C.J. Mosley (LB) - Pro Football Rumors

NFC Notes: Buccaneers, Falcons, Cardinals, Mosley, Vikings

March 7th, 2019 at 11:51am CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Buccaneers have an interesting offseason ahead of them. They have a lot of holes to fill on the roster as Bruce Arians takes over as coach, but not much cap space to work with. In a recent piece, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com previewed their offseason. Overall, Laine isn’t too bullish on their ability to add many big names. The Bucs have been linked to some high-end free agents like Le’Veon Bell, but Laine cautions they’d need to make a bunch of moves to make his potential salary fit. One of their own, receiver Adam Humphries, is set to be a free agent, and Humphries will reportedly be a hot commodity. Sources told Laine that Humphries is seeking a deal worth $8MM annually, which is actually slightly less than the $10MM we heard he was looking for yesterday.

Either way, it sounds like Humphries might get priced out of the Buccaneers‘ range. Laine also reports no decision has been made yet on fellow receiver DeSean Jackson as he heads into the final year of his contract, but writes that “lack of cap space may force their hand” into releasing or trading him. In her piece Laine also throws out some names who could be cut to create cap space, like ” defensive end William Gholston ($3.75 million against the cap in 2019), defensive tackle Beau Allen ($5 million), defensive tackle Mitch Unrein ($3.75 million).”

Here’s more from the NFC:

The Falcons made major shakeups to their coaching staff after their disappointing 2018 season. All three coordinators were let go, and now Atlanta is making another coaching change. The Falcons have hired Jess Simpson to be their new defensive line coach, as current defensive line coach Bryant Young is stepping down, according to Will McFadden of the team’s official website. Simpson comes to the Falcons from the University of Miami, where he served as defensive line coach. In 2017 he was a defensive assistant on the Falcons’ staff, so there’s some familiarity here.
We heard yesterday that some Ravens players thought C.J. Mosley and Terrell Suggs could re-team in Arizona, and now there’s more smoke to that fire. The “Cardinals are expected to make a big push” for Mosley if the Ravens don’t lock him up before free agency starts, sources told Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com. Mosley to the desert seems to be picking up some steam, and it makes sense. Mosley is still only 26, and would be a very nice pickup for this rebuilding Cardinals team.
Vikings running back Roc Thomas was arrested and charged with felony drug possession, according to Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Thomas was arrested in January after “police found 143.28 grams of marijuana” in his apartment. Thomas is due back in court on March 18th. Thomas was a rookie undrafted free agent last year, and made Minnesota’s initial 53-man roster after an impressive preseason. He was cut midway through the season and re-signed to the practice squad, and signed a reserve/futures contract at the end of the year. He’s likely to face discipline from the league when this all gets sorted out.

Terrell Suggs Could Leave Ravens?

March 6th, 2019 at 8:34pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Although the Ravens would like to re-sign Terrell Suggs, the veteran pass rusher will have a solid market in free agency, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link), who adds there is a “very real possibility” Suggs will not be in Baltimore in 2019.

The Ravens had made Suggs an offer, tweets La Canfora, but the two sides aren’t close on the numbers. While Baltimore expects to continue conversations with Suggs, there is no deal considered imminent. Although Suggs is entering his age-37 campaign, he’s given no hint that he’s ready to retire, and fully plans to continue his career next season.

The Cardinals could become a destination for both Suggs and fellow Ravens free agent C.J. Mosley, as La Canfora writes in a separate piece that the some of the duo’s Baltimore teammates believe the pair could head to the desert. The Ravens opted not to use the franchise tag on Mosley, which would have allowed him to collect a fully guaranteed salary of $15.443MM next year.

Despite his advanced age, there aren’t many signs Suggs is slowing down. He played 744 defensive snaps in 2018, second-most among Baltimore’s front seven defenders (trailing only Mosley). During that time, Suggs posted seven sacks and ranked as the NFL’s 36th-best edge defender among 103 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.

AFC Notes: Texans, Broncos, Jets, Bell

March 5th, 2019 at 8:52am CST by Zachary Links

The Texans are expected to release cornerback Kevin Johnson, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle writes. As previously reported, the Texans have discussed trading Johnson, but it’s much more likely that he’ll be cut given his contract (due $9.1MM in 2019) and recent concussion issues (played only one game in 2018). Still, releasing Johnson will leave the Texans extra thin at cornerback, so the position figures to be a priority for them in March and April.

