The addition of C.J. Mosley unquestionably upgrades the New York Jets. Safety Jamal Adams has an ambitious goal for himself and the linebacker to reach: A Ray Lewis, Ed Reed-level.
"It's exciting, it's crazy," Adams said, via the team's official network. "I'm not comparing us to them, but in a way, I'm saying it can be something special like that. And when I say that, I mean Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. That's the first thing that came in my mind and I hit him (Mosley) up. I told him we can do something special just like those guys if we put our minds to it and just keep working, stay humble and keep our faith. That's what I'm looking forward to."
Different players. Different teams. Different eras.
Comparing Adams and Mosley to Hall of Famers Reed and Lewis would be an aimless endeavor at this point. There is no comparison other than they play the same positions. And yet, it's foolish for Adams' goal to be anything but the best -- professional athletes can't operate otherwise -- so targeting the likes of Reed and Lewis as an example for himself and Mosley to build on seems natural.
Adams knows the addition of Mosley, a very good player but not revolutionary like Lewis, alone won't propel the Jets from mediocre to dominant. It will take a lot more grit and talent to make that jump.
"We're getting there, brick by brick," he said. "We just have to keep stacking, keep working and have the team continue to get closer to each other because that's what it's about. As long as you have a good locker room, good guys in there, guys that want to win, guys that are eager to win and a coaching staff that is very talented that we have, you can't get any better. So when you add it all together, it's going to be special."
