Baltimore Ravens’ Linebacker C.J. Mosley Wants to Stay a Raven
By Ben Palmer
The Baltimore Ravens picked up linebacker C.J. Mosley’s fifth-year option on his contract, and Mosley said he wants to stay in Baltimore.
The Baltimore Ravens have picked up linebacker C.J. Mosley‘s fifth-year option on his contract, meaning that he will have at least one more year in Baltimore. After that, however, he will be a free agent unless the two sides work out a deal.
Mosley’s fifth-year option is worth around $8.7 million, an amount that’s fully guaranteed once the new league year officially begins.
For Mosley’s part, however, he’s not too worried about signing an extension just yet and said that he’s interested in sticking around in Baltimore for a while and finishing his career as the best Baltimore Ravens linebacker since Ray Lewis.
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“I’ve never been a guy that’s liked change or gone to a new place and start over,” he said. “I went all four years at [the University of Alabama]. I was at one high school. I was at one middle school. So I’ll love to stay in Baltimore and continue my legacy and try to be the second-best linebacker to finish out there.”
Mosley added that he’s “pretty sure something will get worked out” and that right now he’s just “focus[ed] on football.” The only thing he can do right now is “stay healthy and play football,” he said.
Mosley has been one of the best defensive players on the Baltimore Ravens’ squad for some time now, if not the best (you could make an argument for Jimmy Smith being better when healthy).
The Baltimore Ravens drafted Mosley out of the University of Alabama as the 17th-overall pick of the 2014 NFL Draft. Since becoming a member of the Baltimore Ravens, Mosley has earned three Pro Bowl nominations (including one this season), three second-team All-Pro nominations, and was named to the Pro Football Writers Association All-Rookie team.
He finished this past season ranked fifth in the NFL in total tackles with 489 and fifth in solo tackles with 313. He also ranks second among linebackers over the past four seasons in interceptions with eight, behind only Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly.
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Mosley is essential to the Baltimore Ravens defense, and signing him to a long-term deal during the next season should be a priority for the team, however, it would best if they avoided over-paying him like they did when they signed lineman Brandon Williams to his massive five-year, $52.5 million contract the past offseason.