Here’s more from the AFC:

The Broncos are expected to have interest in linebacker C.J. Mosley, according to Troy Renck of Denver7 (on Twitter). This week, we learned that the Ravens will not use the franchise tag on Mosley and the expectation is that he will be an unrestricted free agent later this month. Mosley, 27 in June, is a perennial Pro Bowler and anchored Baltimore’s linebacking corps for several years.
The Jets are expected to target second-tier running backs during free agency, according to Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com, which signals that Le’Veon Bell is not the team’s focus. The Jets could theoretically sign Bell, Pauline hears, but only if they do not come away with a big-time pass rusher. Speaking of the pass rush, the Jets have been connected to Dante Fowler, but people at the combine told Pauline that contract length may be a sticking point for Gang Green. Fowler probably wants something in the four-year range while the Jets are hesitant about such a commitment.
The Dolphins haven’t told Minkah Fitzpatrick whether they want him to play safety or cornerback in 2019, but they want him to be a safety in the long run, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald hears. He could get a head start on the safety plan this year, but that will depend on what happens with incumbents T.J. McDonald and Reshad Jones. Right now, it seems unlikely that the Dolphins would move on from either safety. Cutting McDonald would save only $1.4MM versus $4.6MM in dead money. Meanwhile, Jones is already guaranteed $11MM for 2019.

Ravens Will Not Tag C.J. Mosley

March 4th, 2019 at 3:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

If the Ravens and C.J. Mosley are unable to reach an extension agreement by the time free agency opens March 13, they may risk losing him.

The team will not use its franchise tag on the sixth-year linebacker, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. This is not surprising, considering the tag system groups all linebackers together. Both edge defenders and off-ball ‘backers, despite their disparate values on the true market, both would receive $15.443MM if tagged. Mosley’s talents notwithstanding, that appears to be an untenable number for the Ravens.

New GM Eric DeCosta said in February he believed Mosley would be back in Baltimore next season. The parties have begun contract talks, but time is running out on the Ravens’ exclusive negotiation window. Mosley can begin talking to other teams March 11, when the legal tampering period begins.

Mosley, 26, is a perennial Pro Bowler, having been four times, and has anchored Baltimore’s linebacking corps for years. He is a three-down linebacker who stands to do well in free agency, if he ends up reaching the market. The Ravens have allowed plenty of impact defenders to leave via free agency in recent years, but they have done well to keep their cornerstone players. Mosley profiles as such, so the next several days will be interesting.

Jamie Collins‘ $12.5MM-per-year deal remains the top of the non-rush linebacker hierarchy, with Luke Kuechly‘s contract residing just below that. With Kuechly’s extension having occurred years ago and Collins not living up to his pact, Mosley can argue — in a $188MM-capped year — a case to be the game’s highest-paid off-ball ‘backer. But the Ravens are not notorious, their Joe Flacco deal notwithstanding, for these kind of accords. Teams in need of linebacking help are surely monitoring this situation.

Ravens Notes: Flacco, Mosley, Smith, Culley

January 30th, 2019 at 8:35pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Ravens and new general manager Eric DeCosta aren’t expected to make a decision on the fate of quarterback Joe Flacco until March, as Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk writes. The new league year begins in roughly six weeks, and while no trade can be made official until then, Baltimore could agree to deal Flacco to another club before the 2019 league year gets underway. Any pre-June 1 release or trade of Flacco will leave the Ravens with $16MM in dead money; a move after June 1 would put $8MM in dead money on Baltimore’s 2019 books and the same amount on their 2020 cap. In a PFR poll earlier this week, 71% of voters believed the Ravens will be able to find a trade partner for Flacco.

Here’s more from Baltimore:

Linebacker C.J. Mosley is perhaps the Ravens’ most important pending free agent, and DeCosta told reporters he “believe[s] in [his] heart” that Mosley will return in 2019, according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. Mosley, who has missed only two games during his five-year run in Baltimore, graded as Pro Football Focus‘ No. 22 linebacker in 2019. He’s reportedly begun contract talks with the Ravens, but head coach John Harbaugh admitted there are “limitations with money.” Luke Kuechly currently tops the inside linebacker market with a $12.4MM annual salary, while the second tier of the position sits between $10MM and $10.75MM.
DeCosta didn’t sound as positive when discussing the possibility of re-signing edge rusher Za’Darius Smith, tweets Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. “We don’t know what Za’Darius’ market is going to be,” said DeCosta. “He had a really nice year. Typically, the market is usually out of control for those guys, initially out of the gate.” Smith, 26, played the most defensive snaps of his career in 2019, managing 8.5 sacks in the process.
The Ravens have hired former Bills quarterbacks coach David Culley as assistant head coach/wide receivers/passing game coordinator, Baltimore announced this week. Culley’s addition will complete the Ravens’ offensive staff overhaul, which began when new offensive coordinator Greg Roman was promoted to take the place of Marty Mornhinweg, who rejected another position inside the organization. Culley, 63, overlapped with Ravens head coach Harbaugh on Andy Reid‘s Eagles staff, serving as Philadelphia’s wide receivers coach while Harbaugh led the club’s special teams and defensive backs

Latest On Ravens, C.J. Mosley

January 25th, 2019 at 1:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

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.

