Elijah Moore acquired by Cleveland Browns in trade with New York Jets
The Browns have landed their next big addition to their offense.
About two hours after news of the trade first broke, the Browns officially announced Wednesday that they have acquired receiver Elijah Moore from the New York Jets, along with the Jets’ third-round pick, No. 74. New York will receive the Browns’ second-round pick, No 42.
With the Browns, Moore fits into a receiving corps where Amari Cooper is the obvious No. 1 option, while Donovan Peoples-Jones is coming off of a break-through season in his third year in the NFL. David Bell struggled to get consistent targets as a rookie third-round pick out of Purdue, while injuries hampered the abilities of rookie Michael Woods II and second-year pro Anthony Schwartz to get on the field consistently a year ago.
What the Browns have been looking for, though, is a receiver who has the speed to take the top off the defense. Schwartz was drafted with that thought in mind, but hasn’t produced anywhere close to the expectations.
Moore, the 5-foot-10, 178-pound former 2021 second-round pick out of Ole Miss, ended up being in an odd-man-out situation with the Jets. New York’s pursuit of quarterback Aaron Rodgers has led it to sign receivers Allen Lazard and, on Wednesday, Mecole Hardman.
Those additions, a run-in with his coaches during last season, as well as 2022 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson and the re-emergence of Corey Davis, all have played a role in Moore being available. The Browns were more than happy to pounce to bring in the young talent in order to provide a change of scenery.
Moore missed a Week 4 game against the Tennessee Titans in his rookie season due to a concussion, the final five games while being on injured reserve with a quad injury. In the 11 games he did play, he was targeted 77 times with 43 catches for 538 yards and five touchdowns.
Last season, Moore played in 16 out of a possible 17 games, the exception being when he was inactive for a Week 7 game against the Denver Broncos as a team-disciplinary measure. He would be targeted 65 times with 37 catches for 446 yards and one touchdowns.
Moore has been utilized both out wide and in the slot almost identically, especially last season. He was lined up wide on 385 offensive snaps in 2022, compared to 341 snaps in the slot.
As a rookie, Moore was used more out wide, with 347 snaps there compared to 125 snaps in the slot.
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On Twitter: @ceasterlingABJ
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