I’ll just assume that’s going to happen.”
Baltimore holds middle-of-the-pack cap space ($28MM-plus), and while clearing Joe Flacco‘s contract off their books would help, a trade would also bring some 2019 cap charges. Inside linebackers Benardrick McKinney and Eric Kendricks signed $10MM-AAV extensions last year. A four-time Pro Bowler, Mosley will be seeking to land a higher-end deal. Jamie Collins and Luke Kuechly still represent the standard for off-ball linebackers, earning $12MM-plus on average.
Mosley, 26, led the Ravens in tackles in three of his five seasons. He registered 105 stops this season, one in which Pro Football Focus gave him a middling coverage grade this season. The Ravens also have Terrell Suggs and Za’Darius Smith looming as UFAs.
If for whatever reason the Ravens don’t keep Mosley, the Steelers could and should try to add him as quickly as possible. Their ILB play since Shazier’s injury has been mediocre to terrible, and it hurt them big time this year.
Pittsburgh doesn’t even have enough cap space to sign him
The Steelers are not in a bad situation with the cap at all, at least compared to previous years. Depending on the extension they are currently working on with Roethlisberger and maybe on Antonio Brown’s situation, they might very well have the cap space.
Pittsburgh doesn’t even have enough cap space to sign him
Bell’s off the books and a few restructures it would work
Packers should pick him up