Ravens, C.J. Mosley Begin Contract Talks

January 15th, 2019 at 12:43pm CST by Zachary Links

C.J. Mosley is scheduled for free agency in March, but the Ravens have opened up contract talks to try and keep him off the open market, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. Mosley is also a franchise tag candidate (and probably the team’s only viable option for the tag), but the team would prefer to work out a long-term deal to tamp down costs in 2019.

The franchise tag would cost the Ravens upwards of $15MM. That’s a huge hit, particularly for an inside linebacker who struggles in coverage.

Still, Mosley is one of the Ravens’ best defenders and the team historically has not allowed its best defensive players to get away. A long term deal would allow the Ravens to stay the course at a key position while leaving enough flexibility to build around Lamar Jackson on the other side of the ball.

Mosley, 27 in June, finished out the regular season with 105 tackles, five passes defensed, and one interception in 15 games.

AFC Rumors: Broncos, Crennel, Rhule, Henry

January 6th, 2019 at 12:21pm CST by Rory Parks

Mike Munchak is once again a popular head coaching candidate, with at least four teams interested in his services. But we heard last night that Munchak has strong interest in the Broncos‘ opening, and Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (video link) reports that Munchak has emerged as the early favorite for that position. Helping the Broncos’ cause is the fact that Munchak has family, including a granddaughter, in the Denver area.

Now for more rumors and rumblings from the AFC:

The Broncos are blocking other teams from interviewing senior personnel adviser Gary Kubiak for offensive coordinator jobs, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Kubiak wants to remain in Denver anyway, but he has expressed interest in returning to the sidelines as an OC, and the Broncos would like him to serve in that role under whomever they hire as their next head coach (assuming that person is comfortable with such an arrangement). The Bengals and Falcons had requested interviews.
Texans free agents-to-be Kareem Jackson and Tyrann Mathieu want to be back in Houston next year, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. There has been no word on whether the Texans will move to re-sign Jackson, but the team does want Mathieu back, as we learned yesterday.
Romeo Crennel is expected to return as the Texans‘ DC in 2019, per head coach Bill O’Brien (via Wilson on Twitter).
The Jets have interest in interviewing Baylor head coach Matt Rhule for their own HC vacancy, and Rich Cimini of ESPN.com suggests that Gang Green will get an interview with Rhule (Twitter link). The team is in Dallas interviewing Cowboys defensive backs coach Kris Richard today, and Albert Breer of SI.com believes New York brass could interview Rhule while they’re in Texas (Dallas is about 90 minutes from Waco).
Patriots defensive end Trey Flowers should be able to land a lucrative free agent deal this offseason, but since he is not a prototypical speed-rushing DE, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com believes it is difficult to pin down what his value will be on the open market. Reiss suggests Flowers could return to New England after testing the free agent waters.
The Chargers will remain without tight end Hunter Henry for today’s playoff bout in Baltimore, but if LA wins today, Rapoport says that Henry will be activated tomorrow in the hopes of suiting up against New England next week.
Rapoport reiterates that Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco will not be back in Baltimore next season, but Flacco (unsurprisingly) wants to continue his playing career, and Rapoport suggests that he will get an opportunity as a starter (video link). The only real question is whether Baltimore will be able to trade him or if the club will be forced to cut him.
In addition to Flacco, the Ravens will need to decide what to do with impending free agent C.J. Mosley in the offseason. It would probably be unwise to sink too much money into an inside linebacker who struggles in coverage, but Mosley’s leadership abilities for a defense that could be losing a number of key veterans will certainly be a factor in contract negotiations, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic.

AFC Notes: Raiders, Ravens, Bengals, Bills

September 14th, 2018 at 11:31am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Raiders surprisingly re-signed wide receiver Martavis Bryant earlier this week after initially waiving him at final cutdowns, and head coach Jon Gruden is optimistic on Bryant’s chances to contribute, as Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area writes. “He’s in a good place right now,” Gruden said. “I think he’s healthy. I think he’s ready to go. We’re sold on that. We’ve been in contact with him since he has been away. I’ve said it before: when he’s right, he can be a difference maker and we’re hoping he can be one sooner rather than later.”

Bryant is reportedly facing a yearlong suspension after another alleged violation of the NFL’s substance abuse policy, but he’s eligible to play until the league formally announces a ban. Indeed, Bryant is expected to suit up for the Raiders when they face the Broncos on Sunday. Bryant didn’t take any sort of pay cut to return to Oakland, as he’ll collect the same $1.907MM (prorated) salary he was originally due, tweets Tom Pelissero of NFL.com.

Here’s more from the AFC:

Linebacker C.J. Mosley did not suffer any ligament damage in the Ravens‘ Thursday night loss to the Bengals, head coach John Harbaugh told reporters, including Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic (Twitter link). While Mosley may miss Baltimore’s Week 3 contest against Denver, Harbaugh doesn’t think Mosley is facing a long-term absence. For what it’s worth, the Ravens announced Mosley had a bone bruise when he left last night’s game. As Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com writes, Mosley has arguably become Baltimore’s most indispensable defender, so the Ravens will be hard-pressed to replace him for any period of time. Mosley, 26, is currently playing out the final year of his contract, but he hadn’t progressed on an extension with the Ravens as of July.
Elsewhere from Thursday night’s game, Bengals center Billy Price suffered a foot sprain, according to head coach Marvin Lewis (Twitter link via Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer). The injury doesn’t sound all that serious, as Lewis indicated he was “surprised” Price wasn’t cleared to return to Cincinnati’s eventual victory. Price, the 21st overall selection in this year’s draft, was part of a Bengals offensive line overhaul that also included the acquisition of left tackle Cordy Glenn. If Price is forced to miss action, he’ll be replaced by reserve Trey Hopkins, who started 12 games for Cincinnati in 2017.
The Bills will start first-round rookie Josh Allen at quarterback on Sunday after Nathan Peterman and the rest of Buffalo’s offense was thrashed by Baltimore in Week 1, leading Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com to examine whether deploying Allen this early in the season is the correct decision. Allen won’t be forced to face Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa, but the Los Angeles defense will certainly present a challenge for the Wyoming product.

Injury Notes: Elflein, DeCastro, Mosley

September 13th, 2018 at 9:11pm CST by Ben Levine

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said today that starting center Pat Elflein will be returning to the field “pretty soon.” However, the coach wasn’t able to give a definite return date, which probably indicates that the offensive lineman won’t be ready for this weekend’s matchup against the Packers.

“It’s way too early,” Zimmer said (via Chris Tomasson of TwinCities.com). “I’m not going to make any determinations like that yet.”

The offensive lineman missed the preseason and the first week of the season as he recovered from shoulder and ankle ailments, but he’s still found ways to contribute to the team. As Tomasson writes, the second-year pro has been tutoring replacement Brett Jones, who was acquired from the Giants in late August.

“Pat’s been a lot of help so far, and it’s been good,” Jones said. “We’re trying to get on the same page with me being new, and he’s made the transition easier. He’s played lots of these defenses, just being in the (NFC North), so he can help me out with what to expect.”

Let’s take a look at some more injury notes from around the NFL…

Steelers All-Pro guard David DeCastro fractured his hand during last weekend’s game, and he acknowledged that the injury was worse than he initially thought. The offensive lineman has sat out the past few days of practice, and he’s set to be fitted for a brace. While he may have to wait another few days for swelling to go down, DeCastro indicated that it wouldn’t be missed practice time that forces him to miss a game. “I’m old enough now,” he told Joe Rutter of TribLive.com. “We’ll see how the swelling goes.” The 28-year-old has only missed a single regular season game over the past three seasons, and he’s earned three Pro Bowl nods during that span.
C.J. Mosley was carted off the field during the Ravens‘ game against the Bengals tonight, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that the linebacker is being evaluated for a knee injury (Mosley has since been diagnosed with a bone bruise). His absence was felt right away; after forcing a three-and-out on Cincy’s first drive, the Ravens defense allowed touchdowns on the next three series. Much of this could be attributed to Baltimore’s lack of depth and experience at middle linebacker, as the team is only rostering Patrick Onwuasor, Chris Board, and Bam Bradley (currently on the PUP) behind Mosley.
Leonard Fournette is feeling better, but the Jaguars running back said it will be a “game time decision” on whether he’ll play this weekend against the Patriots.